DxD: Differentiate By Design No. 5

D×D 5

DIFFERENTIATE BY DESIGN No.5— DESIGN AND DIVERSITY

Does design have an ethnicity, color, sexual orientation, even socio-economic level? Of course, we know what the answer should be—design is open to everyone, welcomes all viewpoints, is sensitive to cultural diff­erences, and so on.

Everyone acknowledges, too, the many studies that have found diversity can significantly improve creativity and innovation as people of different cultures and beliefs share their perspectives and experiences. But there is a cavernous disconnect between what is and what should be.

Even the companies one would expect to be accomplished at achieving diversity admit they aren’t so good at it. Modern giants (and idols) such as Google and Facebook struggle with diversity. Apple, too, acknowledges the problem and is taking a significant step to deal with increasing diversity. It recently announced a $50 million, multi-year initiative designed to bring more women, minorities, and vets to its doors.

Unfortunately older, or smaller, companies can shrug and say, “Well, if these companies find it such a challenge to achieve diversity, how can we—without as much money to put toward the effort?” That’s why it’s important to understand why diversity is important, and why taking even small initial steps can lead to a big payback.

The real problem is that achieving diversity takes hard work and a long-term commitment.

And often the process is messy. An article in Fast Company included the thoughts of Sara Ellison, an MIT economist and co-author of a study on diversity: “Ellison suggests not looking at diversity as having a positive or negative effect, but as having many different results, and an understanding and managing of those differences is what will make firms productive and successful in the end.”

Certainly more schools and businesses are de­di­ ca­ting substantial resources to bringing students and new employees of color in the door. But so often, that door is revolving when there is no infrastructure to help retain these talented students and new hires. No one is educating current

employees on the moral and business benefits of a diverse workforce. In add­ition, those new employees often have few role models or mentors who can understand their challenges and provide direction.

Is achieving diversity worth it? Or can a company just wait for it to happen, over the decades?

The decision should be easy. Companies with a diverse work force have achieved greater staff retention and productivity, are better able to anticipate change and are more responsive to the needs and wants of diverse customers. As Denise Young Smith, Apple’s human resources chief, said at the time her company announced its major commitment to diversity, “…we are dogged about the fact that we can’t innovate without being diverse and inclusive.”

Increasing diversity isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the smart approach to successful business and a proven growth strategy. Note to everyone: What are we waiting for?

D × D 5

BELIEVE IN DIVERSITY’S POWER

TO ELEVATE CREATIVITY LOU SWITZER, FOUNDER, CHAIRMAN, CEO, THE SWITZER GROUP

ANDREW W. BARNES­, DEAN, SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES — PRATT’S DIVERSITY STRENGTHENED

BY NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND PROGRAMS

We are proud of the diversity at Pratt, in its fac­ ulty, staff, and student body. There’s still much to do, but we are committed to upholding and improving our inclusion initiatives so that within the Pratt experience, we can provide enrichment and create more opportunities for a wider range of students.

The ability to attract a diverse student body hinges on providing what students want and need. Whether students are majoring in art and design, architecture, writing, or critical and visual studies, our mission is to enable them to explore areas they choose, then analyze and reflect on art in all of its forms, as well as cul­ tural practices. We’ve found at Pratt a strong reciprocal connection between liberal arts and art and design, in which we provide the courses and viewpoints that enable students to look outside their specific areas of focus to see how they connect to the larger world.

Looking—and working—beyond our gates is a hallmark of a Pratt education. The fact that we emphasize a more general education that is grounded in the humanities helps our students better understand the nature and importance of diversity. That gives studio work a larger context. Our grad students implement and carry out creative residencies in community organi­ zations so that they can learn from and share with multiple populations. We are engaged in reforming education by using other disciplines as bridges to enrich perspectives, whether for a writer or a studio artist.

Currently, the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences has the highest percentage of black/ African American enrollment of all the Pratt schools. This may be in part because it off­ers courses that resonate with students because of the curriculum’s emphasis on edu­cat­ion as a con­ duit between academia and the broader world.

Pratt’s other schools remain on par with other members in the Association of Independent Schools of Art and Design in terms of diversity demographics, but we are actively seeking to cultivate a student body that reflects more

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closely the composition of our community. The Diversity Committee—headed by Tom Greene, director of Human Resources—sponsors a num­ ber of important programs, including Diversity Advocates, which trains people within the Pratt community on issues related to gender, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, national origin, abilities, and socioeconomic diversity. Diversity orientation sessions are also held regularly for all of those who serve on search committees for academic positions or who are engaged in other hiring decisions. Special programs developed through different departments and organizations also keep diversity initiatives vibrant and timely.

Throughout the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Pratt has achieved a superior meld­ ing of relevant academic offerings and realworld experience. Recent student projects have demonstrated this, with topics including the conflict in the Middle East, predatory lending, and stop-and-frisk laws.

Our MFA writing program, unique because of its focus on activism, emphasizes grassroots orga­ nization and community engagement, which in turn promote the goals of diversity. One project founded and run by a student in the writing pro­ gram is Women Writers of Color, which creates anti-racism workshops and literary events. Its goal is to build interest in and further the pub­ lic’s understanding of the accomplishments of women of color. Another is Raw Fiction, a youth literary ­arts project founded by another grad­ uate writing program student in the graduate writing program, which teaches New York City teenagers how to both write creatively and work collaboratively to publish their writing through a variety of media platforms.

In the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, we use a teaching/learning/writing approach that encourages diversity of thought by addressing the realities of discrimination so that we can effectively—not simply theoretically—develop initiatives to redress these endemic issues.

