Lane Community College is populated with many highly accomplished professors with a diverse array of experience outside of the classroom. Highlighted in this article is the work of Professor Thomas Madison, a graphic design instructor who also runs the Design and Media Center here at Lane Community College.
If students want to take a class with Prof. Madison, they’ll need to be accepted into the second year of the graphic design program. The program culminates in a capstone project that involves working on a nationally recognized student-produced magazine called The Bleed. Regardless of a person’s involvement in graphic design, it’s interesting to see how Madison’s interests have grown into a career over time. As students hope to enter the workforce after graduating, it can be enriching to learn from the career experiences of professors which can showcase the unexpected possibilities within their field.
Madison was often inspired by the imagery in National Geographic Magazine growing up, he was particularly interested in the artist renderings of pre-humans. This later led to his minoring in Geology alongside his art degree. Part of his academic studies involved creating geologic illustrations that demonstrate how mountains are formed. After college, Madison moved to Newport, Oregon, home of the Oregon Coast Aquarium, Hatfield Marine Science Center, and NOAA. These marine science establishments allowed him to pursue design opportunities within the field of aquariums and marine biology. His work is featured as exhibit designs, signage, illustrations, graphics, murals, branding and more.
Eventually, Madison became involved in the design of the aquariums themselves. A large-scale project he worked on recently was the world’s largest airport aquarium located in the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Saudi Arabia from 2015-2018. The aquarium consists of a four-story tall acrylic cylinder, along with an artificial coral reef that runs through the center. Madison involved other Lane professors while constructing the models of the aquarium, including Professor Lee Imonen who assisted with mold making and epoxy rock-work, as well as now-retired Professor Rick Simms, who assisted with 3-D printing artificial corals for the project. These elements were engineered to function together to help create the Red-Sea inspired coral structure within the aquarium. Madison continues to work on aquarium designs, with an upcoming project for the EPCOT Aquarium at Disneyland.
Madison makes the point that the projects he has worked on over the years are the result of sticking with his interests long enough and with a strong enough work ethic that a career has naturally formed around them. Besides his work in academia and the marine science design field, he is also involved in screen printing through his family business, Madison Design. He encourages students to also pursue their interests and practice a good work ethic. By sticking around long enough, a career becomes inevitable.
