Towson University, B.F.A. Digital Art and Design, 2017
Alexa Ann Bonomo studied Digital Arts and Film at Towson
University and moved to the Bay Area in 2017. While
continuing her practice at Kala Art Institute, she joined a
cohort of artists at Gray Area Foundation for the Arts to work in
the medium of code and algorithmic design and had shown at
various places in the Bay Area including Kala Art Institute, The
Grand Theater, and the Exploratorium. Currently, she is working
towards an MFA in Design, at the University of California, Davis
to research data visualization and the use of data in the rise of
empathetic media.
Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, BA Digital Media Arts 2018
First Wenjie prefers being called Austin:) He studied
at Nanjing University of Post and
Telecommunication, majoring digital media, from 2014 to
2018. His current research areas are UI/UX and front-end
development, especially Web design and App Design. Austin
enjoys life and believes that design comes from life and serves
life, so he hopes to draw inspiration from life. He also
wants to try different forms of interaction design and
collaborate with different people in UC Davis.
California State University, Long Beach, BFA Interior Design, 2015
Tracy is a designer who is interested in re-imagining
exhibitions to encourage a greater connection with nature. She is
focusing on addressing environmental and ecological issues
through education to implement necessary changes and increase
interest. By exploring the possibilities of exhibitions, she
hopes to lessen the gap between urban living and the natural
world to encourage more sustainable living practices, greater
care and sense of urgency for pressing environmental
concerns.
Tara Halsted is interested in swimwear and clothing designed for
swimmers’ bodies. Tara has been swimming since the age of five,
and loves to incorporate her passion for the sport into her
artistic and academic work. As an undergraduate, she majored in
Art Practice at Stanford University, and now she hopes to use
skills developed through her art practice in her designs. Tara
enjoys many methods of creating, including drawing, painting,
photography, ceramics, crocheting, sewing, and cooking.
UC Davis, M.S. Community Development, expected 2021B.A. Design, University of California, Davis, 2015A.A. Art Studio, Shasta College, 2013
Tracy is a cross-disciplinary, genre-fluid, mixed-methods
designer and researcher. She has worked in acrylics, charcoal,
print, sculpture, video, short stories, folk songs, radio shows,
recording studios, yoga studios, and bar bands. Her health
communication work with the UC
Davis Center for Design in the Public Interest (DiPi) has
received international recognition, and she continues to work on
health-related community projects in rural far Northern
California.
Syracuse University, BA Religious Studies, 2004College of the Redwoods Fine Furniture Program (The Krenov School) 2011
The last 8 years I have been designing and making
furniture. I studied at the renowned Krenov School
(formerly, the College of the Redwoods Fine Furniture program)
for two years and moved to Santa Cruz to start working
professionally and independently. It was great fun and I
was able to explore my creativity and make a lot of fantastic
pieces. That said, I felt like my impact was negligible on
communities greater than the few consumers of my goods.
Inspired to make a bigger impact with my skills and passions, I
have come to UC Davis looking to expand on my background
“I became specifically interested in the field of Jewelry Design
after studying Industrial Design, and I have explored different
approaches in Ideation and design for mass production. I am also
designing and making jewelry as an independent designer. In my
jewelry collections I have been inspired by history, culture, and
art of my ancient country Iran. These days, I hope to use my
skills to design attractive and practical products based on the
contemporary human’s need, and to leave a more impactful
footprint on the Design world.”
San Francisco State University, BS Apparel Design and Merchandising, 2018
Aurie is dedicated to sustainable fashion design, both in study
and in practice. She is concerned about the environmental
impacts, socioeconomic exploitation and structural corruption
caused by fast-fashion production. She started sewing in
kindergarten and has been inspired by historical costume and
cultural influences from around the world all her life.
Designing is a way of changing the world to be a better place
for human beings. A better world might have a different
definition for different walks of lives: maybe a beautiful modern
bridge or a UI for a pioneer application, each can make one’s
world a better place to live in.
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