DENTON, Texas (UNT) – Cynthia Mohr, chair of the Department of Design in the University of North Texas College of Visual Arts and Design, has been elected as president-elect of the Interior Design Educators Council.

"This honor brings a level of recognition to my work that supports my efforts to expand the programs in CVAD to a global audience," Mohr said.

IDEC is the professionally recognized association for interior design educators in North America. Mohr will serve as the president-elect for the academic year of 2014-2015, president in 2015-16 and past-president in 2016-2017.

Mohr is certified as a professional designer by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification. Her work with design is varied and includes experiences in both residential and contract design, her research focuses on the interaction of design, culture and pedagogy. She has been with UNT since fall of 2003 and has served in several leadership positions at the university.

"Professor Mohr is a tremendous leader," said Denise Baxter, chair of the UNT Department of Art Education and Art History. "She's certainly been my mentor as an administrator. It doesn't surprise me that her Interior design colleagues nationally equally recognize her leadership and career of service to the discipline."

The purpose of IDEC is to develop and improve interior design education. As president-elect, Mohr chose mentoring as the focus of her presidency.

"We face a shortage of qualified interior design educators," Mohr said. "In the coming years I hope to be able to work with the membership to develop new paths that attract students to seek professional experience and then to return to school for terminal degree training."