SPEAKING OF DESIGN

PATRICIA SWANN­— EMPHASIS ON COMMUNITY IN GRAD PROGRAM LED TO LIFE’S WORK

“I consider Pratt the true beginning of my edu­ cation and life’s work,” says Patricia Swann, M.S. City and Regional Planning ’79, and senior pro­ gram officer for The New York Community Trust (NYCT). “Pratt’s approach to nontraditional learning, which included being taught by people with real work experience and which emphasized working in the community, helped me determine what I was going to do with my career.”

That was to engage in community organizing and planning and to work on economic devel­ opment issues—all using the knowledge and experience gained at Pratt. Fifteen years ago, Swann joined NYCT, one of the largest funders of New York City nonprofits.

One side of the organization helps New Yorkers set up charitable funds that make donor-advised grants for an array of charitable activities in the city. The other side reviews proposals and rec­ ommends grants to organizations that address a wide range of issues facing New York and its residents. Swann’s responsibilities cover the projects and programs related to affordable housing, community development, nonprofit capacity, and civic engagement.

NYCT and Pratt have collaborated often on initiatives designed to address specific needs of groups that often lack representation and resources. A new program in its initial stages is Fluid Frontiers, a research project that will use Brooklyn’s Red Hook sewer shed as a test case for developing ways to engage communities in storm water management. NYCT awarded Pratt $60,000 to administer the project.

Swann’s community development grant portfolio has meant a close working relationship with the Pratt Center for Community Development. Most recently, she was the lead on several grants to the Center to work with homeowners in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, and public housing residents in Far Rockaway, Queens, two low-income com­ munities hit hard by Super­storm Sandy.

Also, NYCT supports Pratt’s K-12 program through one of its scholarships, the Edward and Sally Van Lier Fund of the New York Community

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Trust Fellowships. These scholarships provide support for three talented, culturally diverse, economically disadvantaged Brooklyn high school students who are dedicated to a career in the arts, all­owing these young people to par­ ticipate in Pratt Young Scholars, a competitive four-year college prep program.

Swann is also responsible for nonprofit manage­ ment by providing training and ancillary support for local community groups. “An organization might need coaching in management basics, or how to get the staff and board of the non­ profit to work together more cohesively, or even assistance in telling their organization’s story better, whether to clients or potential donors,” she says. “It’s a role the NYCT takes on to assist in creating stronger, more effective community organizations.”

Through her commitment to helping often-for­ gotten segments of the city’s population deal with significant economic-development chal­ lenges, Swann is helping improve the lives of thousands of underserved New Yorkers.

ALUMNI PROFILE

LOU SWITZER­— WELL-PREPARED PRATT GRADS FAVORED AT PROGRESSIVE INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE FIRM

Pratt School of Art alumnus Lou Switzer is founder, chairman, and chief executive offi­ cer of The Switzer Group, the nation’s largest black-owned interior architectural design firm.

Clients in­­clude Fortune 500 companies such as AMC Networks, Wells Fargo, and Consolidated Edison, and the firm has worked in industries ranging from finance, insurance, legal, media, entertainment, and technology to real estate, health care, education, and not-for-profit. The Switzer Group, listed among the country’s top interior design firms, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

That’s an impressive number of years in bus­i­ ness. What’s equally impressive is that Switzer’s first two clients, Citibank and IBM, are still on his roster. And his firm boasts an enviable level of repeat business; 80 percent of clients come back with additional projects. It’s not magic; it simply stems from the inherent focus on relationship-building that is embedded in Switzer’s business approach.

As he says, “When I built this firm, I not only wanted to create long-term relationships with our clients; I also wanted the same relationship with employees.” Two of his longest-serving employees—Stewart Fishbein (B.Arch. ’77) and Beth Holechek (B.Arch. ’80)—are also Pratt graduates, and there are many other Pratt alumni in his organization. (His son Gregory Switzer [B.Arch. ’93] also attended Pratt and served as a recent graduate trustee.)

Switzer’s commitment to hiring Pratt grads stems from his assessment of their preparation: They know how to focus on the details, can do an admirable set of drawings, and under­stand both the technology and the design side of the busi­ ness. “Today, more schools produce students fully able to contribute from the start, but Pratt has always graduated students ready to do good work the moment they arrive,” he says.

There are a number of characteristics that define Switzer and his company. He and his staff listen closely and observe well. A hallmark of The Switzer Group is designing environments that

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reflect clients’ organizational personalities as well as their workspace needs. Whether address­ ing interior design, planning, or real estate issues, Switzer’s staffers strive to understand each client’s goals and future plans. They do this by listening closely, presenting design alternatives, and then working with the client to determine a customized option that solves all problems related to space and is also tailored to the client’s function, image, and operational objectives.

Switzer is as involved with his charitable efforts as he is hands-on with clients. “I respect the opportunities given to me, and I believe in giving back,” he says. He was a founding member and a trustee of the ACE Mentor Program; he also has served on the board of directors of Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corp. and the MakeA-Wish Foundation of Metro New York and Western New York, and on the board of trustees for the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS. He is currently a member of the board of The Windward School.

Through his firm’s range of clients, its staff, and its areas of focus, Switzer underscores his belief in diversity’s power to elevate creativity and keep a business strong, as well as the impor­ tance of giving back—in countless ways—to the community.

ALUMNI PROFILE

ÁGNES MÓCSY­— HONORED SCIENTIST MAKES STEAM A REALITY IN HER CLASSES

Ágnes Mócsy is one of just a few female theo­ retical nuclear physicists in the country. She studies the theory of strong interaction—the force that holds the atomic nucleus together—so that she can understand the matter that existed shortly after the Big Bang. After receiving her Ph.D., she continued her postdoc studies at the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, as an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow at the Goethe University in Frankfurt, and as a research scien­ tist at the RIKEN Theory Group at Brookhaven National Laboratory, where she now holds a vis­ iting scientist appointment. She also regularly lobbies Congress for physics research funding on behalf of New York state.

