Nancy Richardson Design Center RDC Core Faculty

Academic Department Inclusive Excellence Fellow, Daniels Ethics Fellow, and OtterBox Faculty Fellow

“My passion is to develop and utilize design-thinking methodology and strategies to solve societal problems and business challenges. Specifically, I am interested in researching and creating tools that help: 1) eliminate and prevent human trafficking and 2) provide innovative strategies to ensure ethical decision making in business contexts.”

Dr. Lumina Albert is an Associate Professor of Management, OtterBox Faculty Fellow and a Daniels Ethics Fellow in the College of Business at Colorado State University. Her research seeks to extend knowledge of social justice, ethical behavior, and interpersonal relationships in the business world. She has an MBA and a Ph.D. in Business Management. She has been honored with the College of Business Excellence in Teaching Award and the ‘Best Teacher of Colorado State University’ Award. She is also an Associate Editor of the Journal of Managerial Psychology. Her research has been published in scholarly journals such as Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Journal of Business Ethics and Human Resource Management Review. Dr. Albert’s service has been recognized with the College of Business Outstanding Service Award and the CSU Multicultural Distinguished Service Award.

“My interest in design thinking focuses on the ethical aspects and potential of design to contribute to sustainability. Based on approaches of moral philosophy and sustainability ethics, I analyze design responsibilities toward users, stakeholders, society, nature, people around the world, and future generations. I am currently working on an approach of design ethics that considers main challenges of the 21st century, such as sustainability and globalization.”

Chris Becker is Clinical Professor at CSU’s College of Business. His research and teaching interests are at the intersection of economics, ethics, and philosophy. He is specifically working in the areas of business ethics, sustainability ethics, sustainability economics, and philosophy of economics. Dr. Becker is the author of Sustainability Ethics and Sustainability Research (Springer, 2012) and Business Ethics Methods and Application (Routledge, 2019). He received his Ph.D. in Economics from Heidelberg University and his Habilitation in Philosophy from Kaiserslautern University, Germany.

“I think design thinking is so important today because it reminds us that the monumentally complex systems that run global economies and culture need to constantly be examined, critiqued, and reimagined. The fourth industrial revolution will bring enormous possibilities to the way the world does business, and design thinking as a method for inner and outer examination is desperately needed to ensure we are ready for the economic, cultural and climate challenges of tomorrow.”

Jason Bernagozzi is an artist and educator whose work examines and critiques the codes embedded within the psyche of media culture. Bernagozzi’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at exhibitions such as the European Media Art Festival in Osnabruk, Germany; the Festival Les Instants Vidéo Numériques et Poétiques in Marsaille, France; the Ilman Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea and the Currents New Media Festival in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is also a co-founder of the experimental media art nonprofit organization Signal Culture and is currently an Assistant Professor of Electronic Art at Colorado State University.

“I’ll never forget hearing Dave Kelly, founder of IDEO and pioneer in design thinking, tell Charlie Rose of 60 Minutes “It’s all about empathy for the consumer.” My research, teaching in the classroom spanning undergraduates to executives, and work with organizations has focused on a central construct in marketing – value for customers. Thus, my work aligns very closely with principles of design thinking such as immersion and empathy. Furthermore, marketing and consumer research and practice draws heavily from and contributes to diverse fields for understanding people, including psychology, sociology, anthropology, and economics. I find it invigorating to bring these concepts into the design thinking process and engage in ideation, low-fidelity prototyping, concept development, and market testing to design value propositions, new products, services, and experiences that can benefit people, organizations, and society.”

Chris Blocker is an Associate Professor of Marketing in the College of Business. He teaches Product Design and Marketing in the undergraduate program as well as the Global Social and Sustainable Enterprise MBA program. His research explores value creation within services, sales, and societal domains and appears in premier business journals. He draws upon the rich history of insight into consumption, innovation, and marketing strategy that fuels design thinking practices at organizations such as IDEO, IBM, and many others. He leverages qualitative, experimental, and other analytical methods to help students and organizations adopt human-centered approaches for designing marketplace products, services, and solutions.

