Faculty Spotlight: Cyndy Epps

Augusta University’s Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award

The world of Cyndy Epps is full of color and artistic design and is one she shares with her students at Augusta University, as well as the Augusta community.  

Epps, a lecturer in the Department of Art and Design in the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences for the last five years, and students in her painting and murals classes have taken part in numerous art projects in downtown Augusta, including creating a large outdoor mural for the Draft Society Taproom courtyard area in 2022, three large pieces of art on the walls at Copeland Elementary and Belair K-8 schools in 2023, and, most recently, the Augusta University-inspired mural at the corner of Reynolds and 11^th streets earlier this year. 

“It sounds really simple, but my favorite part of my position is seeing my students learn. Watching a student accomplish something they never imagined and sharing in that excitement never gets old,” she said. “I get to be a part of that discovery process and help students see beyond the parameters they have stayed within as they realize that they can be a part of a bigger art world.” 

The New Jersey native has left her own mark around Augusta in the 27 years she’s lived here, having recently painted an abutment along 5th Street between Reynolds Street and the 5th Street Freedom Pedestrian Bridge as part of the 5th Street Mural Project back in April. She has also painted a storm drain on the southwest side of the Augusta Common in 2021, a traffic box near the Summerville Campus that depicts the Summerville neighborhood, and one of the murals along the walls of the Augusta Waterworks on the corner of Wrightsboro Road and Highland Avenue. 

“I continue to seek opportunities to improve what I do both in the classroom and in the community,” Epps said, whose classes include drawing, painting, the marvel of art, and color experience. “Our department is growing rapidly, so I hope to be part of making that as seamless a transition as possible both for new faculty and students.” 

Epps, described as an enthusiastic practitioner of experiential learning who uses problem-based learning to ensure students in her studio classes experience real-world scenarios, said the award is a tremendous honor. 

“Receiving this award was honestly very humbling,” she said. “I love my students and work hard to do what I can to help them thrive. If I see an opportunity that I think can make me better at what I do or make them better at what they are trying to do, I pursue it. It just seems like the right thing to do. I feel very blessed to be recognized for these efforts, especially when there are so many at this university who are doing such great things.”