All this is pretty amazing, but here’s what is even more exceptional about Mócsy’s CV: This recog­ nized scientist is a professor in Pratt’s Math and Science Department, teaching physics and as­ tronomy to non-science students. Pratt had ad­ vertised the position in Nature magazine; Mócsy wanted to combine her interests in science and the arts. Call it a coup for Pratt, and a large canvas allowing Mócsy to experiment with meshing her passions, including science, fashion, and film­ making. Put another way, it enabled her to create an academic environment that actually trans­ formed STEM (the study of science, technology, engineering, and math) to STEAM (just add arts!).

Mócsy uses methods that give students the tools for active participation in classroom discussions and in all science-related discussions through­ out their lives. “One of my main objectives is to help students gain an understanding of the process of science—which, no matter what the discipline, always starts with curiosity, a systematic way of approaching questions, and a reliance on evidence.” She also believes in the importance of making science understandable.

“I think it is wonderful to explain complicated concepts in plain language, so that it is possible to make people fall in love with science and the scientific process,” Mócsy says.

At Pratt, Mócsy also makes certain that her students incorporate their own disciplines into

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discussions and their major class project. It is what she calls Fusion-Project Runway, in which students marry a science topic of their choice with art and design and present it through what­ ever medium makes sense—including industrial design, fashion, graphic design, interior design, film, photography, poetry, and architecture.

Her approach in the classroom, her interest in meshing art and science, and her participation in what she calls talking-about-cool-sciencein-plain-language-casually-over-drinks events are all evidence of her determination to make science come alive and be part of everyone’s life.

They’re also part of her plan to foster science-re­ lated environments that are more welcoming to women and minorities. “We need to learn how to bring in, and retain, those with different perspectives and backgrounds,” Mócsy says.

FACULTY PROFILE

WE CAN’T INNOVATE WITHOUT

BEING DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE DENISE YOUNG SMITH, APPLE’S VICE PRESIDENT OF WORLDWIDE HUMAN RESOURCES

ADRIENNE JONES ­— FASHION HISTORIAN HERALDS WORK OF BLACK DESIGNERS

Adrienne Jones, a professor in the Fashion Depart­ment as well as a designer, had always considered herself knowledgeable about “peo­ ple in fashion who looked like me,” as she says.

Then about 10 years ago, her godmother showed her a scrapbook that had information on black fashion designers whose work should have been better-known. Jones realized there were many names she’d never heard of.

That scrapbook provided an inspiration that grew into the highly successful exhibition Black Dress: Ten Contemporary Fashion Designers, held at Pratt’s Manhattan Gallery in 2014 and timed to coincide with Black History Month and Fashion Week. The exhibition not only introduced many to the history and work of black designers, but also served to expand Pratt-sponsored discus­ sions on diversity in fashion.

Jones, the creative director of Black Dress, has become an important voice in public discussions centered on fashion diversity, and is quoted often on the paucity of black designers and mod­ els in the industry. “So often, the lack of black models on the runways during New York Fashion Week or on the covers of the influential fashion magazines is the primary focus when people talk about lack of diversity in the industry,” Jones says. “I wanted to expand the point of reference to black designers.”

She was quoted in the insightful and lengthy arti­ cle “Fashion’s Racial Divide” that appeared in The New York Times in February 2015. She also moder­ ated a Pratt panel discussion on challenges facing African Americans in the fashion industry, and participated in an interdisciplinary symposium organized by Pratt’s Diversity Committee.

Jones, who also co-curated the Black Dress exhi­ bition, researched likely designers to spot­light and then began the difficult process of deter­ mining the 10 to be featured. The goal: to show­ case both established and new talent. “So we included Stephen Burrows; Tracy Reese, one of only three black designers featured in MercedesBenz Fashion Week in 2014; and Jeffrey Banks— all people who have been relatively well-known

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for years,” Jones says. “Then we added design­ ers such as Byron Lars and Omar Salam, along with Project Runway alums Samantha Black and [Rodney] Epperson, Donna Dove, Michael Jerome Francis, and LaQuan Smith.” Black Dress also provided history and context, looking at the work of other black designers who have dressed the rich and famous.

Jones believes that the Black Dress exhibition and the related book she is now research­ing will amplify and reinforce the undeniable talent and growing influence of black designers.

FACULTY PROFILE

AMIR PARSA­— PROGRAM ENCOURAGES INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION, INNOVATION

genres that encourage the audience to see the Amir Parsa, director of academic transdisci­ many ways to relate to art and design.” plinary initiatives in the Office of the Provost, acknowledges that innovation and exploration Was RiDE really necessary? Absolutely, says are central to all of his endeavors, including Parsa. “Often we focus so much on success that writing, lecturing, teaching, and performing. we never consider what it means to fail—or how As he says, “I love to see beyond what exists, failure helps you better understand yourself, and and then create something that allows people what you are attempting.” He adds, “RiDE’s ex­ to have new relationships to the world.” plorations support fresh ideas within curricula Parsa also believes that creativity takes many and disciplines, an important part of diversity forms. He was recently invited to deliver the on campus.” annual Samuel H. Kress Lecture in Museum Education at The Frick Collection, in which he emphasized his belief that educational design demands as much creativity and personal auth­ or­ship as any piece of art or performance.

