Rhode Island School of Design + Brown University Joint MA Program

Grew collaborations and a research and teaching agenda for the field of Design Engineering. Built the area of Design Engineering and created a masters degree in Design Engineering delivered jointly by RISD and Brown University.

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 RISD and Brown and for genuine respect and advocacy of all design and engineering disciplines.

Our team was continually inspired by how our MA Design Engineering (MADE) program students transformed during the program into true bridge-builders between design and engineering. In our cohorts’ featured projects, you could see something remarkable: designers who could confidently tackle technical challenges and engineers who thoughtfully crafted user experiences. What made us particularly proud wasn’t just the innovative projects they showcased — like an AI-integrated cooking assistant or a breakthrough medical device for endometriosis detection — but the deep appreciation our students developed for both disciplines during their time together.

“Our students and faculty didn’t just speak both languages — they championed both perspectives.”