Stephen Stanley (M.F.A., film and television, 2007) is a prolific producer, writer, filmmaker, and since 2018, professor of film and television at SCAD. In April of this year, he racked up a #1 hit on Netflix as producer of What Lies Below, a feature film directed by Braden Duemmler that was test-screened for SCAD students before its general release. Professor Stanley is highly esteemed at SCAD for his popular classes covering production, direction, and the business of film.

Steve Stanley:

A key to visibility is having agency in how your community is depicted in media. Growing up in the 1980s, it was virtually impossible for me as a young gay boy to see other Queer people on TV or in movies, primarily due to FCC regulations and studio prejudices. The few LGBTQ+ characters who did show up were typically either troubled souls or outlandish stereotypes, most often created by straight writers and directors.

With some notable early—and mostly coded—exceptions, it wasn't until the emergence of New Queer Cinema in the early '90s that Queer directors and producers were able to shape their own image on screen. The result was revolutionary. Audiences were able to see fully formed LGBTQ+ characters who reflected the diversity of our community. While visibility exposes us in a way that can feel uneasy, it also helps connect, unite, and protect us.


This Pride month, I want to recommend five films from that period made by LGBTQ+ filmmakers of enduring power.

1. Mala Noche, Gus Van Sant (1986): While 1991's My Own Private Idaho is justifiably Van Sant's most lauded work from this period, Mala Noche offers a look at the auteur as he developed his signature style. Set, like Idaho, in a world of street hustlers, Van Sant delivers a raw look at urban Queer life and the uneasy coexistence of gay people alongside vulnerable populations.

2. Poison, Todd Haynes (1991): Anticipating the breakthrough of his tour-de-force Safe, Poison captures Todd Haynes at his best:  thoughtful, audacious, and visually stunning. Haynes explores power, male sexuality, and the sensationalizing of the AIDS crisis in this richly provocative triptych.

3. I Am My Own Woman, Rosa Von Praunheim (1992): A bold and experimental hybrid of narrative and documentary about trans woman Charlotte Von Mahlsdorf, who lived through Hitler's Third Reich and the Communist East German regime. Mahlsdorf plays herself and narrates this remarkable look at joy and bravery in the face of constant danger. 

4. Go Fish, Rose Troche (1994): A fun, funky look at the diversity of lesbian culture at a time when Queer female characters lacked agency in Hollywood (except as villains). Troche embraced her budget limitations with a raucous approach to experimentation that enchants, most notably in her deconstruction of classic Hollywood love scenes. 

5. The Watermelon Woman, Cheryl Dunye (1996): Dunye wrote, directed, edited, and stars in this landmark film about a young African-American lesbian who, after watching a film where a black actress in a Mammy role is credited as simply "The Watermelon Woman," decides to investigate her identity. Using comedy, drama, and behind-the-scenes intrigue, Dunye shatters traditional storytelling boundaries while examining issues of race, sexuality, and media.

Still (detail) from The Watermelon Woman, dir. Cheyl Dunye.

Read more of Stephen Stanley's writing on LGBTQ+ films in his contribution to professor Lubomir Kocka's book Left or Right? Directing Lateral Movement in Film (Vernon Press, 2021).

"I love to write about children in the eye of a hurricane who keep picking flowers," says Sierra Lawson (M.F.A., dramatic writing, 2021). "Later on, they think, How did I get through that?"

When Sierra speaks, her voice is recognizable from her scripts: witty, wily, unafraid of unvarnished truth. Her writing registers a musicality that swings from big smooch to gut punch, like the young woman in "Gin, Rocks" who tells her mother: "You could've checked in yesterday, or tomorrow. Or never quite frankly. Any of those options would have done me just fine."

"Sierra's world-building and characters produce some of the most layered and compelling work the dramatic writing department has seen," says SCAD professor Renee Bishop.  "She marries myth to action, driving her scripts to surprising and satisfying endings."

Told she's working in the potent tradition of playwrights like Edward Albee and Lorraine Hansberry, Philadelphia native Lawson demurs, choosing to celebrate TV shows she loved growing up like One Tree Hill. "I really want to write for television," Sierra says. "Still, my heart is open to anything, as long as I'm telling stories."

Sierra Lawson:

One theme I tackle in my writing is broken familial connections. That's what I know well. I spent many years wondering if I was going to be saved, but I had to be the savior. After my dad passed, I raised my little brother and sister. I couldn't hang with friends, I had to be home cleaning and cooking. I was 13, 14 years old. I had a lot of resentment towards my mother. Of course, I feel the need to write about it. People can relate to having someone who's a titan in your life who lets you down, as humans do.

"Gin, Rocks" is a spin-off of what I submitted when I applied to SCAD. I couldn't shake these two characters, so I wrote another telling of their fractured relationship. When an idea comes to me, it's rarely fleshed out or deep or profound; it's almost always one line of dialogue, and I will craft a whole story around that one line.

My final quarter, I took Writing the Television Comedy Pilot Script (FILM 434) with professor Chris Auer—love him, but he's tough. And I took Immersive Storytelling: Writing for Virtual Reality (DWRI 755) with Renee Bishop—adore her, such a ham. For my final thesis, I wrote an hour-long drama pilot about a reporter with a dark past who secures an interview with a world-famous recluse author who claims her success is due to an African river goddess no one has heard of.

Joseph Schwartzburt in SCAD career success encouraged me to follow people on LinkedIn who work at places that interest me, and share my pilot work. I sent thirty connection requests to individuals, with personal notes. One woman from Blumhouse Productions got back to me, and that led to my internship there during fall quarter 2020. I read scripts, wrote coverage, and gained insight into how a studio works. I was also one of 16 semi-finalists from over 2000 applicants for Circle of Confusion's Discovery Fellowship for my pilot "Sleeping Titans," about a single mother whose daughter becomes possessed by an ancestor.

As a Black woman, I can never forget our collective past. You can't negate the barriers we've overcome to get a fraction of what our counterparts have. If this wasn't supposed to be my path, I wouldn't be walking it. Genuine fulfillment comes from knowing what your gift to the world is, being able to do it, and impacting someone positively because of it. Which is what we're all here to do: make the world a little brighter for somebody else.

Visit Sierra Lawson!

Photos: Najja Lawson (B.F.A., graphic design)

As spring quarter crested towards commencement, Jillian Nadolski (B.F.A., preservation design, 2021) focused on completing two key projects.

Her collaborative vision "Suyay," a vaccine storage unit, was being readied for submission to the 2021 Biomimicry Global Design Challenge. Meanwhile "Homeward Bound," her plan for transforming decommissioned South Shore Line train cars into Little Free Libraries, conceived and completed in Studio VII: Luxury Design in the Built Environment (PRES 410), was due for presentation at Popular Culture Virtual Conference 2021 mere days after graduation.

"Having prided myself on being a pragmatic person, I initially faced the luxury design assignment with a little bit of resistance, because I was unsure how luxury fit into what I deemed to be a world of functionality," says the summa cum laude alumna. Tasked with creating a meaningful experience for end users, "I discovered the pure simplicity that can lie within the notion of luxury. I learned that knowledge itself is a luxury."

Jillian Nadolski:

I'm from Saint Joseph, Michigan directly east across the lake of Chicago. I'm born and raised on Lake Michigan, and when I wanted to be culturally enriched, Chicago was the place to go. I remember one day in a snow storm my dad insisted we jump in the car and go to Museum of Science and Industry. I recognize how lucky I've been to have parents who've fostered my creativity and thirst for knowledge and who helped me get to SCAD.

"Suyay: For a Better Tomorrow" was a group project for the class Biomimicry: Collaborative, Nature-inspired Innovation (SUST 439), part of my design for sustainability minor. The word "suyay" means hope in Quechua, the native language of Peru, where my teammate Marialejandra is from. Naming our project "Suyay" represents our commitment to deliver Covid-19 vaccines to the most vulnerable and remote communities in Peru. Our goal is to bring attention to the vaccine disparity that affects developing countries all over the world.

