Larry Erickson to Lead College for Creative Studies Transportation Design Program

Accomplished auto designer Larry Erickson has been named the Paul and Helen Farago Chair of Transportation Design at the College for Creative Studies (CCS) in Detroit effective August 4, 2008. As chair, Erickson will lead the College's Transportation Design department, the world's leading program in the education of automotive designers and designers of all forms of transportation. The College places more graduates into the global auto industry as designers than any other institution. Erickson will also oversee the College's Master of Fine Arts in Transportation Design program when it launches in fall 2009.

Erickson joins CCS from Ford Motor Company where he most recently served as chief designer in Ford's Strategic Design Group working on advanced vehicle development. Prior to that he was chief designer on the 2005 Mustang Design team and chief designer in Ford Motor Company's Small and Medium Car Vehicle Center (SVC) Design Studio in Dunton, England.

"With the addition of Larry Erickson, CCS now has the most powerful, experienced and accomplished Transportation Design faculty of any college in the world," said Richard L. Rogers, president of CCS. "His international stature will enhance the program's recognition, while his understanding of the industry, enthusiast connections and business and academic background will be tremendous resources for our students and will make the department an even more effective partner with industry," Rogers added.

Erickson who is an established instructor, having taught courses at CCS in the past, will lead the Transportation Design faculty which includes designer Mark West, recent interim department chair and former senior design manager at Visteon Corporation, and Kunihisa Ito, former Ford and Nissan designer, who is highly regarded in Japan, and a regular columnist for Car Styling magazine.

"This is an exciting time in the Transportation Design industry as the world looks to more energy efficient forms of transportation. I am thrilled to be joining a world-class institution like CCS at such an opportune time, a time when CCS graduates will utilize their training to make a real and significant impact on all forms of transportation," said Larry Erickson.

After earning a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., Erickson began his design career at General Motors Design in 1983 in its Advanced Aero Studio in Detroit. He returned to California working for Bartlett Design on bus exterior and interior design and Tracy Design working on motorcycle and motorcycle accessory design until 1985 when he returned to General Motors. At General Motors, Erickson served as a senior exterior designer and exterior and interior design manager in the Cadillac studio working on the Seville/STS/Eldorado programs and as vehicle chief designer in the Chevrolet studio working on the Malibu and Cavalier programs.

In addition to his work on production vehicles, Erickson is highly regarded by car enthusiasts for his design and construction of custom cars and hot rods. Working with the late Boyd Coddington, Erickson designed Billy Gibbon's Cadzzilla, Hogzzillas and Aluma Coupe. He has also worked with some of the most talented builders including Chip Foose and Craig Naff. Erickson is an inductee in the National Rod and Custom Car Hall of Fame and the Grand National Roadster Show Hall of Fame. He serves on the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Board of Directors.

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