His background and approach helped Parsa identify a need—and an opportunity. “People at Pratt had ideas they wanted to try, and they really wanted to work across departments, but there were few arenas and environments for faculty, emerging and established artists, and students to experiment,” he says. After holding conversations with chairs, deans, and faculty members as well as students, and using his own experiences in the area of cultural design, Parsa began to see the equation take shape.

“We needed to develop a mechanism through which people with different perspectives and from different backgrounds could present, think, debate, and be exposed to the notion of experimentation and risk-taking,” Parsa says.

“We also wanted to make certain there were clear links to the curriculum.”

As a result of the collaboration with Pratt constit­ uencies and Parsa’s work in refining the concept, RiDE (which stands for risk/dare/experiment) was born, giving the Pratt community a safe yet challenging environment to present adventur­ ous ideas and actions.

Since RiDE got underway in late 2013, more than 30 “episodes” have been presented. Why episodes? “We want to underscore that RiDE is not about conventional vehicles for delivering information,” Parsa points out. “Rather, the epi­sodes are themselves different formats and

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FACULTY PROFILE

ERICA EDEN­— RECOGNIZING GENDER DIFFERENCES LEADS TO OP TIMAL DESIGN

Most people have a professional-formation story: the story of an event, idea, or personal experience that lent direction and passion to their careers.

For Erica Eden (Master of Indus­trial Design ’02), who is now director of global innovation design at PepsiCo, it occurred when she first started working at Smart Design, a design and innova­ tion consulting firm. At the time, she admits, the dearth of input from female designers wasn’t top-of-mind. But that soon changed when she became more aware of the challenges—many of them self-made—that some companies faced when it came to design.

One example was Nike. The company had tried creating timepieces for women (using an allmale design team!) … and failed. Nike sought help from Smart Design. A number of women female designers there worked with Nike to turn marketing failure into success by tossing out the traditional “shrink it and pink it” approach to designing for women. The two busi­nesses col­ laborated to determine and then create what women wanted and needed in a watch.

Soon, Eden and these like-minded female de­ signers acknowledged that they had developed a point of view that recognized the imperative to study gender differences and similarities and then use that knowledge to create good design.

“Design needs to put people first; it needs to discover what they need and want,” says Eden.

“And then it needs to figure out how to connect with the consumer. In our case, it was the wom­ en’s market.”

That group of women informally named them­ selves the Femme Den; today, the “den” is a lab within Smart Design made up of a shifting group of researchers, strategists, designers, and engineers who focus on “saving good women from bad design.”

So many industries, including automotive, tech­ nology, health care, finance, and start-ups, could benefit from more diversity in thought to avoid insular strategies and priorities, Eden says. One of the most enlightened industries is consumer packaged goods. “CPG has always known it is

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designing for women. Fifty years ago, [the target buyer] would have been a housewife. Today, it’s still a woman—but more nuanced, with more awareness of women’s many roles, even in a single day.”

Two years ago, Eden joined PepsiCo, the sec­ ond-largest food and beverage company in the world based on net revenue. She has learned about the businesses on a micro level. “Knowing the business well is how we can help with inno­ vation,” she says. It is also fitting that she now works for a company led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Indra Nooyi, a woman born in India and now a naturalized American. Several years ago, Nooyi began to understand the signif­ icance of design thinking, which helped PepsiCo re-envision the consumer experience. Design became central to all areas of a product’s devel­ opment or repositioning—not just the packag­ ing, but how the product looks on the shelf, and how consumers connect with and use it.

“At PepsiCo, design now has a seat at the table; it’s not an add-on here, but a core element of all decisions,” says Eden. “PepsiCo has a design vision that infiltrates all activities in the corpo­ ration. It’s exciting to be part of a user-centered, consumer-led organization that demonstrates the importance of design thinking and diversity, starting at the top.”

ALUMNI PROFILE

PIONEERING PROGRAMS CREATE A TALENT PIPELINE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

If a company has a massive construction project looming, or has facilities scattered around the world that need to be properly managed, Pratt alumni should be on the corporate radar.

Pratt’s Construction Management (CM) and Facilities Management (FM) programs within the School of Architecture were among the first of the few programs of this kind ever offered in the United States, and they have produced major leaders in the construction field. Not only are these Pratt graduates well-prepared; they also come from one of the most diverse programs at the Institute and enjoy a high rate of placement and competitive salaries. “We are proud of our students, and the educational experience is greatly enhanced by the diversity they bring to the classroom,” says Regina Ford Cahill, chair of these programs. “We also have the highest percentages of female to male, Latino/Hispanic, black, and Asian American students of any individual school within Pratt, or Pratt overall.”

A construction management professional— who works directly with the owner and the architect/engineer—is involved with the pla­ n­ning, coordinating, and building of a project, whether a skyscraper, suburban office building, or hospital. The successful CM is a “renaissance person,” possessing business, technical, and communications skills that are used on a daily basis to ensure the safe and timely delivery of projects. The Pratt CM program is enriched by faculty members who work in the industry, overseeing projects ranging from the World Financial Center to the Croton Reservoir.

The Facilities Management program provides students with the skills and knowledge essen­ tial to plan and finance a project, evaluate the appropriateness of the built environment to the corporate mission, and maintain and operate an organization’s physical assets.

Faculty members for both programs, drawn from major New York firms, expose students to risk management, emerging technologies, and cost-effective management.

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Among the notable alumni of CM are two graduates who have remained closely involved with Pratt.

Joseph G. Mizzi (Bachelor of Science, Con­ struction Management ’91) is president of Sciame Construction and a member of the advisory committee to Pratt’s Construction Man­age­ment program. He began his career in the New York City construction industry, joining Sciame in 1995, where, among other assignments, he has overseen major museum projects. In 2011, Pratt honored Mizzi with an Alumni Achievement Award.

