Faculty
full-time
Cheryl Gulley, IDEC, EDRA, LEED AP ID+C
Professor and Department Chair
MFA, Interior Architecture and Design, Academy of Art University
MA, Psychological Science - Environment & Behavior Studies, Austin Peay State University
BID, Interior Design, O’More College of Design
BS, Chemistry and Psychology, University of Tennessee – Knoxville
In 1991, following ten years of interior design practice with a commercial design firm in Nashville, Gulley began teaching at Watkins College of Art, Design & Film, then Watkins Institute. Gulley devoted herself to interior design education with the years 1996 through 2006 spent as the Department Chair. During the past twenty years, her credits include the creation of the initial BFA in Interior Design program, as well as securing the first CIDA accreditation for the BFA.
Gulley has been active in furniture and lighting design production for the past ten years. Her designs have been submitted as part of juried exhibitions. The submitted furniture and lighting designs have received recognition through awards received in national competitions. More recent designs have featured the manipulation of materials that are part of the sustainable movement, including recycled metal and concrete.
In 2010, Gulley added an MFA in Interior Architecture and Design to her credentials. The graduate-level coursework provided an avenue toward additional research and application of sustainable principles. Her thesis focused on the renewal of a site near downtown Nashville, which provided an opportunity for renovation and new construction within sustainable guidelines throughout the proposal. An additional credential was added with LEED Approved Professional status in 2009. Gulley now holds a LEED AP ID+C certificate (Interior Design + Construction).
At the beginning of 2012, Professor Gulley reassumed the position of Department Chair for the Interior Design program.
Jennifer Oversteet, ASID, IDEC, IIDA
MS, Master of Architecture, Mississippi State University
BS, Bachelor of Science, Interior Design, Mississippi State University
Jennifer Overstreet has been an interior design professor for seven and half years; five and a half of those as the department chair of interior design at Watkins College of Art, Design & Film. During her five and a half year tenure, she led the interior design department through SACS, NASAD and CIDA accreditations.
Overstreet has a Master of Science in Architecture, with a specialization in visualization. She has worked with and taught many digital modeling, rendering and animation software packages for the past twelve years. They include, AutoCAD, Revit, 3D Studio Max, ArchiCAD, Rhinoceros, SketchUp, Maya and FormZ.
After completing her Master of Science in 2004, Overstreet began her teaching career as the head of the interior design department at the Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, Mississippi.
In 2006, Overstreet passed her licensing exam (NCIDQ) to become a certified interior designer in the state of Tennessee and moved on to become a registered interior designer. Besides being a digital designer and a registered interior designer, Jennifer is active in many professional organizations related to her profession including ASID, IDEC, IIDA and NFBA.
adjunct
Paul John Boulifard
M.Arch, Architecture, Yale University
Paul John Boulifard is a Designer/Architect that has a wide range of professional and academic experiences. Professionally he has worked on large scale projects ranging from skyscrapers, healthcare facilities and performing arts centers while at Pelli Clarke, Pelli Architects in New Haven, CT, to small scale civic buildings at Cherry Huffman Architects, in Raleigh, NC. He has worked at Manuel Zeitlin Architects in Nashville, TN, working on multi-use projects, civic facilities, and small scale residential architectural projects. Currently, he maintains a thriving consulting practice.
In conjunction with these professional activities, Boulifard has taught at the university level on an adjunct basis at such notable institutions as Wesleyan University and Connecticut College, which are both located in Connecticut. He also taught as a full-time tenure track faculty member at the Drury University Hammons School of Architecture. He specialized in fifth year level teaching and computer technologies in relation to the exploration and practice of architecture.
He holds an undergraduate degree from North Carolina State University, College of Design and a Master’s Degree from Yale University, School of Architecture. He also has also studied in France and Spain.
Zach Provonchee
BFA, Architecture, Rhode Island School of Design
BFA, Fine Art, Rhode Island School of Design
Zach Provonchee is passionate about green architecture and sustainable housing. He believes that the role of an architect is to act as a guide for his clients, helping turn their dreams and vision into a built reality.
During his fifteen years of practice, he has become skilled at negotiating the complexities of both the design and construction processes. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects, the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), and is a LEED-accredited professional.
Shonna Sexton
BFA, Interior Design, Watkins College of Art, Design & Film
BFA, Fine Art, University of Tennessee – Martin
Ms. Sexton’s professional practice began as an interior designer for several prominent architectural firms in the Nashville area. Currently, she is practicing as the driving force behind Shonna Sexton Studio. Sexton creates spaces to fulfill the needs of the client, while striving to improve day-to-day quality of life through art and design. Her focus is to make decisions that are respectful of the past and will stand the test of time, while requiring a limited amount of maintenance.
Sexton is a member of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and has served on the Board for the IIDA Tennessee Chapter for the past several years. She is the recipient of the Tennessee Chapter Service Award.
Matt M. Smith
M.Arch, Architecture, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Matt Smith is an architect with special talents in areas relating to the communication of conceptual design and construction-related information through technical drawings. Smith’s talents range from media such as graphite for intricate details to stylized color renderings. His students envision interiors and exteriors in a way that is different from the typical perspective images. Smith brings a fresh nuance to the process and outcome for the use of the students.
Connie Vernich
BA, Art History, American InterContinental University
AFA, Interior Design, Watkins College of Art, Design & Film
Ms. Vernich is an accomplished residential designer whose work has been featured throughout Nashville and the surrounding area for the past fifteen years. She is also known for her skillful renderings and artful blending of the old with the new. Vernich brings her knowledge of the history of architecture and interior design to life in her classrooms through her detailed lectures. Students connect with her descriptions at Watkins College of Art, Design & Film and on-site in France.