About
I am a design researcher and educator working in Portland, Oregon – perhaps you’ve heard of it?
I was born in Berkeley, California and grew up in the epicenter of the Gourmet Ghetto next to Walnut Square, where my parents owned a store. My childhood experiences with cultural entrepreneurs, the local food movement, and artisanal production shaped my understanding of how things can be produced and consumed.
I attended the University of Oregon as an undergraduate, first as a music performance major and later in the art program. I graduated with a degree in Fine Art and a minor in Art History in 2003. My main concentration while in school was in the areas of letterpress and bookarts.
My graduate studies were in interdisciplinary design at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco where I graduated with an MFA in Design in 2007. My thesis work focused on a research-based inquiry into gender roles in the automotive modification and racing community. I also completed a research project on Social Design, which at the time was largely undefined and uncharted.
Currently I work as a freelance design researcher and teach at the University of Oregon and Art Institute of Portland in the areas of Product Design, Human-Centered Design, and Design Research. I live across the street from Portland with my husband and two very furry Norwegian Forest cats. I’m also a mom to two small people who inspire me to do better things every day.
