Research & Scholarship

INTERDISCIPLINARY + COLLABORATIVE + PARTICIPITORY

The first Cumulus conference hosted in Africa took place this September in lovely Johannesburg at the Greenside Design Center (GDC) and the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA). The ‘Design with the other 90%: Changing the world by design’ conference was a wonderful opportunity...

I had the unique opportunity to virtually present my research with Kelly Murdoch–Kitt at the AIGA Design Education Conference, New Ventures: Intersections in Design Education, held in Portland, Oregon. Our paper, titled “Click. Connect. Crit: Teaching global collaboration for international design innovation,” was met with...

Throughout the 2012-2013 year, I conducted a collaborative project with my colleague, Kelly Murdoch–Kitt, on intercultural design exchanges in the University classroom. It is our belief that design educators must learn to develop and lead successful intercultural projects and exchanges for students entering into a globally...

Hosted by the Seattle University Center for Environmental Justice and Sustainability, the Just Sustainability: Hope for the Commons Conference focused on the intimate connections between environmental justice and sustainability. True sustainability can only be achieved when all communities have healthy air, water, food, green space, and security, and...

Rome was an absolutely beautiful host city for the Ninth International Conference on the Arts in Society 'The Lives of Art' held at Sapienza University this June. The conference focused on the intersection of academia and social impact, bringing together interdisciplinary and international perspectives to discuss new...

DRS 2014: Design's Big Debates gave me an opportunity to experience the nightless nights and sunny days of a Midsummer in Umeå, Sweden. The main purpose of the Design Research Society's 7th Biennial Conference, hosted by Umeå Institute of Design, was to foster a shared design discourse by focusing...

Thanks to my research partners Kelly Murdoch–Kitt and Dr. Kelly Norris Martin, I was able to virtually attend the UCDA (University and College Designers Association) Annual Design Education Summit. Held in May of 2014, this summit for graphic design educators enables opportunities for professional participation and...

I was (and am) extremely grateful for the opportunity to visit Hong Kong as part of my participation in the DesignEd Asia Conference held at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The conference was structured around the theme “Delimitation – Creating with Constraints” and featured engaging presentations...

I recently had the unique opportunity to visit Oslo Norway for the 2nd International Conference for Design Education Researchers (jointly held by DRS and Cumulus) at the Akershus University College of Applied Sciences. The conference revolved around the theme of “Design Learning for Tomorrow –...