NYC college professor, 58, found dead with bruising to neck inside apartment: sources

The Brooklyn community was shocked by the suspicious death of Claudia Brandenburg, a beloved graphic designer and professor at two prestigious New York City colleges. Brandenburg, 58, was found unconscious and unresponsive in her apartment on Prospect Park West, with bruising on her neck and bloodshot eyes. Her husband discovered her and called 911, but unfortunately, she was pronounced dead by first responders.

Brandenburg was a part-time assistant professor at Parsons School for Design and an adjunct professor at NYU Steinhardt School of Art and Art Professions. Colleagues and students described her as a warm, rigorous, and inspiring teacher who brought excitement to the relationship between design and fine art. Erin Johnson, Undergraduate Director of Studio Art at NYU, expressed how loved and irreplaceable Brandenburg was to everyone who knew her.

Neighbors in Brandenburg’s building were puzzled by the news of her death, describing her as a “force of nature” and the president of their co-op. Authorities are investigating the cause of death, with speculation of potential foul play due to the markings on her neck. The city medical examiner’s office will determine the official cause of death.

Brandenburg, a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, was the founder of Language Arts, a graphic design studio. She had previously worked for Bureau NY, The New York Times Magazine, and Architecture magazine. The community mourns the loss of a talented and kind-hearted individual, hoping for closure and justice in the investigation of her untimely death.