NORMAN – Internationally noted scenic designer and associate professor Jon Young has been awarded the 2016 Irene and Julian J. Rothbaum Presidential Professor of Excellence in the Arts at the University of Oklahoma.

At OU, Young has taught scenic design, scenic painting and production. Young has received national recognition for his teaching efforts. In 2015, he received the prestigious Golden Medallion for commitment to teaching excellence from the national Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. He also received one of seven National Teaching Artist Awards from the Kennedy Center Festival in Washington, D.C. in 2008.

In addition to his teaching duties, he is the area coordinator for design and production and a recruitment team member for the Peggy Dow Helmerich School of Drama.

“I believe the educator must establish a relationship with the student based on their individual backgrounds and plans for the future,” professor Young wrote in his statement of teaching philosophy. “The goal of each student is different, and it is an instructor’s responsibility to help prepare the student to achieve these goals. Once a nurturing relationship has been established and trust is no longer an issue, the learning experience can thrive.”

Designs by professor Young have been exhibited and published internationally. His scenic designs have been displayed at the United States Institute for Theatre Technology national conference in Salt Lake City and Long Beach, California. Both were chosen for publication in the juried journal TD & T. His designs have been included in the World Stage Design Digital Catalogue. In 2009, his scenic design for After Juliet was selected and exhibited in World Stage Design, Seoul, South Korea. Young’s design portfolio was featured in the Portfolio Library at the Prague Quadrennial in the Czech Republic.

A graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Young earned his M.F.A. in scenic design.