Ellen McMahon

Students researching illustrations in the CEDO field station library aquarium. 2007

Mural for Aquamar Oyster Growers kayaking and bird watching eco-tourist cooperative on the banks of Morua Estuary in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico. 2008

Mural painting

Estuary Conservation Fund logo co-designed with Kelly Leslie 2007

Color palette by Mike Buffington, undergraduate student 2006

Postcard designed with Kelly Leslie

30th Anniversary T-shirts and Banners, design and illustration: Margi Kimball graduate student 2010

Tide Calendar,Co-designed with Kelly Leslie, 2009

Series of brochures designed by student, Eva Orduña 2007

Post Card designed by John Gialanella, graduate student 2009

This exhibition is the product of a collaborative exploration into the processes of translating scientific findings and concepts into designed communication. This project involving students in my Critical Issues in Design course, science students, and UA scientists provided a dynamic opportunity for each discipline to learn about the other.

Student worked on several projects. One group of students worked with Dr. Matthew Sullivan, Assistant Professor of Ecology/Evolutionary Biology, and his students to create a series of posters intended to inform the public about the critical role of plankton in the ecology of the planet. Dr. Sullivan is a scientific coordinator of TARA Oceans, a worldwide, 3-year oceanographic expedition involving 100 international scientists. The goal of the expedition is to create a baseline understanding of the diversity and functional capabilities of marine organisms, from viruses to fish larvae, at 300 sampling sites. Defining such a baseline is an essential first step to understanding how the oceans are being affected by climate change and other human activities.

TARA Oceans posters Installed in the UA Student Union 2009

Designed with Kelly Leslie for Biosphere 2.  2009

Poster design, Thomas Deeney undergraduate student  2009

Poster design, Jessica Gerlach, graduate student  2009

Poster design, Christian Rice, graduate student  2009

Poster design, Johnny Nelson graduate student  2009

Info-graphic design, John Gialanella, graduate student  2009

info-graphic design, Jonathan Black, graduate student  2009