Media Guide to ArtCenter Experts

Reporters can start here to connect with an expert.

Administrators and faculty members are available for news media interviews by arrangement and when their class time and professional demands permit. Individuals' schedules vary widely. To find an expert, click on the categories below by area of specialty to locate the best interview subject for your needs.

To arrange an interview, contact the Press Office at 626 396-2338 or pressoffice@artcenter.edu.

Advertising

  • Gary Goldsmith is chair of the Creative Direction Department at ArtCenter College of Design and an expert on advertising, ad agencies, the advertising industry, commercials and media making.

Animation

  • Ken Bielenberg is the Chair of the Entertainment Design Department. Ken is a pioneer in the field of computer animation, he participated in the evolution from broadcast graphics to commercials to music videos to film effects and feature animated films. His work on Antz and Shrek led to British Academy Award nominations for Special Effects. He also oversaw other DreamWorks features like Monsters Vs. Aliens, Puss in Boots, and acted as the senior Visual Effects Supervisor on The Boss Baby.
  • Marlon Nowe is an associate professor and director of the Character Animation track in the Entertainment Design Department at ArtCenter College of Design. He's an expert in animation, careers in animation, computer animation, animation supervising.

Architecture

  • Leigh Hoffman is the faculty director of Designmatters at ArtCenter College of Design and an expert on social innovation, brand strategy and brand-defining architecture which means translating a commercial/community brand into a built environment. She is founder and principal brand strategist for March Studio, a keen mash-up of brand strategy and progressive architecture whose clients include VICE and Caltech.  
  • David Mocarski is chair of the graduate and undergraduate Spatial Experience Design Departments at ArtCenter College of Design. He’s an expert in furniture design, lighting design, interior design, spatial experience, brand identity, residential and exhibition spatial design, design education and corporate partnerships.

Art

Art activism, installation, art education, contemporary art, aesthetics

  • Jane McFadden is an expert on art, art history, humanities, research, pop culture, modern art, contemporary art, James Welling, Michelle Stuart, Marcia Hafif and Walter de Maria. She is an associate professor and chair of Humanities & Sciences at ArtCenter College of Design.
  • Jason E. Smith is a prolific contemporary art scholar and chair of the graduate Art Department at ArtCenter College of Design. His writing and research is largely concerned with contemporary art and aesthetics, modern continental philosophy and post-1968 political thought. His work has appeared in Artforum, Critical Inquiry, Diacritics, Grey Room, SAQ and Theory & Event, among other places.
  • Diana Thater is an internationally renowned contemporary artist, curator and scholar known for exploring the unpredictable relationships between culture and nature, human and animal, and science and magic. She’s an expert on art, art as activism, film, video and installation-based works.

Branding

Personal branding, brand strategy and identity

  • Sean Adams is an expert in personal branding, design history, graphic design, leadership, environmental graphics, popular culture, murals and typography. He is the chair of the graduate and undergraduate Graphic Design Departments at ArtCenter College of Design.
  • Gerardo Herrera is an expert on intelligent packaging, augmented reality, digital health, brand strategy and identity. He is the faculty director of Packaging Design at ArtCenter College of Design.
  • Leigh Hoffman is the faculty director of Designmatters at ArtCenter College of Design and an expert on social innovation, brand strategy and brand-defining architecture which means translating a commercial/community brand into a built environment. She is founder and principal brand strategist for March Studio, a keen mash-up of brand strategy and progressive architecture whose clients include VICE and Caltech.  

Business

The business of design, design thinking in corporate America, business innovation, entrepreneurship, business strategy, human centered research, manufacturing and licensing

  • Katherine Bennett is an expert on human centered research, product design, business and design and business strategy. She is a professor in the Graduate Industrial Design and Product Design Departments at ArtCenter College of Design.
  • Krystina Castella is an expert in play, toy design, play in the design process, designing for children, designing for teens, children’s rights in design, children’s media and technology, children’s spaces, play in the workplace, the future of play, business, patents, invention, business innovation, entrepreneurship and licensing. She is a professor in the Product Design Department at ArtCenter College of Design.
  • Regina Dowling-Jones is vice president of Strategic Partnerships at ArtCenter College of Design. The College has a long history of partnerships with top Fortune 500 companies. Year after year, companies like Nike, Jaguar, Google and Boeing collaborate with our students and faculty in order to stay relevant and competitive.

