Book Deal w/Penguin Random House
My Flavor Fluency work will become a book with Penguin Random House
Project focus: Advancing our understanding of what flavor fluency is, and how data-driven visual, interactive, and technical tools can make it more accessible to everyone to learn, and why this is important for achieving a more sustainable food system
Roles:
Author
FLAVOR FLUENCY is becoming a book with Penguin Random House's Plume Books. From tasting competitions to collaborations with farmers, food scientists, chefs, and technologists, I've studied how experts learn to read flavor like musicians read music—a skill that deepens and integrates their understanding of food, land, climate, and culture. This book explores how and why we might make this remarkable ability easier for everyone to learn.
IEEE Paper Hosted by NASA SVS
Cultivating Climate Action Through Multi-Institutional Collaboration: Innovative Data Visualization Educational Programs and Exhibits for Public EngagementAuthors: Beth Altringer Eagle and Elisabeth Sylvan
Abstract— This paper details the development and implementation of a collaborative exhibit at Boston’s Museum of Science showcasing interactive data visualizations designed to educate the public on global sustainability and urban environmental concerns. Supported by cross-institutional collaboration, the exhibit provided a rich real-world learning opportunity for students, resulting in a set of public-facing educational resources that informed visitors of global sustainability concerns through the lens of a local municipality. The realization of this project was made possible only by a close collaboration between a municipality, science museum and academic partners, all who committed their expertise and resources at both leadership and implementation team levels.This initiative highlights the value of cross-institutional collaboration to ignite the transformative potential of interactive visualizations in driving public engagement of local and global sustainability issues. Focusing on promoting sustainability and enhancing community well-being, this initiative highlights the potential of cross-institutional collaboration and locally-relevant interactive data visualizations to educate, inspire action, and foster community engagement in addressing climate change and urban sustainability.
Index Terms - Data visualization, interactive design, climate, sustainability, education, city government, museums, open data
Project focus: Multi-institutional collaboration enabling public understanding through user-centered data visualization of local data
Roles: Program co-lead, instructor, paper co-author
Key Links:
NASA Scientific Visualization Studio hosting our work
Direct link to paper published by IEEE.
2024
Founding Director joint MA Design Engineering Brown and RISD
Growing collaborations and a research and teaching agenda for the field of Design Engineering.
Project focus: Growing the area of Design Engineering and creating a masters degree in Design Engineering delivered jointly by Brown University and RISD Roles:
Founding Executive Director, MADE
Full Professor of Practice, Design Engineering, School of Engineering, Brown University
Faculty Associate, RISD
Faculty Associate, Harvard University Berkman Klein Center
Press from RISD (2025): Brown/RISD Master of Arts in Design Engineering Bridges Disciplines
Press from RISD Grad Show (2024): Grad Show 2024 Presents Thesis Work by RISD’s Global Community of Artists and Designers
Press from Brown (2024): Boston’s Data Landscapes: Visualizing the Urban Experience debuted at the Museum of Science
Responsibilities: Managing all aspects of the graduate-level Design Engineering program, working closely with the Dean of Engineering at Brown University, Dean of Architecture and Design at RISD, and both Provost offices as needed. Accomplishments: In 3 years: comprehensive design engineering curriculum design, quadrupled size of admissions funnel, exceeded admissions metrics of all comparison programs, built excellent faculty and technical support team, stronger than average yield year over year, known for excellence as a bridge-builder across Brown and RISD and for my genuine respect and advocacy of all design and engineering disciplines.
Our team is continually inspired by how our MA Design Engineering (MADE) program students transform during the program into true bridge-builders between design and engineering. In our latest cohort's featured projects, you'll see something remarkable: designers who can confidently tackle technical challenges and engineers who thoughtfully craft user experiences. What makes us particularly proud isn't just the innovative projects they showcase - like an AI-integrated cooking assistant or a breakthrough medical device for endometriosis detection - but the deep appreciation our students develop for both disciplines during their time together. This profound respect for their counterparts' expertise and the ability to collaborate seamlessly across the design-engineering divide, combined with hands-on technical and creative skills, is at the heart of MADE. Our students and faculty don't just speak both languages - they champion both perspectives.
Key Links:
Master of Arts in Design Engineering (MADE)
Brown University
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)
Berkman Klein Center at Harvard
2021-present
Product and Service Design Research Blog and Educational Hub
Project focus: Creating a hub of information and unbiased blog about product design desirability, defined as the human experience of products and services
Roles: Founder
Links:
Desirability Lab
2012-present
