We are designing a better, more equitable future for Wisconsin and the world. We want faculty who seek collaboration and a challenge. You in?
Designing the future: Innovation, sustainability, and AI in Design Studies
In the Department of Design Studies, we are dedicated to shaping the future of design education to tackle the urgent challenges of the 21st century. Our research, teaching, and creative practices focus on enhancing human health and well-being through design that influences human behavior, production systems, and environmental impact, while fostering creative expression essential for human flourishing. We prioritize sustainable design practices that promote responsible material use, equitable production systems, and the thoughtful integration of research and technology to create a healthier, more just future.
- In Textile & Fashion Design, we envision alternative models of production and consumption, using local materials and closed-loop systems to create durable goods that contribute to a socially innovative economy. Our focus on environmental impact and entrepreneurship drives positive change in an increasingly interconnected world.
- Through Design, Innovation, & Society, we address complex global challenges by reimagining how design can improve human life and contribute to equitable solutions that shape the future.
- In Interior Architecture, we design sustainable, inclusive environments that support human health across the lifespan, adapting to the evolving needs of diverse communities. We believe design is a powerful tool for addressing critical contemporary issues. Our commitment is to educate the next generation of designers to build a more sustainable, equitable, and innovative world.
Advancing design excellence with the RISE initiative
Through the Wisconsin Research, Innovation and Scholarly Excellence (RISE) Initiative, we aim to accelerate progress by making strategic faculty hires, enhancing research infrastructure, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across our three undergraduate majors, as well as with other campus units. These efforts will expand student opportunities, drive creative solutions, and promote sustainable, equitable approaches to global challenges, keeping Wisconsin at the forefront of design education.
Faculty position in AI-driven design
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We seek a scholar whose work explores the transformative potential of AI/ML in creating inclusive, adaptable, and sustainable apparel solutions that enhance quality of life and extend the health span. Areas of emphasis include:
- Health and well-being: Developing wearables for healthy aging, fitness, safety, and therapeutic applications.
- Adaptive design: Designing garments that respond dynamically to changes in body shape, mobility, and ergonomic needs.
- Sustainability: Leveraging AI/ML to analyze the impact of various raw materials (which helps reduce overall environmental impacts).
- Human-environment interaction: Advancing understanding of the interplay between clothing, the body, and the environment using AI-driven insights.
This position builds on the department’s strengths in assistive technologies, healthcare design, and digital-physical integration, fostering collaboration across UW–Madison’s robust AI ecosystem. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a commitment to ethical, human-centered design and a vision for integrating AI/ML or human health and social justice into design practice and education. Potential teaching areas include wearable technology, patternmaking, apparel design, design fundamentals, and design thinking and strategy.
Ignite change. Shape policy. Drive impact. Advance equity. Become faculty.
Our Design faculty
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Jennifer AngusProfessor of Design Studies | Kay Vaughan Faculty Fellow of Design + Innovation
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Sarah Anne CarterAssociate Professor of Design Studies | Executive Director of the Center for Design and Material Culture
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Marianne FairbanksAudrey Rothermel Bascom Professor | Associate Professor of Design Studies | Kohl’s Center Innovation Faculty Fellow
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Erin HamiltonAssistant Professor of Design Studies
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Mary HarkProfessor of Design Studies
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Esther KangAssistant Professor of Design Studies
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Anika KozlowskiAssistant Professor of Design Studies
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Marina MoskowitzLynn and Gary Mecklenburg Chair in Textiles, Material Culture & Design | Professor of Design Studies
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Kevin PontoAudrey Rothermel Bascom Professor | Professor of Design Studies
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Jung-hye ShinDepartment Chair and Professor of Design Studies | Faculty Director of the Design Thinking Program | Interior Architecture Program Coordinator
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Uchita VaidAssistant Professor of Design Studies
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Mengni ZhangAssistant Professor of Design Studies
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Yaoyi ZhouAssistant Professor of Design Studies
Civil Society & Community Studies
Human Development & Family Studies
The Wisconsin Research, Innovation and Scholarly Excellence (RISE) Initiative is a multifaceted effort focused on faculty hiring, research infrastructure, interdisciplinary collaboration and student opportunity.
