Faculty

Each year around 600 full- and part-time faculty members help students grow as thinkers and makers. These artists, designers, architects, scholars and educators advance RISD’s culture of creative discovery, while thoughtfully teaching and guiding students. Beyond the classroom they are leaders in their fields, pursuing an array of projects and producing innovative work.

Department directories

Apparel Design

Architecture

Art and Computation

Ceramics

Digital + Media

Experimental and Foundation Studies

Film / Animation / Video

Furniture Design

Glass

Graphic Design

History, Philosophy and the Social Sciences

Illustration

Industrial Design

Interior Architecture

Jewelry + Metalsmithing

Landscape Architecture

Literary Arts and Studies

Painting

Photography

Printmaking

Sculpture

Sound

Teaching + Learning in Art + Design

Textiles

Theory and History of Art and Design

Faculty news

students hurrying to class through Market Square

RISD Welcomes New Full-Time Faculty Members as Academic Year 2025–26 Gets Underway

Eleven arts educators and a full-time librarian join the community, bringing a wealth of new knowledge and perspectives to RISD students.

Provost Touba Ghadessi speaks at Convocation 2025

RISD’s 2025–26 Academic Year Begins with Hope and Inspiration

President Crystal Williams and Provost Touba Ghadessi welcome new and returning students and lead an emotional Convocation ceremony in the RISD Auditorium.

Lye and Andreozzi pose with co-designed space suit

RISD NASA Courses Offer Unique Avenue into Design for Space Travel

Faculty members Catherine Andreozzi and Michael Lye teach courses focused on apparel design and habitats for astronauts and have created an informal pipeline for alums interested in working for the space agency.

Somerson Sustainability Innovation Fund Supports 10 New RISD Research Projects

Faculty- and alum-led initiatives focus on everything from new materials to sustainable fishing practices to strategies for mitigating urban heat island effect.

Teaching and Learning Lab

As part of the Center for Social Equity and Inclusion, the Teaching and Learning Lab supports faculty in building innovative and inclusive teaching practices. Workshops and other professional development programs let faculty share knowledge and discuss emerging ideas about art and design education. The lab and its resources help foster a culture of teachers who are equipped to support RISD students.

Among many ways it supports faculty, the lab offers guidance in course design, inclusive studio critiques and understanding learning styles. Faculty also take advantage of resources for enhancing scholarship and research.