Children

Play, designing for kids, toys

  • Krystina Castella is an expert in play, toy design, play in the design process, designing for children, designing for teens, children’s rights in design, children’s media and technology, children’s spaces, play in the workplace, the future of play, business, patents, invention, business innovation, entrepreneurship and licensing. She is a professor in the Product Design Department at ArtCenter College of Design.

Costumes

Digital costume illustration, storytelling through costumes, fashion design, sewing

  • Justine Limpus Parish is an expert on wearables, digital costume illustration, storytelling through costumes, fashion design, fashion illustration and sewing. She is an associate professor in the Product Design and Entertainment Design Departments and director of the sewing lab at ArtCenter College of Design.

Data Visualization

  • Maggie Hendrie is a user experience pioneer and chair of the Media Design Practices Department and the Interaction Design Department at ArtCenter College of Design. She’s an expert on data visualization, interactive product/service strategy, digital product design, project management, user-centered design, and usability and user experience testing.

Diversity

Diversity, equity and inclusion, race relations

  • Lisa M. Sanchez, vice president of Human Resources at ArtCenter College of Design, has expertise in benefits, compensation, classifications, recruitment, employee and labor relations, strategic planning, training and development and workers' compensation.
  • Aaron I. Bruce is vice president and chief diversity officer at ArtCenter College of Design. His expertise includes campus diversity, inclusion, international engagement, curricular redesign, recruitment, retention, marketing and global community programming. 

Education

Art and design education, leadership, innovative teaching, campus life, continuing education

  • Karen Hofmann, president of ArtCenter College of Design, is an expert in wearables, product design, industrial design, footwear design, considered consumerism, materials, consumer products, higher education, art and design education and leadership. 
  • Sam Holtzman is an expert in faculty development, pedagogy, diversity and organizational leadership. He’s the director of faculty development, the co-director for the Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning and the co-director of the Design Culture Immersion program for incoming international students.
  • Aaron I. Bruce is vice president and chief diversity officer at ArtCenter College of Design. His expertise includes campus diversity, inclusion, international engagement, curricular redesign, recruitment, retention, marketing and global community programming. 
  • Dana Walker-Juick is an expert on continuing education and extension programs. She is managing director, ArtCenter Extension and director, ACX, the adult continuing education program. 

Entertainment

Animation, costumes, filmmaking, gaming, screenwriting, storytelling

  • Christophe Gomez, associate professor and director of Game Design in the Entertainment Design Department at ArtCenter College of Design. He is an expert in gaming, game design, video games and the gaming industry.
  • Ross LaManna is best known for his spec script Rush Hour, starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, which spawned two sequels and the CBS television series. He’s an expert on screenwriting, filmmaking, storytelling and moviemaking technology. He is chair of the graduate and undergraduate Film Departments at ArtCenter College of Design. 
  • Justine Limpus Parish, associate professor and director of the Sewing Lab, is an expert on wearables, digital costume illustration, storytelling through costumes, sewing, fashion design and illustration. 

Spatial Experience Design

Furniture, lighting, fixtures, exhibition design

  • Leigh Hoffman is the faculty director of Designmatters at ArtCenter College of Design and an expert on social innovation, brand strategy and brand-defining architecture which means translating a commercial/community brand into a built environment. She is founder and principal brand strategist for March Studio, a keen mash-up of brand strategy and progressive architecture whose clients include VICE and Caltech.  
  • David Mocarski is chair of the graduate and undergraduate Spatial Experience Design departments at ArtCenter College of Design. He’s an expert in furniture design, lighting design, interior design, spatial experience, brand identity, residential and exhibition spatial design, design education and corporate partnerships.

Fashion

  • Justine Limpus Parish is an expert on wearables, digital costume illustration, storytelling through costumes, fashion design, fashion illustration and sewing. She is an associate professor and director of the sewing lab at ArtCenter College of Design.

Film

  • Ross LaManna is best known for his spec script Rush Hour, starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, which spawned two sequels and the CBS television series. He’s an expert on screenwriting, filmmaking, storytelling and moviemaking technology. He is chair of the graduate and undergraduate Film Departments at ArtCenter College of Design. 
  • Justine Limpus Parish is an expert on wearables, digital costume illustration, storytelling through costumes, fashion design, fashion illustration and sewing. She is an associate professor and director of the sewing lab at ArtCenter College of Design.

Game Design

  • Christophe Gomez is an associate professor and director of Game Design in the Entertainment Design Department at ArtCenter College of Design. He is an expert in gaming, game design, video games and the gaming industry.