“Design thinking is integral in the work we do and intertwined into our daily lives. We are often faced with problems from feeding the world to simple creation of a novel product that improves our industry. I thrive on the ability to take these ideas, design a model, build a prototype and subsequently bring the idea to life! I welcome the challenge to apply “out of the box” approaches and problem solve the situation at hand. The RDC makes this design pathway possible at CSU and provides outstanding opportunities to our students along with fostering collaborations between faculty.”

Ryan Brooks is a Master Instructor in CSU’s Department of Animal Sciences and has been educating students for more than 10 years. He teaches a large variety of undergraduate classes from those that are science-based to the more practical approaches, all with a passion to inspire our younger generations. Ryan loves to take an idea and bring it to fruition, utilizing welding, CNC plasma cutting, 3D printing, woodworking, electrical systems, plumbing and more. He previously worked for Virginia Tech in a role that involved management, teaching and research and then for one of the largest structural engineering firms that deals with telecommunications. His alma mater (Virginia Tech) employs the motto “Invent the Future” which is the foundation of his teaching principles. He holds a patent in endocrinology, runs a construction & welding business along with a photography business all while leading our students to their future!

“As a marketing scholar and practitioner of marketing, I have long recognized the importance of creativity and design in the development and implementation of marketing strategy. When asked in 2006 to develop a new course titled Marketing Decision Making, I recognized the importance of clearly understanding customer needs and behavior and developing a wide range of creative options. This proves true whether a solution focuses on new product development, advertising and social media, channels, pricing, or other strategy decisions. I found design thinking useful for solving a certain kind of problem inherent in marketing strategy – those that are “mysteries” as opposed to “puzzles.” Gregory Treverton suggests puzzles can be solved, they have answers. Mysteries, on the other hand, have no definitive answer. I find that many marketing strategy problems fall into this latter category. Design thinking has been advocated as an approach for solving mysteries like those inherent in marketing strategy.”

Joseph Cannon is professor of marketing and Dean’s Distinguished Teaching Fellow, in the College of Business at Colorado State University. Dr. Cannon’s research explores the building and managing buyer-supplier relationships in domestic and international business markets. His articles in leading marketing and management journals have been cited more than 17,000 times. He is the author of Essentials of Marketing, a leading principles of marketing textbook. He teaches undergraduate and graduate marketing courses both face-to-face and online – and includes a “design thinking for marketing strategy” module in his MBA course. Dr. Cannon earned his Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“Design thinking is an interactive, engaging, and mysterious process. Integral to this thinking process is the act of making. Making models, drawings, collages, and assemblages has always been integral to my design process and I am passionate about encouraging students to engage in making as a design methodology beyond a craft-based practice.”

Lori Catalano’s background in professional practice and her teaching experience are closely linked. She is a licensed and practicing landscape architect in Colorado and an Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Colorado State University. Prior to teaching, she designed and managed projects ranging from small private spaces to large master plans for parks and college campuses with both public and private clients resulting in several Colorado Chapter of American Society of Landscape Architecture awards. As an experienced teacher, her research and creative work are closely related to and integrated with her teaching. Her research topics include — designing meaningful learning outcomes — shifting design education from the paradigm of “teaching” to that of “learning”, sculpting the ground as a design strategy, a new planting aesthetic for the arid West, and meaningful community engagement. These topics directly relate to her experience in both teaching and practice; she is compelled to integrate her knowledge, experience, and passion with the desire to inspire students to use design thinking in addressing challenges associated with the environment and society.

“Throughout my own education, academic career, and professional pursuits, design thinking has permeated every aspect of my worldview. I have found this mindset of creative problem-solving to be relevant to many disparate challenges across a wide spectrum of disciplines. Having spent much of my professional career in private practice, I understand firsthand the importance and value of meaningful, collaborative partnerships in bringing about positive, transformational change in the world. In my academic pursuits at CSU, I’ve always sought out the organizations and people from across CSU’s colleges, as well as the wider Fort Collins community, that share my interest in sustainable built environments and can demonstrate a record of interdisciplinary research.”

Jane Choi is an associate professor in CSU’s Landscape Architecture Program and a founder and principal of C2 | Studio Landscape Architecture, an award-winning design and consulting practice. Her professional work and academic research focuses on the impact of design on culture and society, exploring the intersection of the built environment with cultural identity, human behavior and issues of environmental justice. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Environmental Design from Parsons School of Design and her Master of Landscape Architecture from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, earning honors for highest achievement in design from both institutions.

