Donald Miller, professor of art and design, will be honored at a retirement reception at the Stone House on Thursday, April 26, from 2-4 p.m.  His initial appointment was in fall 1970, and he will have served UND for over four decades when he retires in May 2012. After serving as chair of the ceramics department in the College of Engineering in 1970, he joined the College of Fine Arts faculty in 1977, becoming a faculty member of the visual arts department, which has been renamed twice and is now the department of art and design.

Among the highlights of his career were his cataloging of UND’s extensive historic pottery collection and his receipt of the Remele Fellowship in 1995 from the North Dakota Humanities Council, which provided support for research leading to the 1999 publication of the University of North Dakota Pottery Book. In 2008, Miller's book was followed by his ND Clay-The Cable Years video production, which won first place in the documentary category at the Midwest Journalism Conference (in competition with other entries within a six- state region).

In addition to Miller's publication and video activities, he also organized important exhibitions about UND pottery. These included an exhibition at the North Dakota Museum of Art in 1999, which was coordinated with the publication of his book as well as with the 50th anniversary of the retirement of former ceramics professor Margaret Kelly Cable from UND. Miller also organized the 2010 centennial exhibition, UND Pottery: the Cable Years, which was held at two locations: the North Dakota Museum of Art and the Columbia Mall in Grand Forks. In addition, Miller has been an active ceramics artist with a distinguished record of pottery production.  He has had a distinguished career at UND as a teacher, having mentored many undergraduate and graduate students over the past four decades. His numerous services to UND have been invaluable and he will be difficult to replace as an active player in the Art and Design program--although he has been awarded emeritus status.

Please join us as we wish him well.