HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Head of Crop Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
Job Titles:
- Academic Programs Developer
- Programs Developer
Amber Dewey Schultz is the Academic Programs Developer for the Siebel Center for Design and a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Theatre. The primary responsibilities of her SCD role include strategic program planning, innovation in program development, academic program operations, faculty development and support for SCD courses, multidisciplinary course and certificate development, and student support for SCD courses and certificates.
In her faculty role, Amber's research and teaching interests include experience design, immersive and playable theatre, escape room design, and transmedia play. She utilizes human-centered design to integrate immersive theatre with escape rooms to develop playful theatre experiences including I Wish: A Theatrical Escape Room (Illinois Theatre), The Heist: A Theatrical Escape Room (Illinois Theatre), Thank you, Five! (stage management-themed board game), and Murder on Klein Island (Zoom-based role-playing whodunit).
Previously, Amber has served in production management, stage management, and company management roles within performing arts companies across the country, including the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, San Francisco Opera, The Dallas Opera, Chicago Opera Theatre, and Opera Carolina.
She holds a BFA in Design and Production from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and is currently pursuing an MFA in Experience Design at Miami University.
Job Titles:
- Fellow
- Founder of CPoRt
- SCD Fellow, Labs & Equipment
As a Siebel Fellow and a Master of Science student in Health Technology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Ben is passionate about creating innovative solutions that improve health outcomes and accessibility for diverse populations. With a background in behavioral neuroscience, he possesses a unique perspective on how humans interact with technology and how to design for their needs and preferences.
Furthermore, Ben is the founder of CPoRt, a low-cost CPR assistive device that provides real-time feedback and immersive training scenarios, empowering people to perform CPR with confidence and competence. In addition to this, he has worked as a graduate research assistant at the Health Care Engineering Systems Center, where he led the implementation of a mixed-reality training simulator for medical device procedures, utilizing the Microsoft Hololens 2. Ben has acquired skills in user research, communication, research coordination, 3D printing, and programming in Python, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Job Titles:
- Interim AD for Academic Affairs, Prof Health Innovation, Carle Illinois College of Medicine
Job Titles:
- Fellow
- SCD Fellow, K - 12 Programs
Brian Guerrero received his PHD in Curriculum and Instruction at UIUC exploring the connections between games and learning. His previous research explored such topics as, using Minecraft to explore creativity/interest, developing programming skills within Minecraft, and exploring collaborative problem solving within online Massively Multiplayer Role Playing Games groups. He is currently the K-12 lead, focusing on initiatives to integrate Human Centered Design principles at Illinois schools and educational organizations.
Job Titles:
- SCD Fellow, Curriculum & Instruction
Job Titles:
- Programming & Experience Manager
- Programs & Experience Manager
Working in sync with the SCD Team and external collaborators, Emily is the catalyst for transforming ideas into captivating events. Whether it's nailing down the logistics or keeping a keen eye on progress, Emily is the driving force that ensures everything falls into place effortlessly. Beyond orchestrating behind the scenes, Emily is also the friendly face at the helm, overseeing the Concierge student staff, and ensuring the success of every SCD event.
When not at SCD, Emily loves to hang out in her Champaign home with her partner Zach, dogs Weasel & Sadie, and cat Crue. She enjoys cooking, dancing, seeing live music and playing video games.
Job Titles:
- Programming Support Specialist
Hello! I'm Holly Lovett, and I have a passion for education, technology, and making a positive impact on the lives of students. I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Family Consumer Science with a concentration in Apparel Merchandising from Illinois State University. During my time at ISU, I developed a strong foundation in the field of apparel merchandising and design, honing my skills in understanding consumer behavior, market trends, and effective merchandising strategies.
Job Titles:
- Student - Centered App Design
Job Titles:
- Office Support Specialist for the Siebel Center for Design
Kieryn Alexander serves as the Office Support Specialist for the Siebel Center for Design, assisting the center with guest services, managing the Director's calendar, and office administration. She received her degree in visual communications from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM.) Before beginning her stint at the University of Illinois in 2021, she held various positions in fashion, media, wellness, and retail. Her approach to her role uses her department's ethos to create a successful guest and team experience. Kieryn is excited about backing SCD's initiative of teaching Human-Centered Design, enhancing efficiency of the center, and driving culture.
Job Titles:
- History Professor, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of Design, School of Art & Design, Head of Industrial Design Program, College of Fine and Applied Arts
Job Titles:
- Fellow
- SCD Fellow, Design & Experience
Meet Mason Rousey, our Experience Design Fellow at the Siebel Center for Design. Mason started as an intern in 2021 and transitioned to the role of fellow after earning his BFA in Graphic Design in May 2023. He draws inspiration from the rich tapestry of the human experience, relishing moments where design intersects with community. His work is underscored by a deep appreciation for research and collaboration with stakeholders, shaping meaningful design interventions. Mason sees design as a catalyst for change, a means to leave a lasting impact through healing, play, and empathy.