Peter J. Davoren (Bachelor of Professional Stu­ dies, Construction Management ’78), president and CEO of Turner Construction, joined Turner immediately after graduation to work on proj­ ects in Boston. He moved to New York in 1980 and has held a wide variety of assignments related to the delivery and management of Turner’s work. He was appointed president in 2003 and CEO in 2004. Now, Davoren’s com­ pany has entered a special collaboration that makes a Pratt education far more achievable for a wider range of students and, in combina­ tion with strong recruiting, will help bolster the impressive diversity numbers for the Con­struc­ t­ion Management program.

In 2014, Pratt and Turner Construction est­a­b ­ lished a partnership to create a talent pipe­line for the construction industry and address a shortage of graduates who have both technical grounding and a broad knowledge of analysis, planning, and management. The partnership awards scholarships to students after a com­ petitive process; these students are also ment­ or­ed by Turner employees and Pratt graduates and receive summer internships. Five stud­ents select­ed to receive the first Turner scholar­ships began their CM studies in fall 2015: Furqan Malik and Nicole Ng, graduates of Brooklyn Tech­nical High School; and Shazieb Mohammad, Jashawn Richardson, and Shaquashia Williams, graduates of the Urban Assembly School of Design and Construction.

JOSEPH G. MIZZI, PRESIDENT, SCIAME CONSTRUCTION

Malik’s background spotlights the diversity that this scholarship and mentoring program brings to Construction Management. He is a first-gen­ eration college student who has served a term in AmeriCorps with Habitat for Humanity and who has a passion for creating affordable housing.

Malik is interning for Turner Construction at the New York Aquarium’s Ocean Wonders: Sharks! project at Coney Island.

In fall 2015, three more students, from the Bronx and Brooklyn, entered Pratt with Turner scholarships.

“This corporate/academic collaboration under­ scores the qualities that make these programs so valuable to students and their future employ­ ers,” says Pratt’s Cahill. “The Construction Management and Facilities Management pro­ grams, taught by people who actually build and manage some of the most significant buildings in the world, demonstrate how effective learn­ing can be when students are literally surrounded by their subject matter. And the fact that our students reflect the diversity found in this great city makes our programs that much stronger.”

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PETER J. DAVOREN, PRESIDENT, CEO, TURNER CONSTRUCTION

NOTE TO EVERYONE:

WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?

FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR TALENTED STUDENTS ENRICHES ALL

Scholarships are change agents. They allow ded­ icated, deserving, and talented students access to a college education that might have been beyond reach. At Pratt, nearly 80 percent of students are able to attend in part due to schol­ arships and financial aid, giving them access to the rich resources offered by the Institute.

The power of scholarships goes beyond their ability to give motivated, talented students the chance to attend college. Just imagine a college where no scholarships were given. It is likely that the students would share similar socio-eco­ nomic roots and as a result would look alike, and to an extent think alike. There would be no lively exchanges shaped by different perspectives and experiences, no increased understanding of people whose outlooks and philosophies were shaped by radically different life experiences.

Scholarships are an important means of in­creas­ ing diversity on campus, by providing financial support to promising students who could not have afforded to attend. At Pratt, there are a number of scholarships designated for under-represented students that are funded by donors who want to help students achieve their dreams. Here are several, along with a sampling of students who have received the scholarships.

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STARR FOUNDATION THE JACQUES AND NATASHA GELMAN ENDOWED SCHOLAR­S HIP FOR TRUST’S ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS ASIAN AMERICAN STUDENTS FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF LATINO DESCENT IN FINE ART Recipient: Kevin Chao, B.F.A. Communications Recipient: Athena M. Castillo, Design/Graphic Design ’14 B.F.A. Painting ’13 Chao is a graphic designer with a mission—to Castillo is a Cuban-Dominican artist born and shift public opinion on various social issues. One raised in New York City. In the year she grad­ effort is Spare Change News, a bimonthly pub­ uated, Castillo founded the Artists Making lication based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Changes Foundation, a not-for-profit organiza­ that strives to provide jobs for the local home­ tion dedicated to promoting creative and intel­ less community while imbuing the transaction lectual development in underprivileged children of buying a paper into a chance for buyer and through art workshop programs led by skilled vendor to share a moment of humanity. artists and teachers.

THE MARCIO MOREIRA MULTI­ WILLIAM R. HEARST SCHOLARSHIP CULTURAL SCHOLARSHIP SPONSORED OF THE HEARST FOUNDATION

BY MCCANN WORLDGROUP + FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND MCCANN INTERNSHIP LATINA FEMALE UNDERGRADUATE This recently established scholarship was anARCHITECTURE STUDENTS ­n­ounced during The Black Alumni of Pratt Recipient: Valeria Bustos, B. Arch. ’14 (BAP) 25th Anniversary “Celebration of the A Miami native whose parents had migrated from Creative Spirit” Benefit Gala held this summer.

Nicaragua, Bustos worked on projects at Pratt This scholarship and internship from McCann ranging from the Columbia University Boathouse was given in recognition of BAP’s efforts to create and sustain scholarship programs for to urban post-disaster housing that could shelter New Yorkers after a devastating storm. Today, highly talented African-American and Latino she works for Perez APC, a 100-percent womanstudents on the basis of their academic merit and and minority-owned national firm that provides financial need. services including architecture, construction, landscape architecture, interior design, and real estate development.

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SCHOLARSHIPS

AREAWARE MANUFACTURES DESIGNS BORN IN STUDIO CLASS

Areaware is a Will­iamsburg, Brooklyn, maker of everyday household objects both whimsical and fully functional. As the people at Areaware describe themselves: “Our goal is to create thoughtful products that inspire an emotional response. We like to think we have a good sense of humor and that our objects are poetic. … We believe that appreciation for beauty is central to what it means to be alive and want to embody this principle in even the simplest things.”

