Bio

ACADEMIC CAREER

Moving to Toronto Canada in 2007, Ishino sought to concentrate on her design writing by pursuing a second post-graduate degree. In 2009 she obtained a Master of Arts in Communications and Culture through a joint program at Ryerson and York Universities. Also Catherine began teaching graphic design at York University and George Brown College. Currently, Ishino is a York University Course Director of Design Studies. She has taught Design History (2019), Evolution of Information Design (2018, 2019, 2020), and Introduction to Design for Non-Majors (2020), as well as several other Design Studies courses. Also Ishino started out teaching Time-Based Communication 1 (2008-2017) and 2 (2008 – 2016). Also she has been a Tutorial Director for Design & Contemporary Culture (2011 -2016), History of Design (2015-2018), Design for Non-Majors (2018) .

In 1995 Catherine Jo Ishino was recruited by Michigan State University, with a full scholarship and Distinguished Fellowship. She began her career in the Academy by pursuing her Master of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in Graphic Design. After graduating in 1998, Catherine taught at the University of Minnesota, where she became promoted and tenured to an Associate Professor of Graphic Design in 2004. She also was the Head of the Motion Graphics Area and served as the Graphics Area Coordinator.

TV NEWS DESIGN CAREER
Prior to her academic career, Catherine garnered a National Emmy and Peabody award for her art direction on The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. She entered the TV news industry and video design during the startup of CNN in Atlanta. A year later Ishino moved to New York City, where she served as an independent designer at NBC and ABC News operations. Then joined a new joint venture between ABC News and Westinghouse began, called Satellite News Channel. CBS’ former 60 Minutes Art Director hired Catherine as his Assistant Art Director. She was later promoted to SNC’s Associate Art Director. When SNC went ‘off-the-air’, Catherine was hired at the newly minted The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, where she was brought in as their Assistant Art Director. Two years later she became promoted to its Art Director, where Ishino remained until she left to attain her MFA degree. Catherine also served as a freelance Creative/Art Director and Video Designer to independent TV production companies working on human rights’ weekly TV shows, as well as documentaries and music videos.