Two Minutes

A champion student ... and teacher

When Troy Abel created two classes on motion and broadcast graphics, he created winners. In only two years, his graphic design students have won national competitions and earned rave reviews in the industry. In fact, out of 370 entries to a college competition for original promos for the CW Network, six entries in the top 15 and three of nine finalists were from Abel's class of 14.

Student and teacher. Abel is a graduate student working on his MFA (graphic design) and Ph.D. (human computer interaction), and a teaching assistant in the art and design department. After earning two bachelors' degrees from Valparaiso University, he worked for eight years as a designer and teacher in Chicago.

And the winner is. Abel likes to find a competition each semester that "allows students to tie their classroom experiences to real-world situations." His students learn to shoot and edit video, tell a story and create graphics that move -- for example, logos with animation or kinetic typography. Most have no prior video experience. They don't know the software or techniques when they walk into the class. It's "learn by fire" with Abel supporting them every step of the way.

Reach for the stars. "I'm not sure that I have a secret. I set the bar high for my students, and along the way I'm there supporting, and pushing them, constantly. I demand a lot from my students; but I hope by pushing them beyond their self-perceived limits, they realize they can accomplish what they once thought impossible. "

-- Teddi Barron