No question that’s an impressive business credo.

But the company has an ancillary goal. Areaware is committed to seeking designers who might not have an easy time finding an appreciative audience and selling their goods. One way to accomplish that: Areaware X Pratt.

In a sponsored studio, Areaware and Pratt part­ nered to create household and tabletop pieces that help keep, save, and treasure time in var­ ious ways. Design graduate students, under the direction of Industrial Design faculty members Sinclair Smith and Henry Yoo, then showed their work in an exhibition, Objects of the Moment: An Exploration in Counting, Marking, and Contemplating Time as part of the WantedDesign event in Brooklyn last spring.

Even better, Areaware, with the help of a jur­ ied panel, selected Industrial Design Graduate Student Lauren Lee’s “Sky Clock” (pictured at right) to produce, and a second student’s prod­ uct is under consideration.

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PARTNERSHIP

COLGATE-PALMOLIVE AND PRATT DESIGN FOR URBAN PETS

Could there be a better place to study the relationship between urban pet owners and their pets than New York? Probably not. That is why Colgate-Palmolive Co. asked Pratt’s Communications Design students to research New Yorkers and their pets on behalf of the Hill’s Pet Nutrition brands, and generate retail concepts and designs based on that research.

At the start of the sponsored studio during the spring semester, Hill’s staff presented the class with its proprietary research—along with retail market and consumer shopping data—and spoke with the members of the class about the purpose of the studio. This was followed by a midterm review and a critical review at the end of the term to view and discuss concepts and designs.

Colgate-Palmolive and Pratt are longtime part­ ners; they have collaborated on several semes­ ter-long sponsored studios over the years, with design challenges for items ranging from deodorant and mouthwash to other personal care products.

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PARTNERSHIP

COLLABORATION WITH SoDA SPOTLIGHTS PRATT’S EXPERTISE

SoDA (the Society of Digital Agencies) des­cribes itself as “a network and voice for entrepreneurs and innovators around the globe who are creat­ ing the future of marketing and digital experi­ ences.” So it makes sense that the SoDA/Pratt Institute Partnership was born, linking SoDA with an institution noted for its thoughtful and creative merging of art, design, technology, and innovation.

The centerpiece of the collaboration occurred in October when the SoDA Academy Learning Conference was held at Pratt. The conference, a two-day immersive learning experience— attended by C-suite-level executives from major tech companies, such as Adobe and Microsoft, as well as digital agencies—explored a number of relevant issues, including reinventing train­ing and professional education that demon­ strates actual ROI. The conference was announced in dramatic style in an appropriate setting: at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, held in late June and attended by everyone who’s any­ one in the communications industry.

At Cannes, SoDA had space on the video wall, seen by thousands of delegates to the event.

SoDa’s video (still pictured at right), promoting the collaboration between Pratt and SoDA, was created by Eduardo Palma (Grad CommD ’15).

As SoDA said, “We’ve always developed the content on our own, but it seems like a perfect fit to work with a top design school, given the Young Lions’ focus on the next generation of leaders in the creative community.”

With Pratt as the venue, the Institute had an opportunity to spotlight its expertise and dem­ o­nstrate its position as a thought leader in this area to high-level industry representatives.

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PARTNERSHIP

3-D WALLPAPER PRODUCED BY TWENT Y2 MAKES A SPLASH

Imagine wallpaper that looks textured enough to run your hands through; then imagine what that look would do to a room. Thanks to a partner­ ship between Twenty2, the design and printing studio of Kyra and Robertson Hartnett, and Pratt’s Interior Design Depart­ment, there’s no need to wonder anymore. Just order a roll from the DEEP collection.

This group of 3-D wallpapers, in five different styles ranging from floral to abstract, was created

by Pratt students under the direction of archi­ tect Sarah Strauss, a visiting associate professor in the Interior Design Department. The five designs selected were developed during a grad­ uate interior design seminar taught by Strauss, called “Pattern and Ornament.” The Hartnetts, who had been involved with Pratt interior design students for four years as critics and mentors, then produced the wallpapers.

The designs, which come with optional 3-D glasses (really!), feature intense layers that enable the eye to travel over multiple planes, seemingly affecting the scale of the body, wall, and room.

The wallpapers (example pictured below) also use eco-friendly, water-based inks. The wall­ papers, shown this spring at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, received on­line cov­erage in Architectural Digest, Fast Company, Design Milk, the Los Angeles Times, Core77, and Inhabit, among others.

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PARTNERSHIP

ROLLS-ROYCE INTRODUCES NEW WRAITH AT PRATT PANEL HONORING WOMEN IN FASHION

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars wanted to introduce 300 guests from the design, fashion, and busi­ ness fields and the media. an addition to its Wraith line called “Inspired

by Fashion.” It also wanted to acknowledge the source of its inspiration: the impact of women in the fashion industry, and the growing group of women, particularly those in design industries, who are luxury car aficionados. Such a car—and such a potential group of buyers—deserved more than the standard auto show.

The solution was creative, clever, and success­ ful. The Pratt Presents event Women of Influence in the Business of Style was a public program created by Rolls-Royce and Pratt’s Strategic Partnerships and Institutional Support division.

The centerpiece of the event was multipronged: a conversation among three women leaders in fashion intent on bringing change to the indus­ try; the debut of the new Wraith, one of the most technologically advanced, dramatic cars ever designed by Rolls-Royce; and the announce­ ment of the first recipient of the Rolls-Royce Wraith Scholarship, for a female Pratt student who demonstrates the skill and promise of a future woman of influence.

