Those Who Shaped Our Department
The Department of Design has been shaped by generations of faculty and staff whose dedication, creativity, leadership, and service helped build the community we know today. This page recognizes members of our department who are no longer with us and celebrates the lasting contributions they made to our students, colleagues, and the field of design.
Their influence continues through the programs they developed, the relationships they fostered, the knowledge they shared, and the countless lives they touched. We honor their memory with gratitude and recognize the enduring legacy they leave within our department and beyond.
Kevin J. Reeder (1965–2021)
Assistant Professor 1985–86, Lecturer 1990
Kevin J. Reeder was a designer, educator, and practitioner whose career bridged professional practice and design education. An Ohio State industrial design graduate (’80), Reeder returned to the Department of Design as an Assistant Professor in 1985–86 and later as a Visiting Lecturer in 1990. His professional work included product development and design consulting for clients including Apple Computer, McKesson Foods, Lunar Design, and Priority Designs. He held multiple design patents, and his work is part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Reeder taught at several leading design programs before joining the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty in 2007. He co-authored Conceptual Drawing, Freehand Drawing, and Design Visualization for Design Professionals and was an active member of the Industrial Designers Society of America.
Peter Megert (1937–2022)
Professor of Visual Communication Design, 1970–1985
Peter Megert was a Swiss-born graphic designer and educator whose work helped introduce international design principles and critical design thinking to American design education. After establishing his practice in Switzerland and working with renowned designer Paul Rand at the Westinghouse Corporate Design Center, Megert joined Ohio State in 1970 as coordinator of the Visual Communication Design major. His teaching emphasized empathy, user needs, and the relationships among the many factors that shape visual communication. Megert influenced generations of Ohio State students while continuing his professional practice, later establishing Visual Syntax Design in Columbus. He also helped create international design exchanges connecting Ohio State students and faculty with designers around the world. A member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale since 1974, Megert received numerous professional honors for his work.
Kevin J. Reeder (1965–2021)
Assistant Professor 1985–86, Lecturer 1990
Kevin J. Reeder was a designer, educator, and practitioner whose career bridged professional practice and design education. An Ohio State industrial design graduate (’80), Reeder returned to the Department of Design as an Assistant Professor in 1985–86 and later as a Visiting Lecturer in 1990. His professional work included product development and design consulting for clients including Apple Computer, McKesson Foods, Lunar Design, and Priority Designs. He held multiple design patents, and his work is part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Reeder taught at several leading design programs before joining the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty in 2007. He co-authored Conceptual Drawing, Freehand Drawing, and Design Visualization for Design Professionals and was an active member of the Industrial Designers Society of America.
Peter Megert (1937–2022)
Professor of Visual Communication Design, 1970–1985
Peter Megert was a Swiss-born graphic designer and educator whose work helped introduce international design principles and critical design thinking to American design education. After establishing his practice in Switzerland and working with renowned designer Paul Rand at the Westinghouse Corporate Design Center, Megert joined Ohio State in 1970 as coordinator of the Visual Communication Design major. His teaching emphasized empathy, user needs, and the relationships among the many factors that shape visual communication. Megert influenced generations of Ohio State students while continuing his professional practice, later establishing Visual Syntax Design in Columbus. He also helped create international design exchanges connecting Ohio State students and faculty with designers around the world. A member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale since 1974, Megert received numerous professional honors for his work.
Noel Mayo, DFA (Hon.) (1937–2026)
Professor and Ohio Eminent Scholar in Art and Design Technology, 1989–2016
Noel Mayo was a pioneering industrial designer, educator, entrepreneur, and mentor whose career expanded the possibilities of design and design education. A graduate of the Philadelphia College of Art, Mayo became the first African American graduate of its industrial design program and later founded Noel Mayo Associates, the first African American-owned industrial design firm in the United States. In 1989, he joined Ohio State as the Ohio Eminent Scholar in Art and Design Technology, teaching product, interior, and graphic design. He was deeply committed to mentoring and expanding opportunities for underrepresented students and designers. His long-standing work with Lutron Electronics resulted in hundreds of design patents, particularly for lighting controls. Mayo received lifetime achievement recognition from the Industrial Designers Society of America and the Design Management Institute.
Noel Mayo, DFA (Hon.) (1937–2026)
Professor and Ohio Eminent Scholar in Art and Design Technology, 1989–2016
Noel Mayo was a pioneering industrial designer, educator, entrepreneur, and mentor whose career expanded the possibilities of design and design education. A graduate of the Philadelphia College of Art, Mayo became the first African American graduate of its industrial design program and later founded Noel Mayo Associates, the first African American-owned industrial design firm in the United States. In 1989, he joined Ohio State as the Ohio Eminent Scholar in Art and Design Technology, teaching product, interior, and graphic design. He was deeply committed to mentoring and expanding opportunities for underrepresented students and designers. His long-standing work with Lutron Electronics resulted in hundreds of design patents, particularly for lighting controls. Mayo received lifetime achievement recognition from the Industrial Designers Society of America and the Design Management Institute.