We looked at strategies of different organisms in nature. We studied the goldenrod gall fly, which chews into the stem of a goldenrod and creates an insulating gall, which helps protect it from external conditions. We took inspiration from the fly and designed a vaccine storage box with a mechanism that acts as a plug for the vial. To emphasize sustainable innovation, "Suyay" has a secondary application whereby the twist mechanism can be replaced with a water tap, so the box becomes a potable storage unit. Professor Scott Boylston guided us with positivity and expertise.

Those of us in developed countries usually don't have to struggle to have access to basic resources like running water and medicine. Here I am 22 years old, fully vaccinated, whereas elderly people in vulnerable communities around the world don't have the advantage that I have. It's truly a privilege check. It's not only knowledge that's a luxury, it's general access. 

Jillian Nadolski, "Homeward Bound" floor plan, top view, 2021.

With "Homeward Bound: Little Free Libraries from Decommissioned Train Cars," I leaned into the idea of the luxury of being cared for with compassionate design. I sourced information from the Chicago Literacy Alliance, including the fact that 61% of low-income households do not own any children's books. I designed a Little Free Library with a café, a place where visitors become as enveloped in the stories they're reading as they are enveloped in the books around them, a place to encourage and facilitate literacy. Professor CT Nguyen, chair of preservation design, was an invaluable resource as I refined the design.

My projects were influenced by circumstances I could not have predicted. Members of my graduating class know that the reality of the past year made our SCAD experience unique. We really, truly made the best of it. As a pioneer for a sustainable future, I'm looking forward to designing a better world.

Congratulations, Jillian!

Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, her mother a graphic designer, Zachra Pradipta (B.F.A., user experience design) was determined to pursue a creative career from a young age. When she applied to SCAD, her parents encouraged her to travel across hemispheres and achieve her dreams in Georgia.

As a SCAD student, Pradipta won an Indigo Award in 2020 for Lupa, a device based on a magnifying glass that uses AR technology to provide unique learning opportunities for children at the Savannah History Museum.

Today, she is poised to turn her tassel on May 29, 2021 with her fellow SCAD Bees before beginning her career as a UX designer at Amazon.

“Zachra is a wonderful designer and leader,” says chair of user experience design BC Hwang. “As the president of FLUX, our UX design student club, she propelled our program forward and continued to further her own talents as a designer.”

Zachra Pradipta:

When I left home for SCAD, I thought I was going to study to become a painter and fine artist. That all changed with a conversation with Chris Feliciano (B.F.A., user experience design, 2020) my first week in Savannah.

We had just met and he told me how much he loved the program, the work he was doing, and the professors. At that time, I knew nothing about UX design, and his enthusiasm prompted me to look into UX and reconsider my career path.

UX design became more than my major. It became my family. Professor Yee Eun Yoon was always challenging me and helping refine my process and design techniques. I credit a large part of my success today to our text exchanges, often well after office hours.

With professor Yoon’s help I understood the power of user experience and began to fully explore my professional and personal interests. That led me to a SCADpro project with Lenovo where we designed a program to promote STEM education among elementary school students. The Lenovo team gave us significant creative freedom and they had faith in us as designers.

The project turned out to be a huge professional opportunity for me. I learned a lot in terms of being a designer, working for a large company, and making crucial decisions.

As a result of that SCADpro project, professor BC Hwang helped me obtain an internship with Amazon. That internship ultimately led to a job offer. Going to work for Amazon will be an opportunity to learn from some of the best designers in the world. I am excited about the limitless possibilities ahead of me.

My time at SCAD has been incredible. From my classmates to my professors, everyone has helped me focus my creative talents and given me a career path I am excited about, one that I never imagined growing up 10,577 miles from the beautiful squares of Savannah.