The discussion, moderated by Eric Wilson, fash­ ion news director of InStyle, featured award-win­ ning designer Maria Cornejo, whose Zero + Maria Cornejo label is available internation­ ally; Calvin Klein Inc.’s chief marketing officer, Melisa Goldie, a Pratt alumna; and Tracy Reese, founder and creative director of the Tracy Reese label. The three participants discussed their involvement in creating, shaping, and innovat­ ing brands with a global reach.

Pratt Institute senior and fashion design major Landry Low (B.F.A. ’15) received the Rolls-Royce Wraith Scholarship of $10,000 for her collec­ tion, “Something Familiar.” Her work (sample pictured at right) envisioned seams of clothing as letters that tell a visual, tactile story connecting designer to wearer to those who sewed the piece.

Low has already begun her next collection.

The Pratt Presents event was held in early May, at the start of New York Design Week (NYCxDesign), and was attended by more than

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PRATT PRESENTS

PRATT PRESENTS DESIGN, TECHNOLOGY, AND THE FUTURE

Bringing the right people together to learn about included cultural luminaries such as Spike Lee, and discuss important issues related to art and Stefan Sagmeister, FKA Twigs, Alex Israel, and design: That is the goal of Pratt Presents. It’s the Philip Glass.

NYC Media Lab connects companies that want institute’s ongoing series of high-profile curated to advance media technologies with university and branded public programs and events, which attracts audiences of influencers; constituencies resources—bright minds and sophisticated tech­ interested in art, design, architecture, and cul­ nology—to advance collaborative innovation. ture in general; and Pratt students and young arts professionals.

A Pratt Presents event held this past spring exemplifies the concept. Titled Design, Tech­no­ log y, and the Future and co-presented by NYC Media Lab, it also celebrated the publication of the fourth edition of DxD: Differentiate by Design (cover pictured below), which itself focused on the seamless merging of design and technology at Pratt and in the work of its faculty and alumni.

In order to explore the newest intersections be­tween design and technology, Pratt invited Justin Hendrix, executive director of NYC Media Lab and formerly vice president of business development and innovation for The Economist Group; and Phillip Tiongson, principal and creative director of Potion, recognized by Fast Company as one of the most innovative compa­ nies in design and twice a finalist for the National Design Award. The guests were introduced by Santiago Piedrafita (M.S. Communications Design ’94), who is now chair of Pratt’s Graduate Communications Design Department.

As Piedrafita stated in “Speaking of Design,” DxD4’s lead article, “It can be reasonably argued that design in and of itself is a ‘technology,’ capa­ ble of shaping, reshaping, and ultimately trans­ forming the world we live in.” He invited Hendrix to begin a dialogue with Tiongson that would pro­ vide the audience with insights into navigating the technology-design intersection, including the broad question of where technology is taking us, what the emerging trends are, and how design­ ers and artists are engaging with, and how they should be engaging with, technology.

True to the series’ mission of featuring vision­ ary artists, designers, thought leaders, and in­ fluencers, recent Pratt Presents events have

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PRATT PRESENTS

TOP DESIGNS SHINE AT PRATT INSTITUTE FASHION SHOW 2015

It’s a sold-out event. The professional models are ready to strut. An industry luminary will be celebrated. And 16 graduating fashion stu­dents, selected from their class by a panel of industry experts, are about to debut their curated collec­ tions to 400 guests and members of the media, including WWD, InStyle, Fashionista, and Fashion Week Daily. It’s time for Pratt’s 116th annual fash­ ion show!

Cotton Incorporated was the lead sponsor for the fashion show and the cocktail benefit that followed; Santander Universities, a division of Santander N.A., was the platinum sponsor. Held May 7 at Center548 in Manhattan, the show was fittingly called Laboratory because of its focus on unconventional draping, cutting, and con­ struction techniques.

Students showed eight to 13 designs each, allow­ ing them to demonstrate their distinct voices and influences. Claire McKinney (B.F.A. ’15) received the Liz Claiborne Award—Concept to Product, funded by the Liz Claiborne & Art Ortenberg Foundation. Her collection was shaped by her nostalgia for the past and interest in the innova­ tive and fresh. The $25,000 award will help her cover the costs of developing a collection after graduation. Sophie Andes Gascon (B.F.A.’15) was awarded a scholarship from Cotton Incorporated as part of a junior design competition; her work explored different ways of working with cotton and found materials, inspired by her home in Manaus, Brazil.

Rose Byrne, who had recently completed a run on Broadway in You Can’t Take It With You, pre­ sented Pratt’s 2015 Fashion Visionary Award to Francisco Costa, women’s creative director for Calvin Klein Collection. “He is one of the great­ est leaders in fashion today, and has been for decades, with his exquisite tailoring and mini­ mal, modern silhouettes,” said Jennifer Minniti, Pratt Fashion Department chair. After the show, Costa was celebrated at a cocktail benefit at Dream Meatpacking District. Proceeds from both events benefited Pratt’s scholarship funds and its Department of Fashion.

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Two other fashion students received signifi­ cant honors during the 2015 Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) annual event in June. The CFDA sponsors a highly competitive scholarship program that recognizes students in their junior year. Recipients are selected by a panel of noted designers and educators who this year looked at 95 submissions from 20 schools.

Tongxu Shan (B.F.A. ’16) received a $5,000 CFDA Scholarship Award and a $5,000 CFDA Sch­ olar­ship for Technical Design. Isabella Spataro (B.F.A. ’16) received a $5,000 Liz Claiborne Design Scholarship for Technical Design.

