Affiliate Program

What are the benefits of becoming an SCD Affiliate?
As a member of the program, SCD Affiliates benefit from prioritized access to SCD work and makers spaces, classrooms, and event spaces. Affiliates also receive enhanced support from SCD Team members in areas of assessment and research, academic programs, faculty and academic engagement, marketing and programming, equipment and experience operations, and media content creation. In addition, Affiliates benefit from collective, interdisciplinary engagement opportunities that foster human-centered design problem solving in areas of:
      ✓Community engagement and societal impact
      ✓Entrepreneurialism and organizational development
      ✓Health innovation
      ✓Technological innovation
      ✓Transformative education and pedagogical innovation.

What are the roles an SCD Affiliate fulfills?
Affiliates fulfill many roles that support the SCD mission to “Practice, model, and teach design thinking, using human-centered design to reimagine our campus, community and collective world.” In particular, SCD Affiliates serve as research, education, and community collaborators; campus community and external partner ambassadors and advocates; and advisors to SCD Team members and HCD-project leaders.

Interested in Becoming an SCD Affiliate?

Community Engagement and Societal Impact

Focuses on using human-centered design to create solutions that strengthen communities and address broader societal challenges. Projects aim to engage diverse populations, understand the needs of communities, and co-create initiatives that lead to positive, measurable change at both local and societal levels.

Joseph Altshuler

College of Fine and Applied Arts
School of Architecture

Robert Baird

Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning

Eric Benson

College of Fine and Applied Arts
School of Art and Design

Nikia Brown

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Student Academic Affairs Office, Internal Programs

Julieanne Ehre

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

Shubham Kumar

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Geography & GIScience

Benedek Kurdi

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Psychology

Jena Marble

College of Fine and Applied Arts
School of Art and Design

Ruby Mendenhall

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Sociology

Christina Rainwater

College of Fine and Applied Arts
Theatre

Juan Salamanca

College of Fine and Applied Arts
School of Art and Design

Carla Santos

College of Applied Health and Science
Recreation, Sport, and Tourism

Cliff Shin

College of Fine and Applied Arts
School of Art and Design

Lindsey Stirek

College of Fine and Applied Arts
School of Art and Design

Mike Yao

College of Media
Advertising

Windy Zhao

College of Fine and Applied Arts
School of Architecture

HCD for Health Innovation

Focuses on applying HCD principles to advance healthcare, wellness, and health accessibility. Projects aim to improve patient outcomes, enhance the user experience in healthcare, and create equitable health solutions.

Jim Lowe

College of Veterinary Medicine
 

Rachel Adler

School of Information Sciences

HCD for Technological Innovation

Encompasses the application of Human Centered Design (HCD) in emerging technologies, such as AI, machine learning, and other innovations, to ensure they are ethical, human-centered, and accessible. Projects focus on improving how humans interact with new technologies.

Michael Curtin

Office of the CIO
 

Caroline Cvetkovic

Grainger College of Engineering
Bioengineering

Ben Galewsky

National Center for Supercomputing Applications

Yun Huang

School of Information Sciences

Ranjitha Kumar

Grainger College of Engineering
Siebel School of Computing and Data Science

Amir Malvandi

Grainger College of Engineering
Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Craig Shultz

Grainger College of Engineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering

Marco Trevisani Montresor

College of Fine and Applied Arts
School of Art and Design

HCD for Entrepreneurship and Organizational Development

Focuses on applying HCD to drive innovation, creativity, and growth within organizations and entrepreneurial endeavors. Projects aim to improve organizational culture, foster collaboration, and enhance product or service development.

Keilin Jahnke

Grainger College of Engineering
Technology Entrepreneur Center

HCD for Transformative Education and Pedagogical Innovation

Applies HCD to revolutionize educational practices and learning environments. Projects focus on developing innovative curricula, teaching methods, professional development and tools that support student and teacher learning.

Ann Abbott

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Spanish and Portuguese

Jenny Amos

Grainger College of Engineering
Bioengineering

Joe Bradley

Grainger College of Engineering
Bioengineering

Tim Bretl

Grainger College of Engineering
Aerospace

Jorden Brotherton

College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences
Food Science & Human Nutrition

Vania Carvalho de Castro

College of Education
Education Policy, Organization and Leadership

William Cope

College of Education
Education Policy, Organization and Leadership

Elhan Esoz

College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences
Crop Sciences

Gretchen Forman

University Departments and Academic Services
Student Affairs

Molly Goldstein

Grainger College of Engineering
Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering

Matthew Goodman

Grainger College of Engineering
Materials Science & Engineering

Vidya Haran

Gies College of Business
Business Administration

Mary Herrmann

College of Education
Education Policy, Organization and Leadership

Mary Kalantzis

College of Education
Education Policy, Organization and Leadership

Leon Liebenberg

Grainger College of Engineering
NPRE

Morten Lundsgaard

Grainger College of Engineering
Physics

Marcia Pool

Grainger College of Engineering
Cancer Center at Illinois

Kate Rutherford

College of Veterinary Medicine
Veterinary Clinical Medicine - Online Programs and Extension

Mike Tissenbaum

College of Education
Curriculum & Instruction

Elle Wroblewski

Grainger College of Engineering
Aerospace

Martin Burke

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Chemistry

Holly Golecki

Grainger College of Engineering
Bioengineering

Jina Kang

College of Education
Curriculum & Instruction

Amy Leman

College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
Agricultural Leadership, Education & Communications

Christopher Lueg

School of Information Sciences

Elissa Thomann Mitchell

College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
Human and Family Studies

Judith Pintar

School of Information Sciences
Game Studies and Design

Aric Rindfleisch

Gies College of Business
Business Administration

Vishal Sachdev

Gies College of Business
Business Administration

Shelly Schmidt

College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
Food Science and Human Nutrition

Ava Wolf



Yuting Wu Chen

Grainger College of Engineering
Electrical & Computer Engineering

Jean Drasgow

Academic Programs - Career Services
Tranformative Education and Pedagogical Innovation - Professional Development

Gloriana Gonzalez

College of Education
Curriculum & Instruction

Blake Johnson

Grainger College of Engineering
Mechanical Science and Engineering

Debra Korte

College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications

Jessica Li

College of Education
Education Policy, Organization and Leadership

Andrew Moss

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
English/Program in Professional Writing