Faculty Members Heck and Nell Named Professors Emeriti

Congratulations to Professors Ross Heck and Corky Nell, graphic design faculty members in the School of Industrial and Graphic Design (SIGD), who have been named Professors Emeriti by Auburn University’s Board of Trustees. Having officially retired at the end of the fall 2021 semester, both Heck and Nell were honored at SIGD’s Retirement Celebration this past November.

Professor Heck holds both a B.F.A. and an M.F.A. in graphic design from East Tennessee State University. He has practiced graphic design for almost four decades and has received awards in publication design, corporate identity, display design and logo design in various design competitions. Heck stated that he was always amazed at the quality of students in SIGD and will miss his daily interactions with them upon retirement. “I enjoyed each day that I was teaching in class at Auburn University.”

Professor Nell holds a B.F.A. from Auburn and an M.F.A. from Georgia State University. In addition to teaching graphic design, Nell is also a working artist. He was named the 2020 Alabama State Fellow and the Southern Prize Finalist by South Arts and was a recipient of a grant from the Auburn University Intramural Grants Program as well as a College of Architecture, Design & Construction (CADC) Seed Grant. He plans to expand his studio practice upon retiring but says he will miss teaching. “I will always cherish the unbelievably rich daily interactions with hardworking and talented students and faculty. I am grateful to have the best job in the world.”