When Andrew Burkle (BSVC ’09) came to Ohio University from Kent, Ohio, he was an undecided major who couldn’t see what was in his future. Now, thanks to the Scripps College of Communication’s Visual Communication program, his vision is crystal clear. Burkle is the lead creative and partner at Cleveland-based BurkleHagen Studio, which is an upscale commercial photo studio specializing in food photography for local and national brands, restaurants, chefs, cookbooks and food-related subjects. Clients include Nestle, Burger King, Olive Garden, Doritos, Pepsi, and Coke.

“I was into photography in high school but never viewed it as an actual career,” said Burkle. “When I was undecided at Ohio University, I started taking some photography classes and ended up becoming a fine arts major. But I still needed more direction and a friend told me about the Visual Communication program. So, I scheduled a meeting with some professors, and they pointed me in the right direction. I became a VISCOM major with a focus on commercial photography.”