Ihab Mardini Headshot

Ihab Mardini

Assistant Professor

School of Design
College of Art and Design

Ihab Mardini

Assistant Professor

School of Design
College of Art and Design

Education

BA, International University of Science and Technology (Syria); MFA, Rochester Institute of Technology

Bio

Ihab graduated in 2014 after being awarded the Outstanding Student of College of Imaging Arts at RIT, and he was chosen as the delegate of all RIT grad students. His teaching career took-off in 2014 as an adjunct Professor in the School of Film and Animation (SOFA), he was hired later as a visiting professor at the 3D Digital Design program (3DDD), where he later was offered the position of an Assistant Professor, a position he currently holds. He is now also an affiliate Professor of the Center for Media, Arts, Games, Interaction & Creativity (MAGIC).

In addition to teaching academically, for several years Ihab has taught 3D modeling and animation to kids at the RIT Tiger-Camps. He has also been volunteering to teach animation to kids at the Joseph Avenue Arts and Culture Alliance.

Throughout his career at RIT Ihab worked on several personal and commissioned films, which reaped him numerous film recognitions including a permanent display of Iroquois Creation Story at Ganondagan’s Seneca Art & Culture Center and two Best Animation awards, in addition to a permanent display of Soap Film at the Exploratorium Museum of Science. As a Professor, Ihab was nominated for Teaching with Technology in 2022, the Eisenhart Nomination – RIT Outstanding Teaching Award in 2018, and a Nomination for Outstanding Teaching Award for Non-Tenure-Track Faculty in 2015.


Areas of Expertise

Currently Teaching

DDDD-103
3 Credits
This course provides experience in generating images, both still and moving, for use with the three-dimensional software environment. Students learn techniques for drawing perspective and orthographic views as well as cabinet drawings, oblique drawings, and other techniques. Students learn to create curves to import for model creation, to capture images photographically to use as textures, to create wrapping textures, to compile multiple frames into a movie, to merge segments together into a single movie, to record and incorporate audio elements, and to export results to the web and other media. Students learn to use a green screen to add live elements to their work.
DDDD-400
3 Credits
The course focuses on the creation of the capstone project for the completion of the 3D Digital Design degree. This course will guide students through their individual three-dimensional digital design project from the planning stage, through completion and to presentation. Students will refine and complete their projects as well as prepare their capstone pieces for competitions. Completed projects will be presented in a senior capstone exhibition.
DDDD-402
3 Credits
The course focuses on implementation of a three-dimensional digital design project from the planning stage, through completion and presentation. By the end of the term the student will have completed at least half of the project and have made all of the aesthetic decisions relative to the project in preparation for an intense critique at the end of the term.
DDDD-523
3 Credits
The course focuses on designing and constructing hard surface models including machinery, furniture, vehicles, electronics, and robots. Students explore the use of different modeling techniques in the process and are particularly interested in the flow of the topology within the geometry. Some attention is given to creating controls for moving the hard surface models.
DDDD-599
1 - 6 Credits
3D Digital Design Independent Study will provide students with the ability to study in a specialized area with an individual faculty member. Students, with the assistance of a faculty advisor will propose a course of study. 3D Digital Design independent study students must obtain permission of an instructor and complete the Independent Study Permission Form to enroll.
VCDE-633
3 Credits
The course focuses on designing and constructing hard surface models including machinery, furniture, vehicles, electronics, and robots. Students explore the use of different modeling techniques in the process and are particularly interested in the flow of the topology within the geometry. Some attention is given to creating controls for moving the hard surface models.

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