In his capacity as an Experience Design Fellow, Mason tackles diverse design projects, infusing them with design thinking and human-centered principles. His responsibilities encompass research, strategy, concept development, and implementation. He plays a pivotal role in broadening SCD's engagement with the University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign community, managing project scopes, maintaining robust stakeholder communication, and representing SCD at various meetings and events. Beyond that, Mason actively contributes to SCD's initiatives, participating in committees, delivering presentations, and leading workshops, all while upholding strict project deadlines and nurturing relationships within the SCD community.
Outside of work, Mason immerses himself in the joy of exploration. He's an avid seeker of knowledge, whether it involves unraveling puzzles, delving into research rabbit holes, or strolling through neighborhoods.
Job Titles:
- Director of Initiative for Qualitative Research in Innovation and Entrepreneurship ( INQUIRE ), Gies College of Business
Job Titles:
- Assoc Professor, Curriculum & Instruction, College of Education
Job Titles:
- Fellow
- Research Fellow at Siebel Center for Design 's Academic Programs
- SCD Fellow, Design Content & Instruction
Miriam Salah is a Research Fellow at Siebel Center for Design's Academic Programs team. She holds an MFA in Graphic Design from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Driven by her experience as a graphic designer and a chef, her research interests lie at the intersection of Design and Food. Bringing this unique interdisciplinary perspective to her work, she helped propose and co-teach a Design Thinking for Food Service course in collaboration with Hospitality Management. At SCD, Miriam's responsibilities include developing tools and content on Human-Centered Design and Design Thinking for various workshops, seminars, and course collaborations.
Job Titles:
- Lab & Equipment Operations Manager
Neil has worked in fabrication, education, and team leadership for over 15 years which has provided the opportunity to work with amazing teams on amazing projects in theater, engineering, materials sciences, and entrepreneurship. Neil joined SCD in the Fall of 2021 to help open the new labs and studios, and oversees the labs, student teams, and building operations necessary to keep SCD running and provide our resources to campus.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate Director of Operations & Experience
- Siebel Center for Design As the Associate Director of Operations and Experience
Nicholas Puddicombe joined the Siebel Center for Design as the Associate Director of Operations and Experience in 2019, after spending nearly a decade working in operations and patron services at performing arts venues. Combining knowledge and experience in the arts with an education in business, Nick has created a career path in venue management and University administration that exemplifies how multidisciplinary collaboration can bring together different skill sets and shared knowledge to develop creative solutions to modern issues.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director of the Siebel Center for Design
Rachel Switzky is the inaugural director of the Siebel Center for Design at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Siebel Center for Design's mission is to practice, model and teach design thinking, using human centered design to reimagine the campus, community and collective world.
Prior to her current appointment, Rachel has been a global design leader working with Fortune 100 companies over the past 20 years. Most recently, she served as an Executive Director at IDEO, the company who pioneered the concept of design thinking. For the last decade in this role, she helped teams imagine futures and then put them into action, focusing on digital design, emergent technologies and impact at-scale.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of Assessment & Research
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of Assessment & Research
- Associate Director of Assessment and Research at the Siebel Center for Design
Saadeddine Shehab is currently the Associate Director of Assessment and Research at the Siebel Center for Design (SCD) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He works with a group of undergraduate and graduate SCD scholars at SCD's Assessment and Research team to conduct research that informs and evaluates the practice of teaching and learning human-centered design in formal and informal learning environments. His research focuses on studying students' collaborative problem-solving processes and the role of the teacher in facilitating these processes in STEM classrooms that feature the learning of STEM through design.
Job Titles:
- Learning Programs Coordinator at SCD
- SCD Fellow, Academic Programs
Sidney Sprunger (she/her) is the Learning Programs Coordinator at SCD on the Academic Programs team. She is a recent graduate of the MFA Stage Management program in the college of FAA, and her undergraduate degrees include two Bachelor of Arts in both Vocal Performance and Theatre. Sidney found SCD through a professor of her program and is elated to have the chance to join the team by providing logistics management and support. In her free time, she likes to play video games, takes part in the CU Women's boxing gym, embroider, hike, and more. She is a lover of all dogs and coffee.
Job Titles:
- Fellow
- Engineering Education
Taylor Parks earned her bachelor's in engineering mechanics and master's in curriculum & instruction from UIUC. Her research focuses on promoting teamwork in complex engineering problem solving through collaborative task design. She currently co-leads the integration of human-centered design principles within select courses across the Grainger College of Engineering as well as the development of strategic, design-based learning progressions for engineering programs.