A variety of Cornell departments teach design studios and/or design thinking, yet the need exists for meaningful connections within the curriculum spanning different fields. An upcoming roundtable will explore common goals and opportunities in an effort to strengthen design pedagogy across the university.

Credit: Mark Vorreuter/Cornell University

The inaugural Design at Cornell Roundtable, Feb. 14 from 8:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in 423 ILR Conference Center, will bring together students and faculty from several disciplines to exchange ideas for creating more continuity for the study of design. The event is open to faculty, staff and students.

“The bedrock of design, in all fields, is to solve problems and make the world a better place,” said Mardelle Shepley, professor and chair in the Department of Design + Environmental Analysis (DEA), and an organizer of the symposium. “Design at Cornell will focus on how to continue this mission within and beyond the Cornell campus.”

According to Shepley, designing the physical and visual environment – from parks to buildings and products – “is a lasting material expression of our values. Design addresses both beauty and human need,” and has an impact on the quality of our lives. Designers are facilitators that help us navigate everything from the visual representation of information to creating healthy cities.

The roundtable will feature comments from Rachel Dunifon, interim dean of the College of Human Ecology, and Meejiin Yoon, B.Arch. ’95, dean of the College of Architecture, Art and Planning. They will be followed by short talks on design philosophies by faculty members from architecture; art; city and regional planning; DEA; fiber science and apparel design; information science; landscape architecture; performing and media arts; and mechanical engineering. Participants will then break into groups to discuss the role of design at Cornell.

The event is an opportunity to hear about the design-related academic programs and resources at Cornell. All persons interested in celebrating Cornell’s multifaceted strengths in design are invited to attend. For more information, contact Ellie Valenzuela-Mendoza.

Stephen D’Angelo is assistant director for communications for the College of Human Ecology.