“In my recent co-authored textbook on the science of learning, I wrote the chapter on innovation and understanding and the factors that enhance it. I am intrigued by the potential of the design thinking approach for fostering innovation and creative problem solving among students and faculty, as well as for fostering creativity in the arts. This summer, while attending TEDxLiverpool in June, I had the opportunity to hear Dave Evans give a talk on “designing your life” and the Stanford school that furthered my interest. I am especially interested in how students can incorporate interdisciplinary design thinking into their particular areas of expertise to enhance innovation and creativity.”

Anne Cleary is a professor of cognitive psychology whose expertise is in the study of human memory and its role in cognitive processing. She has previously served as a program director at the National Science Foundation, and as president of the Society for Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Science (Division 3 of the American Psychological Association). Dr. Cleary has a blog for Psychology Today called “Quirks of Memory” and has published widely on strange and surprising quirks of memory and learning. She recently co-developed an all-university course on the Science of Learning and co-authored a textbook for it.

“In landscape architecture, so much of what the profession does is problem solving and using design to resolve problems within our watersheds, our urban environments, our natural habitats, and within various ecological systems. Design thinking is tried through ideation, prototyping, and testing or practicing with solutions to the design problem. I greatly enjoy sharing this design strategy with all of my students.”

Kelly Curl joined the faculty of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture as Assistant Professor in 2010. She is currently teaching design studios, Environmental Analysis, Fundamentals of Ecology, Ecology of Landscapes, Professional Practice, and an online course on Topics of Landscape Theory and Garden Design. She was awarded the 2015 Charles N. Shepardson Faculty Teaching Award. Her current research focuses on landscape performance in measuring the social, economic, and environmental benefits of landscape design.

“My teaching philosophy is based on high-impact practices that give students hands-on, tactile learning experiences in and outside the classroom. Design thinking does just that. As design thinking is an iterative, solution-based approach to resolving problems, students become empowered and encouraged to ideate a multitude of effective, efficient solutions.”

Maria Delgado, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at Colorado State University in the Interior Architecture and Design department. Maria graduated with a Bachelor of Science in construction management from Colorado State University. She also earned a Master of Architecture and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in design and planning from the University of Colorado Denver. Maria’s teaching and research subject matter includes 3D modeling, 3D printing, design-build education, digital media, building information modeling and virtual reality. View Maria’s teaching, research and service material at www.mariadelgadodeleon.com

“My interest in design thinking stems from its promise to introduce us to absurd and challenging realities. Design thinking recognizes opportunity and constraint as equals, creating endless possibilities for the unexpected. Decisions made, and the information used to make those decisions, offer a true reflection of one’s self. For these reasons, design thinking is a critical part of my practice.”

Mark Dineen is a visual artist and designer. His studio practice builds on his experience as an artist, furniture designer, illustrator, landscape architect, master planner, graphic designer, fabricator, and carpenter. His work explores the plural nature of our material vernacular and its cross sections with process and implied semiotics. Mark is also Co-Founder of ZERO-CRAFT CORP., an experimental and highly collaborative art and design studio based in Detroit, Michigan.

“My interest in design thinking is that by definition it includes cross-disciplinary practice and innovative thinking. It is a catalyst for combining all types of thinkers and makers together to both solve problems and invent our future.”

Suzanne Faris’s primary area of creative research and artistry is Sculpture and Installation Art. Her artwork is experiential in nature and explores the relationship of people to place to object as affected by memory and individual perception. Professor Faris has been actively involved with the Artnauts International Artist Collective since 2004. The Artnauts Collective focuses on issues of social justice and the power of a collective voice as a catalyst for change. She has shown her work regionally, nationally, and internationally.

“Design thinking has many facets. It’s collaborative, problem-solving approach can be applied to the physical hands-on of the inventing and making of things as well as the intellectual and intuitive process of learning to open one’s eyes to possibilities. What excites me the most is the innovation generated by this way of seeing and thinking.”

