If you happen to have a ’05–'06 Andrews University calendar hanging on your wall, Ranko Stefanovic’s book on Revelation, or one of many other University Press productions sitting on your shelf, then you’re probably familiar with the creative talents of graphic designer and Andrews’ assistant professor of design, Robert Mason. But what you might not know about this British-born Andrews and Notre Dame grad is his passionate concern for the students he teaches.

Mason's classes aren’t your ordinary in-and-out, lecture-style, fifty-minute courses. Each week, Mason’s students spend at least six hours with him in a studio setting.

“I get to know them really well,” he comments. At the beginning of each class, Mason demonstrates his interest in his students by giving them the opportunity to share what’s going on in their lives.

“I care passionately about my students,” Mason says. “And, I care just as much about their salvation.”

Students in his Basic Design class experience this firsthand, when at the start of class, they read a handwritten Bible verse from a promise box Mason’s mom made for him when he was in college. But, beyond just handwritten Bible verses, Mason works his values into his curriculum and is always on the lookout for opportunities for students to work on projects in the community that will allow them to wrestle with ethical issues.

“I have a passion for design, especially [for it to be] ethical and service-oriented,” he explains. "Others do whatever their clients want, without thinking about the ramifications, but I want students to leave here with a knowledge that design has to be purposeful and not just promote materialism. I want them to see the power of design and how they influence people.”

When he’s not in the classroom inspiring students to change the world through design, Mason can be found planning his next travel adventure, working in his garden, or most importantly, spending time with his wife, Janean, and their three children.

Bev Stout, University Relations news writer