Faculty Stories

An AI-generated image of jellyfish-like lights by Griffin Smith
RISD’s Center for Complexity Presents Exhibition Addressing the Threats of a Human-Centric World

The exhibition, Gateways into the Polycene, showcases art by RISD faculty and staff that imagines a more just and sustainable future.

The New York Times logo
How an Engraver Straddles the Centuries

Andrew Raftery’s ceramics and wallpaper energize the laborious art of engraving to explore contemporary life.

campus in fall
New Full-Time Faculty Members Broaden the Scope of a RISD Education

The community welcomes 14 experienced art and design educators, including a new librarian for the Fleet Library.

a colorful design incorporating the name of the initiative
RISD’s Center for Complexity Developing Design Manual for Maintaining Life on Earth

An ongoing initiative brings together experts and futurists from around the world to consider planetary policy decisions that increase the odds of our survival.

a neighborhood underwater
RISD’s Inaugural Somerson Sustainability Innovation Grants Support Groundbreaking Research

Six funded projects explore radical solutions to longstanding problems that impact the environment and marginalized communities. 

model of a shelter designed using nature-inspired design principles
RISD x Hyundai Motor Group Collaborative Continues to Produce Compelling Research

Students in two spring 2023 studios used scientific methodologies combined with design thinking to explore collaborative future living.

a student presents a rendering of her proposed design intervention to serve unhoused parents and children
RISD Students Use Principles of Trauma-Informed Design to Develop Child-Friendly Temporary Housing

Grad students in a spring Interior Architecture studio worked with real-world client FamilyAid.

graduating students hug outside of the First Baptist Church, 2023
Celebrating Community at RISD Commencement 2023

Students, families, friends, faculty and alumni joined together to welcome RISD’s newest alums into the fold.

first-year student Emily Kwak takes a swing at her pinata during spring 2023 crits
RISD’s Spring 2023 Semester Comes to a Close with Final Critiques

Students across campus present the fruits of their labor to peers, faculty members and visiting critics