Kim Ferrer has been an active artist and educator on the Colorado Front Range for almost 20 years. Her mediums range from drawing and collage to bronze, stone, wood, found objects, sound installations, furniture design, and most recently painting. Kim’s other passion is teaching, and she approaches it like making art; creating an environment for students that is filled with exploration, experimentation and meaning. Kim resides in Fort Collins, teaches at Colorado State University and is represented by Walker Fine Art in Denver.

“I place human diversity at the center of my approach to research, design, and innovation. I believe in blending the strengths of design thinking and research-based design. For example, my research on learning analytics places the student (learner) and faculty (instructor) at the center of the design process and at the same time uses research evidence to inform decisions about interventions. I strive to implement a thoughtful approach to the design and use of technology and have spearheaded efforts that place human considerations at the forefront of many research and development projects. I have over two decades of research projects that are a testimonial to his approach to design thinking.”

James Folkestad is a professor and University Distinguished Teaching Scholar in the School of Education at Colorado State University and the director of the Center for the Analytics of Learning and Teaching. He earned his Ph.D. in Educational Human Resource Development from Texas A&M in 1996. He is dedicated to the scientific investigation of how technology can be used to enhance learning, training, and innovative-design practice. His first academic position was in the Industrial Technology Management program where he taught and conducted funded research on rapid-to-market methods that leveraged rapid prototyping and tooling technologies.

“Design has the power to change people’s lives. By employing the strategies of design thinking, organization can engage the real-world needs of their users and customers in ways that radically transform their experiences. Whether through products, services, artifacts, or other experiences, design thinking can give organizations tools that impact the world in powerful and unexpected ways.”

Jason Frazier has spent 25 years in design, illustration, and education. Currently, he is Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of Graphic Design in the Colorado State University Department of Art and Art History. He is co-director and coordinator of the Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition, and is an affiliated faculty with the School of Global Environmental Sustainability and the Nancy Richardson Design Center. He has been recognized and exhibited worldwide, and is the recipient of multiple regional, national, and international awards for his efforts. Exhibition locations include the United States, Mexico, China, Taiwan, Russia, Ukraine, Slovakia, and South Korea.

“Design thinking puts knowledge into action and may result in the places and objects living in one’s imagination — made real.”

Bradley Goetz is a landscape architect who has been involved with landscape history (and documenting historic landscapes), park and recreation planning and design, urban design, land planning and site design, design theories and methods, and design representation. His work expresses ideas through drawing (hand and digital), 3‐D modelling (physical and digital), and photography. His teaching method promotes learning through doing while acting as “fellow traveler” with each student in the design studio. In his work, he has travelled widely, produced award-winning competition proposals, and engaged communities to promote healthy productive landscapes and a higher standard of civic life. (Photo: Design competition proposal for Los Angeles Civic Park)

“Design is an inspired conversation with community. By experience, my design practice is an unruly combination of linear problem solving and spontaneous off-the-path inquiry. At the drawing table I value discovery with an informed eye, asking for the same in the classroom. Effective visual communication requires a certain level of clarity with added measures of insight, intrigue, and artistry. And surprise.”

Design is everything. John Gravdahl first learned about that while earning his BFA at Colorado State University. He soon worked for design firms in the Rocky Mountain market before establishing a free-lance enterprise with a wide-ranging clientele from small family-owned businesses to high-tech corporations and nonprofit organizations. He received his MFA in Illustration at Syracuse University before founding Propeller Press, winning awards for his children’s books and educational posters.

Most recently he was named a GRAPHIS Master by the international design publisher Graphis Institute. A profile, portfolio and interview on his career accomplishments and design philosophy is featured in the GRAPHIS Journal #379. With an extensive exhibition record he has served as a juror, speaker, and workshop mentor at major design exhibitions and conferences on four continents. He is a professor of Graphic Design in the Department of Art and Art History at CSU and a Co-Director of the Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition (CIIPE).

“I make sculptures and objects. I work in ceramics along with a number of other materials. My work incorporates methodologies from Art, Craft, and Design: exploring problems of technique function and aesthetics through a process of iterative and often playful making (prototyping) directly with physical materials. I emphasize these same practices in my teaching – a kind of ethic that feels closely tied to ‘design thinking’ – and the necessity of these practices for the work we make as both and designers to be fully engaged with and responsive to its own possibilities.”

