Professor honored as medical illustrator

(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Aug. 16, 2013) The Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI) awarded its Lifetime Achievement Award to a California Lutheran University professor and alumnus.

Tim Hengst, the chair of CLU’s multimedia program, received the award at the international nonprofit organization’s 68th Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City in July. The award is the highest honor the organization bestows on an individual. It was created to honor professional AMI members whose life, work and accomplishments have significantly contributed to the profession and fellow illustrators.

The Thousand Oaks resident has won 14 AMI Professional Salon Awards and been honored by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Radiological Society of North America and the American Roentgen Ray Society. He has illustrated more than 50 medical textbooks and 100 journal articles. He is a past president and fellow of AMI.

Hengst received his bachelor’s degree in art from CLU and went on to earn a master’s degree in art as applied to medicine from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He has worked as a medical illustrator for Texas Children’s Hospital, The Texas Heart Institute and Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute and runs his own medical illustration business.

He taught at Johns Hopkins from 1977 to 1986. He joined the CLU faculty in 2001 and served as the dean of CLU’s College of Arts and Sciences from 2005 to 2007. He is the executive director of the Kingsmen Shakespeare Company, the professional theater company of CLU. Hengst also produces digital fine art using original photography and Adobe Photoshop and has exhibited in many regional art shows.