Congratulations Zachra and the SCAD Class of 2021!

SCAD congratulates the Class of 2021 with digital and in-person commencement events Friday, May 28 and Saturday, May 29. The university presents a digital commencement at 9 a.m. ET on May 28 for all graduates, providing students and audiences around the world with a front-row seat to the momentous occasion. Following the digital ceremony, the Presentation of Degrees ceremonies will take place as socially distanced, outdoor, in-person events in both Atlanta and Savannah, where faculty representatives will call the names of graduates as they walk across the stage.

"SCAD Bees fly confidently into the professional world equipped with highly specialized knowledge learned at SCAD," said SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace. "We honor our 2021 graduates with ceremonies in Atlanta and Savannah—joyous, SCADified celebrations of their elite SCAD degrees."

The high-energy digital commencement will include keynote speakers, outstanding graduates, and special remarks from President Wallace as she confers degrees. The event will be live-streamed via YouTube with the link to the live broadcast at scad.edu/commencement. The digital event will be emceed by actor, composer, and SCAD alumnus Christian Magby (B.F.A., performing arts, 2016).

Acclaimed writer, actor, director, and producer Dan Levy will deliver the commencement address to more than 3,300 graduates during the virtual ceremony. Levy is an Emmy Award and Golden Globe recipient for his work on one of the most beloved shows on television, Schitt's Creek, which he co-created with his father Eugene Levy.

During the digital commencement, President Wallace will present two honorary degrees to esteemed visionaries Darren Walker and Xerxes Irani. Walker is a renowned philanthropist and president of the Ford Foundation, a $14 billion international social justice philanthropy. Irani is a third-generation creative professional and currently the principal creative director leading the Amazon Design Community. Other programming will include an original poem by celebrated poet laureate of Oregon and SCAD alumnus Anis Mojgani (B.F.A., sequential art, 1999), a performance by the SCAD HoneyBees, and a compilation video of the university's 2021 Outstanding Graduates from both the SCAD Atlanta and Savannah locations. The outstanding graduates represent an array of the university's top-ranked degree programs including animation, graphic design, fashion, illustration, industrial design, and user experience (UX) design.

Following the digital Presidential Conferment of Degrees, students and their family members are invited to in-person ceremonies in both Atlanta and Savannah. In Atlanta, two in-person ceremonies will take place on May 28 at the Ameris Bank Amphitheatre; the first will be for 2021 graduates and the second ceremony will be for 2020 graduates. In Savannah, there will be four ceremonies on May 28 and May 29 at Memorial Stadium that will be designated by school.

After a virtual academic year, the combination digital and in-person events unite SCAD graduates around the globe with pomp and circumstance in celebration of their milestone achievement.

For more information, please visit SCAD Commencement 2021.

Ivana Mantovani (B.F.A., branded entertainment) is drinking it all in.

As a SCAD student she partnered with iconic global beverage brands on projects that helped shape her skills as a marketer, creator, and designer. When she graduates this spring, the daughter of Venezuelan immigrants will work with her parents to rebrand their restaurant business, Bocas Group, in Miami, Florida.

"Ivana is one of those students who lets nothing get by her," says associate chair of advertising and branded entertainment Judy Salzinger. "Her curiosity is her fuel. Her contribution to every collaborative project she works on is fearless, passionate, and always on-point."

Ivana Mantovani:

I love understanding people, why they make decisions, and why they choose to have specific brand loyalty. That knowledge helps me craft stories that will connect well beyond traditional advertising. As a storyteller, I connect brands with their audience. I don't sell products. I sell emotions, experiences, and memories.

While working last year on a SCADpro project with Coca-Cola and AMC Theatres to improve the in-theater experience, professor Judy Salzinger saw I enjoyed the art of researching and creating brand identity. Professor Salzinger encouraged me to challenge myself and find key details that further connect with the audience. She taught me that branded entertainment is more than marketing or advertising. Branded entertainment means telling stories that connect with people so deeply, they want to engage with your brand.

