Before coming to the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, GA (the largest art school in the country) in 2001, Mary Ann Casem had already differentiated herself in business as a creative professional who combined the art of marketing with the art of graphic design. She worked in Washington, D.C. for most of her career and thrived for three decades as an agency owner, Creative Director, Art Director and Graphic Designer. Her firm specialized in integrated corporate communications for sixteen years, well before the concept of integrated communications became a strategic approach to solving business problems.

As a designer, her specialties include Design for Social Awareness which she calls Conscious Design, Branding and Corporate Identity, and Integrated Marketing, Many of Ms. Casem’s former clients are names you’d recognize: IBM, Time Magazine, Lockheed Martin, MCI, Amtrak, AT&T, Coca Cola, Fannie Mae, General Electric, The Smithsonian, PBS, The National Gallery of Art, National Public Radio, Paramount Publishing, Proctor & Gamble, Rolls Royce, EDS, the Beef Industry of New Zealand, Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus, the US Postal Service, Hallmark Cards, United Way and many more.

In the field, Casem has judged numerous award shows including PBS On-Air Awards, 2nd and 3rd District Addy Awards, Regional Addys, Art Director’s Award Shows, and United Way’s National Awards.

When working as a designer at Beech Aircraft, Ms. Casem took flying lessons and became a Private Pilot while busy teaching two University classes and starting her master's degree. During moments in the air, she witnessed the earth’s dual nature of strength and fragility, which germinated an idea coming to fruition today as Ms. Casem turns her attention to using design to address social awareness goals.

In addition, her long held views of building community led to her current role as an educator. Her sense of community was built on the values she learned as a child and the respect she has for her Native American heritage.

At the SCAD, Casem introduced new curricula in Social Awareness for Graphic Designers on both the graduate and undergraduate level. The graduate class is now mandatory. She also created, wrote and taught online courses for e-Learning, and was instrumental in creating and developing the new Advertising Design school for the Savannah College of Art and Design, including classes for BFA, MA, MFA and Minor.


At SCAD, Casem has coordinated and judged a number of competitions for SCAD’s Health & Wellness Department, and a number of local charities, including United Way, Union Mission, and Wally Amos' "Read It Loud!" program. She continually seeks out charities and non-profits who need substantive design and marketing work done for free or low cost.

Classes taught include Portfolio, Studio II, Studio I, Corporate Design, Logo & Trademark Design, Social Awareness for Graphic Designers, Conscious Design, Advertising, Intro to Advertising Design, Art Direction I, Business of Graphic Design, Business of Advertising.