Kelly Umstead

Bio

Kelly Umstead is an associate professor in the Department of Industrial Design at North Carolina State University, where she also serves as the director of graduate programs in industrial design. Since joining NC State in 2016, Kelly has been instrumental in advancing the integration of human-centered design in both healthcare and engineering contexts. Her teaching spans both undergraduate and graduate levels, focusing on design innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration and preparing the next generation of leaders in the design field.

Kelly’s professional background includes work as a senior product development engineer in the medical device industry, where she specialized in active healing therapies. Her industry experience informs her academic work, allowing her to bridge the gap between theory and practice in both her teaching and research.

Throughout her career, Kelly has been a strong advocate for the use of design thinking as a tool for innovation. Kelly has collaborated with industry partners such as Under Armour, Lenovo and Coca-Cola to apply design thinking to real-world challenges into the classroom. These collaborations enhance the educational experience for her students while simultaneously preparing them for leadership roles in their future careers. In recognition of her dedication to education and mentorship, Kelly was awarded the Young Educator Award by the Industrial Design Society of America in 2020.

Kelly’s research centers on the application of human-centered design methodologies to address complex challenges in healthcare, particularly in postnatal care and rehabilitation. As a co-founder of the Health-Centered Design Lab, she leads efforts to develop solutions that enhance patient outcomes and improve healthcare delivery systems. Her work is funded by the Agency for Healthcare and Quality (AHRQ).

Kelly has recently been honored with an associate faculty appointment at Ariadne Labs, a joint center for health systems innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. This appointment recognizes her expertise in human-centered design and her contributions to healthcare innovation. At Ariadne Labs, Kelly will collaborate with leading researchers and practitioners to advance initiatives aimed at improving health outcomes on a global scale. This role further extends her impact in the intersection of design, engineering, and healthcare.

Faculty Affiliations

• Associate Professor of Industrial Design, Director of Graduate Programs in Industrial Design
• Adjunct Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University
• Associate Faculty at Ariadne Labs, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Google Scholar

Google Scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=af0BkyQAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao