Navigating academia as early-career faculty often feels like “making it up” as you go. Creative research does not always fit within the framework of traditional academic structures, which makes navigating the tenure and promotion process challenging. This panel explores how faculty can sustain supportive research spaces outside their institutional walls.

Three years into a ten-year collaboration between Penn State Graphic Design and the University Libraries to design engagement experiences for library patrons, faculty and students consider the limitations of human centered research in building empathic partnerships and ongoing attunement.

This panel proposal explores current undergraduate graphic design education, analyzing student survey data to identify curriculum gaps in history, theory, research, and methodology. Discussion topics include self-motivation, learning progression, and industry alignment with the academic disciplines. Panelists will discuss strategies to balance academic depth, creative freedom, and technological advancements in shaping future design education.