Biography
Professor Jon Malis is the Chair of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts and Professor of Visual Arts at Loyola University Maryland. An interdisciplinary artist, educator, and researcher, his work focuses on photography, digital media, and the ways technology shapes how we create, share, and experience visual culture.
Professor Malis teaches courses in photography, digital imaging, video, and related media. His teaching emphasizes hands-on learning, creative problem solving, and critical engagement with visual culture, encouraging students to develop both technical skills and their own artistic voices. He is particularly interested in helping students connect classroom experiences to broader personal, professional, and interdisciplinary interests.
As department chair, Professor Malis works closely with students, faculty, staff, and university leadership to support academic programs in Art History, Photography, Studio Arts, Music, and Theatre. His institutional service has included leadership roles in faculty governance, academic technology planning, accreditation, and strategic initiatives focused on teaching, learning, and student success.
Alongside his teaching and administrative work, Professor Malis maintains an active creative practice. Initially trained as a photojournalist and documentary cinematographer, his artwork explores the materiality, representation, and display of digital imagery through photography, sculpture, installation, and research-based projects. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and has received support from organizations including the Maryland State Arts Council, the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the Naples Art Institute, Panavision, and Loyola University Maryland.
Professor Malis holds an MFA in Film and Electronic Media from American University and a B.A. in Studio Art from The George Washington University.
Education
- MFA, American University
- B.A., The George Washington University
Teaching Areas
- Photography
- Film
- Video
- Visual art
- Journalism
Research Interests
- How technology influences the viewership of art
- Digital color theory
- Materiality of photography
- Digital fabrication technologies
Courses Taught
- PT 270 - Introduction to Digital Photography
- PT 361 - Digital Image
- PT 379 - Color Photography
- PT 380 - Studio Lighting
- PT 381 - Photojournalism
- PT 386 - Video Art
- Other upper-level photography courses
Connect
Instagram: @jonmalis
Website: jonmalis.com