To millions of people, Coca-Cola isn't just a beverage company. Coca-Cola is synonymous with relaxing, friends, and fun. They have enormous brand loyalty, and every company in the world wants to emulate that success. Before I worked with Coca-Cola, I took Introduction to Branded Entertainment (BREN 200) with professor Salzinger thinking it would help me enter the world of TV production.

As part of that class, I was challenged to find a new message for Budweiser. I immersed myself in the history of the company, how they define themselves, and why they were looking to engage a new audience. I worked with graduate students including Caroline Semler (M.A., advertising) and Maggie Walker (M.A., advertising). They were incredible designers, and I got to be the storyteller. We discussed product positioning, market groups, and the story we wanted to tell in the moment. Our final product showcased Budweiser's power to bring people together and create community. That class allowed me to really grow as a marketer through creating emotional connections with my viewers.

After I graduate, I am going to take everything I learned at SCAD and help my family's restaurant group, the Bocas Group, continue to grow and connect with our patrons. Implementing the lessons I learned working with Coca-Cola, AMC, and Budweiser, will allow us to continue to grow and shape the culture and future of our business.

Connect with Ivana Mantovani.

Concrete and silver may not seem like a complementary combination. In the hands of Stina Siqiong Wen (M.F.A., jewelry), these materials are fused to create jewelry that is desirable, delicate, and strong. No element is dominant, no quality sacrificed in rings and earrings whose pops of color add attractive punctation.

A native of Guangzhou, China, and member of Ethical Metalsmiths' EM Students program, Stina is an exemplar among SCAD international students, having worked as a graduate mentor in both group and one-to-one settings, and as a project translator for this year's SCADpro initiative with Chanel.

Stina demonstrates a sensitivity to materials. Her creations, she says, "create a dynamic interaction between wearer and viewer." When the concrete in her jewelry becomes patinated by the natural oils of the skin, water and soap on a soft toothbrush are all that's required for maintenance.

Under the guidance of department chair Jay H. Song (M.F.A., jewelry, 2000), Stina's jewelry was featured to popular success at this year's Trunk Show, part of SCAD Fashion Week.

Stina Wen, earring, concrete and sterling silver, 2 x 2.50 x 1 in.

Stina Siqiong Wen:

My undergraduate coursework mainly focused on traditional jewelry and metalsmith techniques. As I advanced into the jewelry graduate program at SCAD, I began to explore alternative materials, including concrete. Concrete usually gives us a cold and stiff feeling. I make it colorful because I want to show how interesting the material can be. I experimented with several ways to add color to concrete, and found that colored powder and acrylic paint work best.

I love both traditional metals and innovative materials in jewelry, and the combination inspires me. I always want to challenge the material. When I challenged the reality of concrete, I decided to make it look as soft as fabric. I made some molds out of leather, which allowed me to create interesting shapes. Some people think it looks like a fist. I like that comment, and yes, jewelry can sometimes show our power.

SCAD Fashion Week is a big event for the SCAD jewelry community, which includes students, alumni, and faculty. People who visit are genuinely interested in art and fashion and willing to accept new things. Therefore, I decided to sell my contemporary concrete pieces instead of traditional commercial precious-material-only pieces. I hope people see how beautiful or interesting jewelry can be regardless of the value of the material.
 
As a graduate student at SCAD, I cultivate my willingness to show people outside of the jewelry department how amazing I am: I not only appreciate diamonds and gems, I am a creative and innovative future-forward artist who creates beautiful new work. While I promote myself regularly through posting on my social media and telling my friends, Trunk Show is an excellent opportunity to show our department and students' works. I am so glad we were able to have a virtual show this year, which proved to be an even better way to show our work to a larger audience.

Visit Stina Wen.

