Western Carolina University

Joan Byrd
"The History of Studio Glass in North Carolina"

Born in Wales, art professor Joan Byrd earned her master's of fine arts degree in ceramics and glass from the University of Wisconsin. Recently, she spoke about glass art to audiences in Austria and Denmark, and at the Corning Museum of Glass in New York. Her work is exhibited throughout the Southeast.

Jon Jicha
"Idea and Image: A Crisis in Representation"

Art professor Jon Jicha, coordinator of WCU's graphic design program, has been a scholar-in-residence at Rhode Island School of Design. He earned a master's in fine arts degree from Kent State University in Ohio. His work has won national awards and appeared in publications such as National Geographic and The American Institute of Graphic Arts. His work is among the permanent collections of the South Carolina Arts Commission, Coberg Museum, and the Library of Congress.

Michael Waters
"Old and New Bagpipes in Europe and America"

Michael Waters is a lecturer in the Department of Music, a professional piper, and director of the Highlands Pipes and Drums. A former student of Scotland's celebrated piper Duncan Johnstone, Waters recently published The Kirking of the Pipers, a book of Christian liturgical music for pipes and drums. He has performed with bands for eighteen years.