Del Harrow lives and works in Fort Collins, Colorado with his wife, potter Sanam Emami and their son, William. He is an Associate Professor at Colorado State University where he teaches Sculpture, Digital Fabrication, and Ceramics. His work has been exhibited recently at The Milwaukee Art Museum, The Denver Art Museum, The Arizona State University Art Museum, The Museum of Fine Art in Boston. His work is in the permanent collection of the Arizona State University Art Museum and he recently completed a permanent installation for US State Department for a new Embassy in Nuevo Laredo Mexico. He is represented by Haw Contemporary in Kansas City, MO, and Harvey Meadows gallery in Aspen, CO.

“I am curious about how design thinking can help develop community-focused storytelling that builds bridges across difference and empowers new voices to widen the historically narrow lens on who matters, what makes a good life, and who leads us into the future.”

Michael Humphrey researches how life stories emerge on social media. He attended William Jewell College in Liberty, MO., where he earned his B.A. in Communication and Philosophy. Before receiving his M.A. in Magazine Journalism at New York University, Humphrey wrote feature stories for The Kansas City Star and founded 1000 Stories, a life story writing program that reached more than 2,000 adult students. Following that, he earned his Ph.D. in Public Communication & Technology at CSU and now teaches Digital Storytelling & Audience Engagement, Entrepreneurial Journalism and Analytics in the Department of Journalism and Media Communication.

“My interest in design thinking is directly related to advertising, promotion, and retail store design. Specifically, I am interested in the ways that design thinking can offer value to consumers, product manufacturers, retailers, and other organizations through the creation of innovative and socially responsible communications and retail spaces.”

Karen H. Hyllegard received her Ph.D. in textile marketing from the University of Maryland in 1998. Dr. Hyllegard teaches courses in apparel merchandising, retail store design, and promotion. Her research interests include advertising and promotion, international marketing and retailing, consumers’ perceptions and use of new technologies (e.g., internet, social media) for product purchase, and socially-responsible business practices, including the integration of sustainable building practices in retail store design as well as the use of environmentally friendly, fair labor, and cause-related promotional strategies by apparel companies.

“To me design thinking is a great way to find new solutions for what may seem like insurmountable problems. Design thinking is an inclusive, creative, blue-sky approach to problem solving. It involves a more interconnected way of understanding people, their needs, their motivations, and how they interact with physical objects and their surroundings.”

Kevin Kissell is an instructor in the Department of Design and Merchandising. His areas of teaching and research focus on fashion and textile design, surface embellishment, as well as digital technologies used in the fashion industry. As an accomplished studio artist, he has exhibited his artwork internationally. Kissell brings to the department more than ten years of industry experience with global retailers such as Gap Inc. and Anthropologie. His skills and expertise in leading teams and managing complex situations reflect in his dedication in the classroom.

“Working with existing (and future) entrepreneurs daily, one of my core principles is that you must focus on your customer’s “need” and find solutions to their “pains.” With this mindset, entrepreneurs must meet with potential customers to design and launch minimum viable products while making continuous product improvements with the feedback that they receive from the marketplace. A design thinking approach allows for entrepreneurs to remain flexible in the process of product development to address the needs of the marketplace.”

Kipp Krukowski, Ph.D. is a Clinical Professor of Entrepreneurship at Colorado State University. He completed his doctoral studies at Oklahoma State University, received his bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from Youngstown State University, and MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. Kipp previously founded a nationwide business valuation firm. Past clients include government agencies, private, and public companies. He has provided expert witness testimony for multiple litigation cases related to valuation. He also founded a business advisory/brokerage firm helping clients through their business exits. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Kipp worked for General Motors and Delphi Corporation in supply chain management.

“Dr. McGilvray’s current and future research endeavors apply principles of engineering to hasten recovery from trauma or to understand the mechanism of disease. He looks forward to seeking active collaboration with the RDC to synergistically combine bioengineering and design thinking. The framework afforded by these partnerships will bring together diverse skill sets, the synergy of which will result in significant research contributions in his truly interdisciplinary field.”