This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, May 14-16, SCAD Fashion hosts the annual SCAD Jewelry Trunk Show. The virtual marketplace allows collectors, aficionados, and friends of fashion to shop a stunning array of work representing diverse materials, processes, and aesthetics. Department chair Jay H. Song (M.F.A., jewelry, 2000), emphasizes makers who utilize a combination of traditional techniques with up-to-date technology, including Rhino 3D CAD software, ZBrush digital sculpture tools, and laser-welding and laser-cutting.

"SCAD jewelry students and alumni embrace unique circumstances to find innovative solutions," Song says.

Alumna Cinthya Cuba de Zabal (M.A., jewelry, 2008) is one of the 28 total students, faculty, and alumni whose work will be featured in this year's show. The Mexican-born artist and designer behind Nina Zabal LLC, Cinthya is known for the clean lines and modern shapes of her exuberantly colorful and fun jewelry made from polymer clay. While a SCAD graduate student, she was awarded First Place in Art Jewelry and Best in Show at the Southern Jewelry Travelers Association annual student design competition in Atlanta.

Nina Zabal jewelry is sold in venues including the Virginia Museum of Fine Art, Quirk Gallery, Richmond, and now at SCAD Jewelry Trunk Show 2021.



Cinthya Cuba de Zabal:

My fine art and graphic design background informs much of my work. Jewelry is a three-dimensional expression of my personal aesthetic and my love for color, shape, and pattern. My inspiration draws from art, illustration, fashion, and interior design. Every one-of-kind Nina Zabal piece is crafted in Richmond, Virginia.

Polymer clay is an amazing versatile alternative material that has been around for decades and made a more contemporary comeback in the past five-to-seven years. It cures at a very low temperature (275°F) and is produced in qualities from hobby grade to professional. My work is almost completely polymer clay, with a few metal components such as titanium or gold-filled or plated elements. 

I work in collections or series that have different vibes and styles. The patterns I create are all clay, not painted, although I see the process very much like painting with clay. 

Cynthia Cuba de Zabal, earrings, polymer clay and titanium ear posts, 1.75 x 1.25 in.

Polymer clay is a very affordable alternative material. Part of my commitment to it is to heighten its creative value regardless of its relative affordability. It is different than working with gold or silver, materials that in their raw state are valued at thousands of dollars per ounce before a jewelry artist even touches them. Polymer clay jewelry is mostly about what you can make with it and how well you can master those materials. 

There are only a few other serious polymer clay artists in the U.S., like Ford/Forlano, and Kathleen Dustin, who work tirelessly to raise the profile of polymer clay. I do my best every day to master this incredible material and to execute pieces that are flawless and exciting to wear. With my current work I've created pieces that were technically more challenging, and also exciting for people who truly love and appreciate fashion and design. 

I'm always happy to participate in the events that are part of SCAD Fashion, both when I was a masters student and now that I'm a designer and maker on my own. The SCAD community has always embraced my work, and it is a pleasure to participate in Jewelry Trunk Show 2021.

www.ninazabal.com

SCAD is proud to announce Haleemah Sadiah (M.F.A., design for sustainability, 2021) as the inaugural Catapult Fellow, sponsored by Catapult Design. This prestigious field fellowship is awarded to a recent alumnus of the university's design for sustainability graduate program.

"I am thrilled to be the first fellow, and grateful for this opportunity," said Haleemah Sadiah. "To have the chance to work with Catapult Design is a dream come true, and I look forward to using my creative skills and the knowledge I learned at SCAD to make a real-world impact while working on projects during my tenure with Catapult."

From Bangalore, India, Haleemah recently completed her master's thesis working with Jaipur Rugs on increasing the agency of women carpet weavers in the village of Aspura. During her Catapult fellowship, Sadiah will work directly with the Catapult team of designers, engineers, and business specialists to create design solutions to complex social challenges. She will be involved with an array of domestic and international projects, and explore opportunities to create momentum for social innovation projects within the Savannah community.c

"We are delighted to have Haleemah join us so that she may continue to hone her design for sustainability skills through this Catapult fellowship," said Angela Hariche, CEO, Catapult Design.

