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From Midwifery to Systems Thinking: Designing Change in Maternal Health

2026 Designlife Magazine

Lindsay Dotson cuts wood from a felled tree at the College of Design for her studio project.

Jul 21, 2026

Designing with Sustainability: Old Tree Gets New Life in Urban Wood Course

When a dying oak tree in the Brooks Hall courtyard had to be taken down, Audrey Barnes ’03 decided to give it new life. In spring 2026, the tree was ready to begin its next chapter.

Mac Dameron used her funding to purchase an iPad, an essential tool for bringing her animations to life.

Jul 14, 2026

Investing in Future Designers

Through essential funding and a community of mentors and peers, the Design Pathways Program supports design students in need of financial aid, empowering them to achieve their academic goals.
Calkins in front of the COP30 sign in Brazil.

Jun 30, 2026

From Campus to COP30: How Landscape Architects are Leading Climate Action

Heat islands, urban deserts, dwindling biodiversity. Increased extreme weather events. As the world continues to experience the rapidly increasing effects of climate change, landscape architects like Meg Calkins, FASLA, FCELA are emerging as shaping solutions to the challenges affecting our physical environments today. 
Byungsoo Kim, student Sam Lesser, Brian Leonard, Katie Gray Jackson, student Danielle Varner and David Oh.

Jun 23, 2026

Designing Together: Inside the First GXD+ID Joint Studio with Lenovo

In a new sponsored studio from Lenovo, students from industrial design and graphic & experience design came together to work as unified, holistic design teams. The studio asks a fundamental question: what happens when hardware and software designers learn to think and build together from the start?
Senior Simran Patel created a model to reimagine the exterior of the Design Library with stairs into the courtyard below.

Jun 16, 2026

A Cross-College Collaboration to Re-envision how the Design Library will Serve the Future

The Design Library in Brooks Hall is due for an update. For design students, a renovation project on their own campus is a rare chance to apply what they're learning to a real-world scenario. The ReDesign Library Project is exactly that — an opportunity for College of Design classes to explore creative possibilities and leave a lasting legacy.
Meghan Bausone headshot

Jun 9, 2026

From Midwifery to Systems Thinking: Designing Change in Maternal Health

Meghan Bausone thought she wanted to be a midwife. Now, she’s exploring complex problems in maternal health as part of her Doctor of Design dissertation, using systems thinking to find answers to wicked problems.