Graphic Design

Graphic design, design history, design thinking, design strategy, popular culture

  • Sean Adams is an expert in personal branding, design history, graphic design, leadership, environmental graphics, popular culture, murals, typography. He is the chair of the graduate and undergraduate Graphic Design Departments.
  • Brian Boyl is an expert on designing for health, wellness, fitness and the quantified self, IoT, digital systems, design for sustainability, design for kids and play. He is an associate professor at ArtCenter College of Design.
  • Gerardo Herrera is the faculty director of Packaging Design at ArtCenter College of Design and an expert on intelligent packaging, augmented reality, digital health, brand strategy and identity.

Health Care

Health, wellness, fitness, disabilities

  • Brian Boyl is an associate professor and expert on designing for health, wellness, fitness and the quantified self, IoT, digital systems, design for sustainability, design for kids and play. He is an associate professor at ArtCenter College of Design.
  • Jeff Higashi is an associate professor in the Product Design and Interaction Design Departments at ArtCenter College of Design. His courses look at designing for health and wellness. He is an excellent resource on designing for disabilities, creating wearable devices to improve health and wellness, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, smart clothing and IoT. He has a decade of experience in developing consumer electronics and he is also a pioneer on football injury sensor technology.

Human Resources

  • Lisa M. Sanchez, vice president of Human Resources at ArtCenter College of Design, has expertise in benefits, compensation, classifications, recruitment, employee and labor relations, strategic planning, training and development and workers' compensation.

Humanities

  • Jane McFadden is an expert on art, art history, art criticism, James Welling, Michelle Stuart, Marcia Hafif and Walter de Maria. She is an associate professor and chair of Humanities & Sciences at ArtCenter College of Design.

Illustration and Surface Design

  • Ann Field is chair of the Illustration Department at ArtCenter College of Design and a professional artist and illustrator. She’s an expert in illustration, surface design, licensing, popular culture and fashion trends.

Interaction Design

Mobile applications, games, wearables, digital environments, user experience, human factors and technology, cognitive science, psychology

  • Maggie Hendrie is a user experience pioneer and chair of the Media Design Practices Department and the Interaction Design Department at ArtCenter College of Design. She’s an expert on data visualization, interactive product/service strategy, digital product design, project management, user-centered design, and usability and user experience testing.

Interior Design

Spatial experience design, furniture, lighting, fixtures, exhibition design

  • David Mocarski is chair of the graduate and undergraduate Spatial Experience Design Departments at ArtCenter College of Design. He’s an expert in furniture design, lighting design, interior design, spatial experience, brand identity, residential and exhibition spatial design, design education and corporate partnerships.

Libraries

Libraries of the future, library access, art and design research

  • Mario Acensio is librarian of the ArtCenter Library and a fierce advocate for the equity of information for all. He is an expert in library technology, libraries of the future, library access and art and design research.

Museums and Galleries

  • Julie Joyce is an expert in contemporary art, art history, curatorial issues, the Southern California art and cultural scene as well as gallery and museum management. She is the Director, ArtCenter Galleries and Vice President of Exhibitions at ArtCenter College of Design.

Online Education

  • Rosemarie Piccioni is associate provost of online education at ArtCenter College of Design. She's an expert in continuing professional education, online courses, digital teaching and learning, instructional design and technology, and innovative/emerging educational technology. 

Packaging

Intelligent packaging, sustainable packaging, interactive packaging, safety in packaging

  • Gerardo Herrera is an expert on intelligent packaging, augmented reality, digital health, brand strategy and identity. He is the faculty director of Packaging Design at ArtCenter College of Design.
  • Heidrun Mumper-Drumm is an expert on sustainability, comprehensive design, product life cycle, innovation, resilience and zero impact. She’s a professor and director of sustainability initiatives at ArtCenter College of Design.

Photography

Visual culture, visual literacy, imaging, power of imagery

Everard Williams is an expert on photography, fine art photography, location photography, visual culture, visual literacy and the power of imagery. He is the chair of ArtCenter's Photography and Imaging Department.

Play

Children’s play, play in the workplace, toys

  • Krystina Castella is a professor and an expert in play, toy design, play in the design process, designing for children, designing for teens, children’s rights in design, children’s media and technology, children’s spaces, play in the workplace, the future of play, business, patents, invention, business innovation, entrepreneurship and licensing.
  • Brian Boyl is an expert on designing for health, wellness, fitness and the quantified self, IoT, digital systems, design for sustainability, design for kids and play. He is an associate professor at ArtCenter College of Design.

Product Design

  • Babette Strousse, interim chair of Product Design at ArtCenter College of Design, is an expert on design and sustainability, leadership, curriculum development, strategy, design management and leading design teams. 

Social Innovation

Design for social impact, social entrepreneurship, social innovation in design

  • Leigh Hoffman is the faculty director of Designmatters at ArtCenter College of Design and an expert on social innovation, brand strategy and brand-defining architecture which means translating a commercial/community brand into a built environment. She is founder and principal brand strategist for March Studio, a keen mash-up of brand strategy and progressive architecture whose clients include VICE and Caltech.  
  • Jennifer May is the executive director of Designmatters, the social innovation department at ArtCenter College of Design, where she oversees a dynamic portfolio of cross-sector external partnerships, curricular and extracurricular projects and an active slate of initiatives and publications in design for global health, public policy, social entrepreneurship and sustainable development.

Sustainability

  • Heidrun Mumper-Drumm is an expert on sustainability, comprehensive design, product life cycle, innovation, resilience and zero impact. She’s a professor and director of sustainability initiatives at ArtCenter College of Design.

Technology

Extended Reality (XR), Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Virtual Reality (VR), Internet of Things (IoT), wearables

  • Brian Boyl is an expert on designing for health, wellness, fitness and the quantified self, IoT, digital systems, design for sustainability, design for kids and play. He is an associate professor at ArtCenter College of Design.
  • Elise Co, associate professor at ArtCenter College of Design, is an expert in wearable technology, interaction, and emerging technologies including autonomous vehicles/future of mobility, artificial intelligence. She also works in computational pedagogy, including strategic prototyping with/about technology.
  • Maggie Hendrie is a user experience pioneer and the chair of the Media Design Practices Department and the Interaction Design Department at ArtCenter College of Design. She’s an expert on data visualization, interactive product/service strategy, digital product design, project management, user-centered design, and usability and user experience testing.
  • Jenny Rodenhouse is an assistant professor in Interaction Design Department at ArtCenter College of Design. She oversees the Immersion Lab where students have the opportunity to mix what’s real with what isn’t. They use emerging, immersive technologies to prototype and explore new interactions for Extended Reality (XR) — including Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Virtual Reality (VR) — and everything in between.

Transportation

Car culture, driverless cars, autonomous technology, manufacturing, fuel and energy

  • Marek Djordjevic is the chair of the Transportation Design department. He is best known for designing the Rolls-Royce Phantom. He has been with the BMW Group for 15 years, designing BMW, Mini, MG, Land Rover, and Rolls-Royce concept and production cars. 
  • Alan Macey is an ArtCenter alum who spent the first part of his career as an influential designer in studios for brands like BMW, Bugatti, Dodge, Ford, Jeep, SRT and Volkswagen. He is also the co-founder and Creative Director of the automotive design and brand consultant Curb Industries Inc.

Typography

  • Gloria Kondrup is a professor and the executive director of the Hoffmitz Milken Center for Typography. She’s an expert in branding, identity, letterpress, fine art press books, packaging systems, visual literacy and visual problem-solving.

Urbanism

Smart cities, transportation futures, urbanism, urban planning

  • Geoff Wardle is an expert on advanced transportation and mobility systems (includes hi-speed rail, Hyperloop, etc.), driverless cars/autonomous transportation (includes flying taxis/cars, etc.), smart cities, transportation futures, urbanism. He is executive director of the graduate Transportation Systems and Design Department at ArtCenter College of Design.

Visual Literacy

Visual literacy, the visual representation of language, visual learning and visual communication

  • Gloria Kondrup is a professor and the executive director of the Hoffmitz Milken Center for Typography. She’s an expert in branding, identity, letterpress, fine art press books, packaging systems, visual literacy and visual problem-solving.

Wearables

  • Elise Co, associate professor at ArtCenter College of Design, is an expert in wearable technology, interaction, and emerging technologies including autonomous vehicles/future of mobility, artificial intelligence. She also works in computational pedagogy, including strategic prototyping with/about technology.
  • Justine Limpus Parish is an expert on wearables, digital costume illustration, storytelling through costumes, fashion design, fashion illustration and sewing. She is an associate professor in the Product Design and Entertainment Design Departments and director of the sewing lab at ArtCenter College of Design.


Contact

Press Office
626 396-2338
pressoffice@artcenter.edu