Dr. McGilvray believes that in vivo and in vitro experimental biomechanics and computational analyses are essential pathways for addressing necessary science and clinically driven bioengineering problems. Using comparative animal, cadaveric, computational, and clinical models it has been possible for him to address pertinent biomedical engineering problems in an ethical and effective manner. His research at the Orthopaedic Bioengineering Research Laboratory at Colorado State University, utilizes both state-of-the-art analytic and experimental techniques to study the biomechanical etiology of orthopaedic disease states, and, using this information, design effective treatment strategies currently affecting the worldwide population.

“The reason I am came to entrepreneurship in my research and teaching is because of its focus on the creation of value. The reason I study socially-situated cognition is because of the role that thinking and action plays in such creation of value. I am interested in design thinking because it represents a helpful set of tools that have been demonstrated to enable the thinking that creates the kind of value that can transform the world.”

Rob Mitchell is an Associate Professor of Management at Colorado State University and an Adjunct Research Professor at the Ivey Business School. He received his Ph.D. from Indiana University. Before pursuing his Ph.D., Rob worked in a technology startup in Salt Lake City, Utah and was involved in emerging enterprise consulting in Victoria, British Columbia. Rob is the recipient of the NFIB Best Dissertation Award from the Academy of Management. His current research explores how the socially-situated cognition of a broad set of actors, including entrepreneurs, managers and other stakeholders, can enable the creation of value through new and existing firms.

“Design thinking encourages creativity and innovation not only in the traditional design fields such as architecture but also in the other areas for human life. In my teaching, my goal is to help students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, both of which are creative endeavors.”

Svetlana Olbina is an Associate Professor in the Department of Construction Management in the College of Health and Human Sciences. She teaches undergraduate and graduate classes related to sustainable design and construction, graphic communications for construction, and construction materials and methods. She conducts research on building information modeling (BIM), Virtual and Mixed Reality, sustainable built environment, and safety in construction. Dr. Olbina earned her Ph.D. in Environmental Design and Planning with a focus on Building Construction from Virginia Tech, and Masters and Bachelors in Architecture from the University of Belgrade.

“As an active researcher in human-centered computing, design and experimental studies are critical to improving user interaction. The final objective: make the computer invisible.”

Dr. Francisco R. Ortega is an Assistant Professor at Colorado State University and Director of the natural user interaction lab (NUILAB). Dr. Ortega earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science (CS) in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and 3D User Interfaces (3DUI) from Florida International University (FIU). He also held a position of Post-Doc and Visiting Assistant Professor at FIU between February 2015 to July 2018. Broadly speaking, his research has focused on gesture interaction, which includes gesture recognition and elicitation. His main research area focuses on improving user interaction by (a) eliciting (hand and full-body) gesture sets by user elicitation, (b) developing multi-modal techniques for Augmented Reality, and (c) developing interactive multi-modal/gesture-recognition algorithms. His secondary research aims to discover how to increase interest for CS in non-CS entry-level college students via virtual and augmented reality games. His research has resulted in multiple peer-reviewed publications in venues such as ACM ISS, ACM SUI, and IEEE 3DUI, among others. He is the first-author of Interaction Design for 3D User Interfaces: The World of Modern Input Devices for Research, Applications, and Game Development book by CRC Press. Dr. Ortega serves as Vertically Integrated Projects coordinator that promotes applied research for undergraduate students across disciplines.

“My approach to design thinking encourages a broad view of Architecture from a nonhierarchical standpoint. I work alchemically as a Printmaker to catalyze pertinent dialog surrounding various Architectures encompassing both the physical and the metaphysical. More specifically, I critically examine previously established psychological Architectures and emerging social constructs through the lens of Art and Art History. I advocate for the myriad of Architectures already present in the natural environment as agents participating with human-derived systems of logic and encourage us to analyze these Architectures together, holistically, as increasingly relevant models for new design thinking collaborations.”

Johnny Plastini is an Assistant Professor and Area Coordinator of Printmaking in the Department of Art and Art History at Colorado State University. He received his B.A. in Studio Art with a Painting emphasis from the University of California, Santa Cruz and received his M.F.A. in Printmaking from the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University. Plastini’s pluralistic approach to critical studio engagement has been exhibited extensively at museums, conferences, and galleries, nationally and internationally. He has been featured in numerous publications including CRED, West Branch (Bucknell University), Studio Visit, and New American Paintings. Johnny’s work is held in the permanent public collections of Zayed University, United Arab Emirates, and in the Zuckerman Museum of Art at Kennesaw State University. His work is also held in the Special Collections Archive in the Norlin Library at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and in the Artist Printmaker Research Collection (AP/RC) at the Museum of Texas Tech University. In addition to teaching Printmaking and maintaining an active studio practice that focuses on sustainability, Plastini is heavily involved with community engagement and curatorial work. Previously he held positions at the Museum of Art and History in Santa Cruz, California, and at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Plastini currently serves as Vice-Chair on the Advisory Board at the Gregory Allicar Museum of Art.

