D.Des Alumni

Student practitioners who have successfully defended their dissertations and have graduated from our program.

Juhann Waller
Advisor(s): Kofi Boone
Title of Dissertation: Resilient Infrastructure: An Integrated Design Approach for the Equitable Distribution of Stormwater Capital Improvements Projects for Pluvial Flood Mitigation (Summer 2023)

Jonathan Williams
Advisor(s): Derek Ham
Title of Dissertation: Learning Design Through Designerly Knotting (Spring 2024)

AJ Polanco
Advisor(s): Tsailu Liu and M. Elen Deming
Title of Dissertation: Exploring the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Inclusion Gap in Middle School Assessment Design, and a Multi-Disciplinary Framework Proposal to Address It (Summer 2024)

Justin Johnson
Advisor(s): M. Elen Deming
Title of Dissertation: Exploring the Role of Interactivity and Gameplay in Virtual Nature for Mental Well-Being Through the Design of a VR Game. (Spring 2025)

Kevin FitzGerald
Advisor(s): M. Elen Deming
Title of Dissertation: Examining the Effects of Framing and Collective Action Agreements on the Design of the Digital Library of the Middle East (Fall 2025)

Meghan Bausone
Advisor(s): Sharon Joines
Title of Dissertation: Designing for Paradigm Shifts in Rural Maternal Health Systems: A Regional Study of Washington and Oregon (Spring 2026)

Will Lidwell
Advisor(s): M. Elen Deming
Title of Dissertation: Superuniversal Communication: A Theoretical Framework for Communicating Across Beings and Worlds (Spring 2026)

Lexi Namer
Advisor(s): Sharon Joines
Title of Dissertation: Developing a Harm-Aware Framework for Digital Healthcare Design (Spring 2026)

D.Des Candidates

Student practitioners who have successfully completed their preliminary exams, and are now working on completing their dissertations.

Lee Cherry
Advisor(s): Todd Berreth, Derek Ham
Title: Changing Physiognomy of the Smart City: Examining Digital Marginalia of Connected Communities using Civic Technology and AI Ethical Frameworks

Carla Delcambre
Advisor(s): Kofi Boone
Title: Demystifying the use of Virtual Reality (VR) in Landscape Architecture Education to Advance the Impact of Student Learning in a Studio Environment

Melissa Eggleston
Advisor(s): Traci Rider
Title: Design Preferences of Sexual Assault Survivors: A Mixed Methods Study of Trauma-Informed Design Patterns On Mental Health Support Websites

Shruthi Manjula Balakrishna
Advisor(s): Tania Allen
Title: Evaluating the Impact of Menu Formats on Safety Perceptions, Trust, and Dining Experiences in Upscale Restaurants Post-Pandemic: A Strategic Experiential Modules Framework-Based Comparative Analysis

Chris Mismash
Advisor(s): M. Elen Deming
Title: The Social Media Governance Crisis: Why Centralized Governance is Failing and What Commons Governance Can Teach Us

Joe Moore
Advisor(s): M. Elen Deming
Title: From Tobacco Road to Main Street: Understanding how Mechanisms of Trust Influence Main Street America’s Effect on the Community Capital of North Carolina’s Rural Downtowns

Mike Ortosky
Advisor(s): Kofi Boone
Title: Farmland Preservation in the Urban Fringe: Policy Implications in Orange County, North Carolina

Kaleena Sales
Advisor(s): M. Elen Deming
Title: Hair Braiding as Design Epistemology and Black Feminist Strategy: A Study in Situated Visual Inquiry

Anne Spafford
Advisor(s): Traci Rider
Title: Creating a Landscape Language for Health: The Intersection of Green Infrastructure & Human Resilience