Title: Ms. Pamela Lang, Senior Design Coordinator in Division of University Relations
Family: Husband Andrew Lang and daughter Nora Lang
How long have you been working at Georgia State University? 15 years in August
What do you do on a typical day? My days vary but LOTS of coordinating and project management is involved. During peak deadline on GSU Magazine, I will usually design eight hours a day and then some. As far as coordinating, that too can eat up some time. The magazine requires much art direction and trafficking — planning, research, collaborating, follow-up, and pulling together many pieces from multiple sources such as the editor, photographers, writers, contributors, the Alumni Association and advertisers. Then there is the approval process (routing proofs for design and editorial approval) and production, where I am responsible for getting the job out the door and, finally, printed.
What is your background? Growing up in suburban New Jersey, it was always a dream to one day live in New York City. I received my B.F.A. in 1985 from the School of Visual Arts, and after graduating, I worked on staff for Vintage Books, a division of Random House, designing book covers for seven years. After leaving NYC, I continued freelancing for Vintage and a number of other publishing companies.
Several months prior to the 1996 Summer Olympics, I made the move to Atlanta to be closer to my sister. I REALLY wanted to work for a university and take a stab at designing magazines. It was so exciting when this job came along because it was a perfect fit. Not only was I designing a higher ed alumni magazine, but Georgia State was downtown. I was starting to get homesick, so working in the heart of Atlanta was a good environment for me. Although my role as “art director and designer” of the alumni magazine has remained the same for almost 15 yrs., every issue is something new and exciting. Our university has so much to offer and visually communicating that each time is very rewarding.
What do you do when you're not at work? Spend as much time as possible outdoors on the farm with Nora — we like to feed our catfish and bird watch — also read two Dr. Seuss books every night
What's your favorite thing in your office? Of course, my newest class photo of Nora. I want to buy more cork boards to cover my wall and display projects I'm working on and also some of Nora’s artwork. It’s fascinating to watch her develop artistically and learn to write her name.
What don't people know about you? I collect vintage plastic purses from the ’40s and ’50s.
If you weren't working at Georgia State, what would your ideal job be? To earn a living — probably freelance, this way I could work on a variety of design projects, including magazines definitely! If money didn't matter — professional equestrian and letterpress artist.