“Not that long ago we had a phone and a calculator and a camera, and many other gadgets. It was a recognition of the importance of design and design thinking that brought these and many more devices together and changed our personal communications world. I have always pursued ways to teach and lead our young engineers to realize the immense importance of design in their product development adventures. The Nancy Richardson Design Center provides that springboard, and I am very happy to be a part of it.”

Dr. David Prawel has enjoyed a 38-year career as an entrepreneur, consultant and educator in 3D technology and digital product development. As an entrepreneur, he helped build 6 startup companies, with one successful IPO and hopefully one more in the works. As a consultant, he has advised dozens of manufacturing companies large and small in the application and deployment of 3D technology in global product development. He is currently an Associate Research Professor in Mechanical Engineering at CSU where he also teaches 3D printing and runs the Idea2Product 3D printing lab, which he founded in 2012.

“My interest in design thinking started at an early age, where I took apart everything to see how it worked and constantly thought about new and better gadgets. These days, I consider how design can be more tightly integrated into all phases of the CBE curriculum and how students’ natural curiosity can be harnessed through design projects early in their academic careers to foster a lifelong interest in learning and making.”

Brad Reisfeld was born and raised in Los Alamos, New Mexico. He attended college in California, graduate school in Pennsylvania, Texas, and Illinois, and did postdoctoral work in Maryland. His educational focus throughout was in Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. After college, he worked in industry for a number of years and was a member of several international, interdisciplinary teams tasked with designing new products and bringing them to market. As a Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at CSU, his current focus is creating and applying quantitative methods to the study of toxicology and pharmacology and the design and development of novel experiments for undergraduate STEM education. He is proud to be an Eagle Scout and the owner of a small farm where he raises bees, chickens, goats, fish, and the occasional barn owl.

“As a collection of diverse approaches and methods, design thinking affords us the opportunity to engage with social challenges that cross disciplinary boundaries. Moreover, design thinking processes emphasize a human-centered approach to designing for social impact. This type of risk-taking is essential to the pursuit of designing innovative solutions and improving the human experience.”

Leah Scolere is a designer and an assistant professor of interior architecture and design in the Department of Design and Merchandising at Colorado State University. As a designer and media researcher, Dr. Scolere’s interdisciplinary focus exists at the intersection of communication technologies, designed environments, and well-being. Her research interests include connective technologies and interactive environments; creative labor; visual communication, and the future of design work practices. Scolere holds an M.A. and a B.S. in Design and Environmental Analysis and a Ph.D. in Communication from Cornell University.

“I’m a huge believer in the power of Design Thinking and Human Centered Design, especially when it comes to creating value as an entrepreneur, innovator, or problem solver. Taking the time to genuinely understand the needs of your user or customer and design something that solves their pain points effectively is essential to creating a meaningful impact. I also love Design Thinking as a tool in education. It can often give students first-hand experiences into the broader context of their work and help them understand the potential value they can create for the world, regardless of discipline.”

Scott Shrake serves as the director for the Institute for Entrepreneurship in the College of Business at Colorado State University. He promotes entrepreneurship, innovation, product development, and commercialization for students, faculty, and community members across the Northern Colorado ecosystem. Prior to joining CSU, Dr. Shrake served as an engineering faculty member and executive director at Arizona State University, a leader in higher education entrepreneurship and innovation. Dr. Shrake’s passion is social impact and launching innovative, cutting edge programming to promote venture creation and entrepreneurial mindset at universities across the globe. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh’s Sustainability and Green Design Group.

