College for Creative Studies provost, design guru dies

Imre Molnar, the longtime academic chief at the prestigious College for Creative Studies in Detroit, died Dec. 28 of a heart attack while bicycle riding in California, the school announced. He was 61 years old.

Molnar was at CCS for 11 years, holding the positions of dean and then provost. CCS is one of the top design schools in the country and counts some of the most important car designers as alumni, including Chrysler's Ralph Gilles and Ford GT designer Camilo Pardo. Along with the Art Center in Pasadena, Calif., CCS annually turns out a crop of young designers who are among the most sought-after in the auto industry.

Molnar was born in Hungary and grew up in Australia. He also served as design director for clothing maker Patagonia and worked as operations director for design consulting firm Hauser Inc. He also was a consultant for Ford, BMW, Hyundai, Kia and Volkswagen.

He came to CCS in 2001 and was instrumental in the expansion of the transportation design program. On his watch, the school moved to the historic former General Motors design studios in Detroit, allowing aspiring designers to learn in the same spaces Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell once created some of the landmark automotive stylings of the Twentieth Century.

Autoweek holds its annual Design Forum at CCS in the A. Alfred Taubman Center for design education.

Molnar also helped create the school's master's of fine arts program. Previously, he was a faculty member at the Art Center, where he earned a master's degree.

Well-respected in the automotive sector for his expertise, Molnar was a frequent source for Autoweek. He compiled a list of his favorite designs for an issue earlier this year, selecting the eye-catching Cadillac Sixteen from 2003 and the Corvette Stingray concepts (2010) among his favorites.

Despite his considerable standing in the design community and demand as a speaker at conferences around the world, he remained focused on developing the next generation of cutting-edge designers.

"In order to design, you've got to have a real passion and love for it," he told Autoweek this spring.

Molnar is survived by his wife, Felicia, and children Isabelle and Max.

The CCS has announced that it will host a memorial service for Imre Molnar on Sunday, Jan. 20 at 3:00 pm. The service will take place at the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education. All who knew Imre are welcome to attend and share with his family in a remembrance of his life.

CCS STATEMENT

Richard L. Rogers, CCS president, said in a statement on the school's website: “Imre Molnar has been a remarkable leader whose accomplishments in his 11 years at the college are huge. For me, it was a personal privilege and pleasure to have worked so closely with him. I admired his values, his intelligence, his talent, his determination, and his passionate devotion to his family and the college. He leaves a great void, and we will miss him terribly. Let us go forward in reflection on his many contributions to CCS and the Detroit community and in sympathy with his wife Felicia and children Isabelle and Max.”

Imre Molnar, provost of the College for Creative Studies, died Dec. 28.

By Greg Migliore