Robert F. Mauro, Professor and Chair of Art and Design, was the recipient of the 2012 Professor of the Year Award at Arcadia’s Undergraduate Commencement ceremony in May.

In presenting the award to Mauro, Dr. Steve O. Michael, Provost, stated, “In bestowing this honor on Professor Mauro, we recognize his dedication to his profession, to the University, to his department, and of course, to undergraduate teaching and his students.”

Mauro began teaching Printmaking at Arcadia in 1978. He became immersed in the use of computers in art early in his teaching career, and established the first MAC lab on campus. Mauro’s continued interest with technology put him in the position to develop a strong graphic design and digital arts program. During his fifteen years as the Chair of the department, he has worked collaboratively with the administration to develop the department, resulting in three successful accreditations. Maurowas presented with the Lindback Award for Teaching Excellence in 1983.

His commitment to his own work as an artist shines, as it visually explores unique historical moments or events. The visual content is interlaced with textures, text, and hand-drawn and photographic imagery. Mauro has had 12 solo exhibitions in galleries in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and New Jersey; participated in more than 42 invitational and group exhibits and has received more than 11 awards for his works. His work is in over 17 collections, including the Rosenfeld Gallery in Pennsylvania, the Corning Glass Museum in Ithaca, N.Y., and the University of Michigan.

Mauro earned a B.A. degree in Art Education in 1973 from Rowan University, and a M.F.A. in Printmaking in 1978 from Pratt Institute.

Photo by Josh Blustein