Four young Cornellians grace the cover of the October issue of Fast Company magazine for their role in a growing movement at top U.S. universities to apply design knowledge to address community needs.

The cover story, "The United States of Design," proclaims "design matters more than ever" and praises Alix Gerber '11, Tara Jasinski '11, Ada Ng '12 and Mariel Strauch '14 -- alumni and current students in the Department of Design and Environmental Analysis (DEA) in the College of Human Ecology -- for their leadership of Cornell's Design for America (DfA) studio.

Last spring, they led an interdisciplinary team of Cornell students on the Fresh Food Project, where they researched how to improve access to healthy, nutritious foods for students, particularly those living off campus. In the end, they joined with Farm to Cornell, a student group that has formed a weekly farmer's market on Ho Plaza to offer students more choices for fresh fruits and vegetables.

"I was attracted to being able to create an impact while doing something that I find enjoyable and that I can relate to," said Strauch. "I was excited to design for people, and not just in the name of design."

Founded in 2008 at Northwestern University, Design for America aims to create local and social benefits through interdisciplinary design. It has grown to include 250 students at eight universities. Cornell's group first formed in 2009 under the direction of DEA professors Sheila Danko and Kathleen Gibson, and it restarted last spring as an official student organization.

"Our students were really attracted to the notion of human-centered design, which is a point of emphasis in our curriculum and also a priority of Design for America," said DEA lecturer Leah Scolere, the group's adviser. "They have seized the opportunity to make the design process accessible to many and to apply it to make local and social impact in the community."

During summer break, Ng and Strauch, co-presidents of Cornell's studio (DfA's term for chapters), spent four days at Northwestern to learn the organization's principles for extracurricular design-based learning and to network with students at other schools. Currently, the group is recruiting new members from across campus, with interest from students in the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Human Ecology.

"By involving people from different backgrounds and accepting all ideas, even if they seem crazy, weird, unrealistic or impractical, we can open minds to find the most innovative solutions," Ng added.

Soon the group will decide their project teams for the upcoming year and begin work on new community concerns. Ideas on the table include improving mental health and happiness in the Ithaca community and better supporting the needs of disabled children in local schools.

Meanwhile, plans are under way for Cornell to continue its role as a key partner in the Design for America movement. In late October, Liz Gerber, DfA founder and assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Northwestern, will speak to Danko's course, Making a Difference by Design, and lead a joint workshop with Cornell's DfA studio and students in the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management course Creative Design for Affordability, taught by Monica Touesnard.

Ted Boscia is assistant director of communications for the College of Human Ecology.