Founded in 2008, Catapult Design addresses challenges facing humanity, such as food security, water and sanitation access, quality healthcare, mobility, and climate change. Catapult Design's portfolio spans over 70 design engagements with 51 clients in 14 countries. Notable partners include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, World Bank, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Asian Development Bank, Peace Corps, National Endowment of the Arts, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and Mastercard Centre for Inclusive Growth.

"Catapult Design has long been a leader in generating social impact for underrepresented communities," said SCAD professor Scott Boylston, graduate coordinator,  design for sustainability. "This fellowship represents an amazing opportunity for our alumni to work in the field to take their first bold steps into their new careers."

The Catapult fellowship was awarded in part on the basis of Haleemah's master's thesis. "Jaipur Rugs work with about 40,000 artisans and make beautiful hand-knotted carpets, their artisans often design their own rugs, which is relatively rare to see in the craft world," Haleemah explained. "That helps to bridge the gap between artisan and organization, but there are still many challenges, like the fact that artisans and management often speak different languages, and the artisans are not educated in design management. My project was focused on building cultural competence between the artisans and the organization that they work with." Haleemah's writing advances these ideas in her essay entitled "The Link Between Organizational Learning and Cultural Competence."

SCAD's design for sustainability program is focused on preparing students to pioneer organizational change, technological and material innovation, and citizen advocacy. Learn more about the program here.

 Congratulations, Haleemah!

"We need to change the way we design," says Paula Chamorro (M.A., design for sustainability, 2018; M.F.A., design management, 2018). "We need to help people live happier lives, and that means taking care of our planet and reconnecting with nature."

The daughter of a social worker and a progressive politician, Paula grew up in Bogota, Colombia. "Watching my parents, I knew I could influence people's lives. I decided to do that through my ability to design better systems." Today, Paula is a design researcher at Start Something Bold, where she combines her talents as a systems thinker with her passion for developing a better world.

Paula Chamorro:

As a young designer, you're designing for yourself. You don't understand that your taste isn't universal. While I was studying towards my undergraduate degree in industrial design at la Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano, I realized I needed to challenge myself in order to break my own biases and grow as a creator. Before graduating, I accepted an internship in Jaipur, Rajasthan in India.

In Jaipur, I was hired to design jewelry. The only issues were, one, I had never designed jewelry before. Two, I didn't know anything about India. And three, I had to speak English all the time and I wasn't as proficient as I am today.

I fully jumped into the culture and researched the people, their customs, and the meanings behind their celebrations. I loved that experience, and when I came back home to Bogotá I was determined to advance my skills as a designer. I came to SCAD to earn my M.F.A. in the unparalleled design management program.

At first, I was not planning on earning two masters degrees. That changed when I began working with professor Scott Boylston. Professor Boylston is so passionate about preparing and elevating the next generation of sustainable designers that I made the decision to pursue a masters in design for sustainability as well.

I traveled back to my home country as part of my coursework to understand and learn sustainability best practices from the Misak people of Cauca, Colombia. When I got on the plane, I thought I knew everything there is to know about sustainable design. I even thought I would teach them a few things, but I quickly figured out I was wrong.

Indigenous people are masters of what we call zero waste efficiency and eco-friendly lifestyles. I was fascinated by their understanding of the world around them. I was able to understand their practice or stewarding resources and designing sustainable systems, and how I could translate that into the developed world.

In my current role as a design researcher and innovation strategist, I work with medical device manufacturers and health care experts to create more sustainable business practices. By implementing key learnings from my time outside of modern society, I help our partners develop strategies that will impact the patient-provider life-cycle. By taking a holistic approach to the design process, I help clients make incremental steps that will create lasting impacts for the health of their business and the planet.

As designers, we intend to create critical value. Good designs need to benefit the user and the business. Today, we know more, and we have to include a benefit to the earth. This is our only home. We must design a better future for it.

Visit Paula Chamorro.