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I have three areas of expertise in teaching, involving three types of design literacies. These are visual literacy in design (DEA 1101), material literacy in design (DEA 2422) and ecological literacy in design (DEA 4220).

My research interests are related to the idea of "Nature inside" both in a theoretical and a practical sense. In the theoretical domain, I am interested in the aspects of material culture of the built environment that express a society's

Leighton Beaman is a designer, writer and educator. His design work, research and writing focus on the history, discourse, and speculative future of spatial material culture and its implications for environmental responsibility, and socially conscious design practices.

Leighton is an Associate Professor of Practice at Cornell University, focusing on spatial material culture, advanced technologies for design and fabrication, as well as environmental and social responsibility in design. Prior to his appointment at Cornell, he taught

I am an architectural designer and researcher whose primary interest is research-driven design approaches to fitting objects, spaces, and experiences to human needs, capabilities, and behaviors.

Before coming to Ithaca, I was a faculty member at the University of Houston, and an Architectural Designer III at Perkins + Will. Prior to joining Perkins + Will, I was a faculty member at the University of Idaho and practiced as an architectural designer at SmithGroup, an American

Dr. Renata M. Leitão is an assistant professor in the Department of Human Centered Design at Cornell University. She is a graphic designer and social design researcher with extensive experience in intercultural and participatory projects with Indigenous and local communities. 

At the helm of the Pluriversal Futures Design Lab (PluriFutures), Dr. Leitão focuses on ontological and communication design. The lab's mission is to foster societal transformation towards new, flourishing futures. PluriFutures tackles the pressing environmental

Sang Leigh is an Assistant Professor at Cornell University. Previous to joining Cornell, he was a Senior Principal Creative Technologist at Samsung Design Innovation Center and an assistant professor at Georgia Tech. He received his PhD from MIT Media Lab in 2018, before which, he was a software engineer at Samsung Electronics where he led the software development of eyeCan, an open-source DIY eye-mouse designed for people with motor disability.

The impact of his research

Larissa Shepherd, PhD., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Fiber Science & Apparel Design.

Dr. Shepherd earned her B.S. in Materials Science & Engineering at Alfred University. While earning her M.S. and  Ph.D. from Cornell University, she breifly worked in industry as a Market Development Intern for  Invista™, in addition to taking part in a Liquid Crystalline and Responsive Fibers International Research Experience for Students in Germany.