Raphael Diluzio, an art professor who worked for years at the University of Southern Maine and University of Maine, died over the weekend, the USM student newspaper, the Free Press, reported Tuesday.In an email to students, USM Provost Jeannine Uzzi wrote that Diluzio died "unexpectedly," according to the Free Press.
“Professor Diluzio’s approach to art pushed conventional boundaries, combining traditional painting and drawing with digital and interactive media,” Uzzi wrote, in part. “Most recently, his work moved into the areas of creativity and entrepreneurship. Known nationally and internationally for his TED talk ‘The Seven Steps of Creative Thinking.’”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=27&v=MRD-4Tz60KE
The TEDx channel YouTube videos of Diluzio’s TED talk have been viewed more than 400,000 times, and have been seen by tens of thousands more on Facebook.
In his TED talk, recorded in 2012, Diluzio said he’d suffered nine concussions, including one traumatic brain injury during a crash with a tractor trailer truck in 2008. He said he lost memories, the ability to talk and ability to draw because of the brain trauma.
But Diluzio said he painstakingly taught himself to speak again by reading the newspaper, listening to audio recordings of the text and repeating the sounds of the words.
He went on to talk about overcoming adversity, the importance of little moments of inspiration, how he believes people are innovative by nature and how people can embrace “the fearlessness of imagination.”
“We are told that we’re not defined by the loss, but we are defined by how we respond to it,” he said.
Diluzio taught at the University of Southern Maine for seven years, before which he taught at the University of Maine, the system’s flagship university in Orono.
He previously taught at Webster University, Savannah College of Art and Design, the University of Wyoming and Southeastern Louisiana University, Uzzi wrote.
“Professor Diluzio recently launched a new USM course called ‘Cr8,’ which challenged students to break through personal and intellectual barriers to become innovative thinkers,” she wrote, in part. “Professor Diluzio’s unique approach to art and creativity inspired not only art students but also students in STEM fields and many other academic disciplines.”
Uzzi wrote that members of the university community who are grieving are encouraged to call the University Counseling Center at 207-780-4050 to set up an appointment, and that an on-site counselor will be available Tuesday and Wednesday at the President’s House on the school’s Gorham campus.
This story appears through a media sharing agreement with Bangor Daily News.