EVENT

STUDENTS’ BEST WORK SHOWCASED ACROSS THE CITY

The Pratt Shows—a series of year-end events and exhibitions featuring Pratt students’ senior/ year-end thesis projects—are a revelation. Surely people viewing the results have to remind them­ selves that this sophisticated, polished work is by students, not longtime professionals.

These exhibitions, held in April and May, show­ case the best and most innovative works from the departments of Fine Arts, Architec­ture, Digital Arts, Film/Video, Photography, Fashion, Comm­ unications Design, Industrial Design, Interior Design, and other areas. The work is of such a high caliber that it is also featured in important international industry trade events, such as the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, and in citywide shows, such as NYCxDesign. The New York Times highlighted the show Signs of Life: In and Out of Time and Space, by second-year M.F.A. students from more than 10 countries, in its Weekend Arts’ “Spare Times” column.

Bklyn Designs, part of NYCxDesign, included Eng 007, a student-formed collective of Indust­ rial Design Department seniors who presented furniture and lighting designs as part of the WantedDesign show.

The Pratt Design 2015 exhibition featured work by seniors and postgraduates from the School of Design, exploring what’s next in advertis­ ing, communications design, fashion, graphic design, illustration, and industrial, interactive, interior, jewelry, and package design.

Works with visual and tactile qualities are expected at exhibitions, but the spoken word was also given time as The Writing Program B.F.A. seniors held readings that were simul­ cast around the campus.

Each year, the Pratt Shows, mounted throughout New York City, celebrate significant crea­tive ach­ i­­eve­ments while providing design pro­fessionals, artists, and the general public with access to the quality, creativity, and bold approaches inherent in the work of Pratt graduates.

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EVENT

JOIN US

LEGENDS 2015 A Pratt Institute Scholarship Benefit Honoring Icons of Art and Design Thursday, October 29, 2015 Mandarin Oriental 80 Columbus Circle, New York City Legends 2015 will honor distinguished chef Daniel Boulud, influential interior designer Nina Campbell, renowned photographer and filmmaker Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, and award-winning architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien.

For information and tickets: legends@pratt.edu 718.399.4548 www.pratt.edu/Legends HENNESSY V.S GALLERY 24 November 4 and 5, 2015 201 Mulberry Street, New York City In collaboration with Hennessy, Pratt has se­­ lect­­ed twenty graduate students who will be challenged to develop a piece of art inspired by the theme of chasing one’s “Wild Rabbit.” The final winner will be announced on November 4.

The exhibition will showcase the winning piece as well as arwork by each of the student finalists.

For information: corporaterelations@pratt.edu 718.399.4265 PRATT PRESENTS AT ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH: WOMEN OF INFLUENCE IN THE BUSINESS OF ART In partnership with W magazine With panelists Shirin Neshat, visual artist; Mickalene Thomas (B.F.A. ’00), visual artist; and Heidi Zuckerman, director, Aspen Art Museum; and moderator Stafano Tonchi, editor, W magazine Thursday, December 3, 2015 For information on Pratt’s activities at Art Basel Miami Beach 2015: www.pratt.edu/public-programs

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2016 PRATT INSTITUTE FASHION SHOW + COCKTAIL BENEFIT Featuring collections by the Department of Fashion class of 2016 Thursday, May 5, 2016 6 PM Fashion Show and Award Presentation 7:30 PM Cocktail Benefit For information: fashionshow@pratt.edu 718.399.4486 www.pratt.edu/fashionshow PRATT SHOWS 2016 May 2016 Multiple dates and venues Explore the year’s boldest ideas, biggest thinking, and best work in Pratt Institute’s spring year-end shows. More than twenty events and exhibitions— one exciting celebration.

For information and updates: www.pratt.edu/pratt-shows NYCxDESIGN May 2016 Multiple dates and venues.

Join Pratt at NYCxDesign, New York City’s official citywide celebration of design, which will feature exhibitions and presentations by Pratt students, faculty, and alumni.

For information and updates: www.pratt.edu/pratt-shows www.nycxdesign.com

COLOPHON

D×D 5 Design and Diversity October 2015

4 — Andrew W. Barnes 6 — Patricia Swann

8 — L ou Switzer

Creative Director: Mats Håkansson Associate Creative Director: Kara Schlindwein Concept and Design: Rory King Writers: Karen Horton, Charlotte Savidge Consultant: Judy Chen Staff Photographer: Peter Tannenbaum Production Manager: David Dupont Printer: HighRoad Press Differentiate by Design (D×D) is produced by the Office of Strategic Partnerships and Insitutional Support in the Division of Institutional Advancement for Pratt Institute’s corporate partners and friends.

10 — Á gnes Mócsy

14 — Adrienne Jones

16 — A mir Parsa

Executive Director, Strategic Partnerships and Institutional Support: Ludovic Leroy Senior Corporate Relations Manager: Justin Coles Coordinator: Alexandre da Silva To learn more about how you can benefit from a partnership with Pratt, email us at strategicpartnerships@pratt.edu.

18 — Erica Eden

20 — Joseph Mizzi

22— Peter Davoren

Concept and Imagery: The book is printed entirely in black and white to instill within the reader a desire for diversity (i.e. color). Portraits are converted to embossments so that the age, gender, race, or other characteristics of a person influence the text of the current and previous profiles. At the same time, they depict a world without prejudice, acknowledging people for their creativity and accomplishments rather than their age, gender, or color of their skin. The typography is typeset as shifting paragraph blocks, conveying how our competitive human nature—the challenge to outperform someone different than ourselves and the shifting discourse of a diverse workforce—is the science behind how diversity generates creativity within the workplace.

Pratt Institute Institutional Advancement Strategic Partnerships and Institutional Support 200 Willoughby Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11205