M.S., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Davis B.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Davis, 2015
Erik is an interdisciplinary designer and maker with a background
in mechanical engineering and rapid prototyping. His research
interest involves prolonging the lifespan of consumer electronics
and IoT products. This includes: 1) promoting the Right to
Repair, 2) repurposing electronic waste, and 3) designing
user-interfaces that are intuitive and facilitate repair,
modification, and disassembly of the products.
B.A., Fine Art, School of the Art Institute, Chicago
Elyse is an interdisciplinary designer whose work reimagines the
land use of decommissioned golf courses in the Western United
States. Joining experiences in sustainable fabrication,
environmental and social justice and ecology, Elyse creates a
speculative tool kit for converting the former courses into
public spaces. Through this work she inserts methods for
restorative landscapes, reintroduction of native plants and
wildlife habitats and facilitating community stewardship to
improve recreational access to underserved populations.
B.A., Illustration, California College of the Arts
Kaylani J. McCard (also known as Kaylani Juanita) is a freelance
picture book illustrator and writer. She’s known for winning a
Coretta Scott King Honors for her Illustrations in
Magnificent Homespun Brown, as well as a Stonewall book
award for When Aidan Became a Brother. Some of her
clients include Chronicle Books, Tilbury House, Lee and Low, and
many more. Her focus is counter storytelling based on her
experience as a biracial Black woman. Kaylani strives to create
new ways for people to imagine themselves.
Jude Mooney is a photographer, curator and exhibition designer
with an interest in experiential and immersive design. Her MFA
thesis work focuses on museum wall colors and how color can
support the artwork and engage the viewer. Jude believes that
artists, museums and curators have the power to enlighten,
transport, educate, and unite communities.
B.F.A., Interior Design, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York
Nicolle is a native New Yorker with a background in architecture
and interior design. Her previous work includes the technical
design, material selection, and project management in a diverse
range of project types from healthcare facilities, educational
settings, corporate offices, and residential spaces. She aims to
provide design solutions that integrate the goals of the clients
and unconventional materials to produce imaginative and enriching
spaces for the occupants.
G.A.C., Industrial Ecology, University of California, Davis, 2020 A.S., Mechatronics, Sierra College, 2020 Certificate in Ecological Horticulture, University of California, Santa Cruz, 2012B.A., Architecture, University of Southern California, 2005
Dan’s interwoven art, design and research practices investigate
material ecologies + applications that bridge unbuilt & built
environments. Having worked in the adaptive reuse of plastics and
other energy intensive materials, Dan’s current research shifts
focus to biogenic cement composites which present new resilient
means of production and artmaking. Different biogenic and mineral
particulate matter are reclaimed from local construction and
agriculture waste streams.
Alireza is a designer, creative director, and educator. He is a
member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) and has
been a professor at the University of Texas at El Paso since
2020. He earned his MFA in Design from the University of
California, Davis and his BFA in Stage Design from the Tehran
University of Art. He has received some prestigious design awards
and his work has been featured in numerous exhibitions, books and
museums around the world such as the Center for Contemporary Art,
Goethe-Institute, London International Creative, Graphis Magazine
and etc.
