Shirley W. Yee

If Life can be described as going full circle, Shirley Yee is the poster child. Growing up in Pittsburgh, in a bilingual household, she read stories, wrote stories, and drew pictures to accompany them. After graduating from the CMU Design department, she earned her Master of Fine Arts degree on a Disney scholarship from California Institute of the Arts. Focused on starting her career as a college teacher, she left Los Angeles for Muncie, Indiana to teach at Ball State University. After two years there, and two years at the University of Kentucky, she returned to California, to gain industry experience. In San Francisco, Shirley worked at the design firm Pentagram, and at Hal Riney and Partners, creating advertising campaigns for the Saturn, See’s candies, and Stroh’s beer. Teaching continued to be a career interest, and she taught adjunct at UC Berkeley and at California College of Arts and Crafts. Family crises lead her back to Pittsburgh, where she has continued her work in design studios, advertising agencies, and education. After 11 years as Director of the Graphic Design department at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Shirley is thrilled to be back at her alma mater, working with students in a collaborative and creative environment.