“I am captivated by the mantra ‘be more curious than certain.’ Human-centered design thinking methodologies so accurately reflect this mindset where appreciative inquiry, rapid cycle prototyping, emergent strategy, and systems thinking practices are embedded in my experiences related to community building, learning organizations, and collective impact. I have utilized design thinking with students, schools, organizations, and coalitions to co-create new approaches to programs, practices, and policies. Much of my work centers on the concept of designing for the margins to disrupt inequitable practices, shift power dynamics, and ultimately facilitate stronger outcomes for vulnerable populations.”

Building on more than a decade of work in the nonprofit sector, Rebecca explores the intersection of community building, collaboration, and systems thinking as factors that support the effective implementation of programs and practices for systemic change with a particular interest in the roles funding, policy, and leadership play in this space. She earned bachelors’ degrees in International Studies and Sociology from the University of Wyoming and a master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Regis University. Her portfolio includes business development and revitalization projects, organizational leadership consultation, cross-sector partnership cultivation, and strategic facilitation.

“Succeeding in today’s technologically competitive world requires a person to develop and use a different set of skills than what was needed in the past. (Shute & Becker, 2010). One of the essential skills is called design thinking – generally defined as “an analytic and creative process that engages a person in opportunities to experiment, create and prototype models, gather feedback, and redesign.” (Razzouk & Shute, 2012). In many disciplines, the way someone gains information about the world around them is through action. Artists understand this intimately, but the idea of prototyping, making and re-creating also has value across multiple disciplines, moving pedagogy from STEM to STEAM. As an artist and a maker, I feel well suited to working with the principles of Design Thinking.”

Cyane Tornatzky is an artist who uses multimedia materials to create 2D and time-based artworks. Her focus is on dis/un-covering both positive and negative aspects of our digital existence. Ever present sub-contexts in her work make reference to feminism, psychology, and our relationships to our bodies. Living in Northern Colorado, Tornatzky’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. She has attended a new media focused residency at ISIS Arts in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK as well as an art and science residency at Foundation OBRAS-Holland in The Netherlands. She is a participant in the artist collective ARTNAUTS. ARTNAUTS uses the visual arts as “a tool for addressing global issues”, while also connecting artists to artists; nonartists to art; and artists to a broader international audience. Tornatzky’s work is in the collections of Portman Holdings and Hensel Phelps for Union Tower West in Denver Colorado, as well as archived at the University of Austin, Texas.

“Dr. Troxell has interests in “systems of systems” thinking as it relates to design. He has taught engineering design courses throughout his career. His seminal design paper co-authored with Tim Smithers on “Design is Intelligent Behavior, But What is the Formalism?” has provided a basis for his design-related research. Design as Exploration, as described in the paper, has provided the framework for understanding, describing and communicating design as an exploration process. This design framework has been incorporated into his teaching, research, advising M.S. and Ph.D. students, and leading to a philosophy of engineering.”

Wade Troxell is the Mayor of Fort Collins, Colorado. He was first elected in April 2015 is now serving his second term. He is on the Mechanical Engineering faculty and the ME associate department head at Colorado State University. He also serves on the faculty of Systems Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and the Nancy Richardson Design Center. Dr. Troxell is an internationally recognized expert in the areas of design, robotics, and intelligent control of distributed systems. His research has focused on philosophy of engineering, a theory of design as exploration, autonomous robotic systems, and architectures for distributed energy resources.

“Design thinking is constant and all-consuming from concept sketches to final project outcome. Design thinking takes practice, dedication, and exploration. Design thinking takes empathy to a client’s needs or problem, definition of the problem, ideation of a solution, prototyping, testing, and providing a creative outcome to the client’s needs.”

Robert Work, M.F.A., is currently a non-tenure track instructor with the program of Interior Architecture and Design where he teaches communication sketching, three-dimensional computer modeling, graphic design, and animation. On several occasions, he has been nominated for the University’s annual Best Teacher Award. Outside the University, Work teaches courses at Front Range Community College and owns and operates a commission sculpture, design build, and illustration company. He has designed and sculpted bronze statues for CSU’s athletics department, for The Missouri Baptist University, and for the Alfred Mann Foundation in L.A. His illustrations have been published on book covers, and he is currently working on a 140-page graphic novel. He is a CSU graduate and part of a four generation CSU family. He and his wife have two sons (who are now seniors at CSU). His family enjoys windsurfing, camping, and the living in Old Town Fort Collins.