Lindner announces new Womack/Gemini Chair of Signage and Visual Marketing

“The Weinels recognized the importance of academic research in advancing the signage industry and the establishment of the chair has spurred research and industry partnerships,” said Karen Machleit, PhD, marketing professor and department head. “Dr. Kellaris contributed significantly to both research and partnerships, and Dr. Adaval is the perfect researcher to succeed him. She is already known for her research on visual information processing, and she will continue to advance knowledge in signage and visual communication.”

Adaval holds a longtime, self-described "fascination” with humans using art, symbols and decorative elements to communicate. Those interests have shown up in Adaval's research, where she has been at the forefront of analysis on narratives and stories in the consumer domain.

“I consider how consumers notice and interpret visual information in advertising and in product design. Understanding how individuals recognize and interpret information is essential knowledge when creating signs, but also when creating any sort of visual communication that is designed to attract attention and communicate important information,” Adaval said. “This research chair will allow me to continue my work in this area and will ultimately benefit the signage industry as well as marketers that desire to effectively and efficiently present information to their customers.”

In the years since the creation of the Womack/Gemini position, Lindner has collaborated with the signage industry through involvement in Signage Foundation activities, experiential learning focused on signage and visual marketing, and UC's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning’s Terence M. Fruth/Gemini Chair of Signage Design.

Featured image of Lindner Hall by Gavin Vargas.