We are educators and designers, collective and individual, common and uncommon, and average and extraordinary. We are the past and future, poised at the forefront of pedagogy, research, and practices to establish preconditions of equitable, just, and inclusive futures that support our sameness and differences. 

 

Get ready to immerse yourself in the world of design at the UCDA Design Education Summit: IMMERSE. You are invited to explore the limitless possibilities of immersive design. From participatory and co-design to digital media technology, gaming, and film production, this conference promises to be an exciting and enriching experience for all attendees. You'll have the opportunity to showcase your research and projects, as conference submissions could be broad, such as immersing the audience in the topic, culture, or environment, or specific to immersion itself. Come join us for a chance to network, learn, and exchange ideas with like-minded design professionals. We look forward to seeing you there!

This summit includes peer-reviewed presentations and posters, workshops and panels, and keynote presentations, and is open to UCDA members and non-members, design educators and practitioners, and students.

 

 

Photos from the 2023 UCDA Design Education Summit at Bowling Green State University.

EVENT REGISTRATION

REGULAR RATES (all prices in USD)	Regular	Early Bird (by April 1)	Trust Us* (by Dec. 31)
Non-member	$345	$295	$245
UCDA Professional or Faculty Member	$295	$245	$195
Full-Time Student	$245	$195	$145
TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD

NOT A MEMBER YET? JOIN NOW FOR DISCOUNTED REGISTRATION Membership Application

Registration is now open. Early Bird Registration Deadline: April 1, 2024.

REGISTER ONLINE HERE

A confirmation will be sent to you after registration is received and processed. Occasionally conferences fill before the registration cut-off date, so please register early.

Registration Cancellations
See UCDA Cancellation Policies

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EVENT LOCATION

Summit Location: Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus
The UCDA Design Education Summit will take place on the Polytechnic campus of Arizona State University in Mesa, Arizona.

The ASU Polytechnic campus is a nexus for studies in interdisciplinary sciences, engineering, management, technology and education. Industry partnerships are key to the campus’ distinctive course offerings, which provide opportunities for project-based learning within advanced laboratory spaces. Specialized equipment for hands-on exploration includes simulators for flight and centers for consumer behavior research, semiconductor fabrication, comprehensive commercial printing and design services, and on-demand digital manufacturing.

Address and Driving Directions

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TRANSPORTATION & LODGING

Mesa Gateway Airport: On campus regional airport www.gatewayairport.com
Sky Harbor International Airport (30 mins) www.skyharbor.com

HOTEL: Four Points Sheraton
Located On Campus  (0.4 mile ~9 minute walk) 
6850 E. Williams Field Road
Mesa, Arizona, USA, 85212
Phone: 480-579-2100

HOTEL DISCOUNT: $129/night

Book your hotel early. 

BOOK YOUR HOTEL with DISCOUNT HERE

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EVENT SCHEDULE  

MONDAY, MAY 20—WEDNESDAY, MAY 22

See Event Schedule Here

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Jake Pinholster
Executive Dean for Enterprise Design + Founding Director
ASU Media and Immersive eXperience (MIX) Center

As a designer, Pinholster’s efforts have centered on projection and media design and technology for performance. He is an associate artist with Les Freres Corbusier, the former resident video designer for the David Dorfman Dance company, and a contributor to Live Design Magazine. His professional media/projection design credits include The Pee Wee Herman Show (Broadway/HBO Special), Carrie Fisher: Wishful Drinking (HBO Special), Current Nobody (Woolly Mammoth, La Jolla Playhouse), Hoover (La Jolla Playhouse), Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Center Theatre Group), Heddatron (HERE Arts Center) and many other productions at off-Broadway, regional, and academic venues. Much of his recent activity has been as a creator/director for immersive performance in unusual venues: site-specific installations, creation of performance in high end 3D planetariums, and the creation of a 360deg immersive performance/media dome. As an educator and administrator, Pinholster has been involved in a number of long-term initiatives that fuse technology, interdisciplinarity, and curricular innovation, and he has been an invited speaker on these topics at the National Association of Schools of Theatre, the Leadership Institute of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education and LDI.

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PEER REVIEW PANEL
 

Shadrick Addy Assistant Professor The Ohio State University Rachel Bush Associate Professor Austin Peay State University Alexandria Canchola Assistant Professor Texas A&M University Summer Doll-Myers Associate Professor Kutztown University Matthew Donaldson Associate Professor University of South Carolina Upstate Benjamin Evjen Assistant Professor University of Nebraska–Lincoln Patrick Finley Assistant Professor Iowa State University Dori Griffin Associate Professor University of Florida

Amanda Horton Professor University of Central Oklahoma Marjan Khatibi Assistant Professor San José State University Amanda Lenig Assistant Professor Susquehanna University Lisa Maione Associate Professor Kansas City Art Institute Rachel McDonald Assistant Professor Louisiana State University Shreveport Celi Merchant Monroe Assistant Professor St. Cloud State University Becky Nasadowski Assistant Professor University of Tennessee Chattanooga Dajana Nedić Assistant Professor Virginia Tech

Lindsey Peterson Assistant Professor Grand Valley State University Lisa Reynolds Assistant Professor Wilkes University Julie Sayo Assistant Professor University of Maryland, Baltimore County Samira Shiridevich Assistant Professor University of North Carolina at Charlotte Ryan Slone Assistant Professor University of Arkansas Shantanu Suman Associate Professor Ball State University Rebecca Tegtmeyer Associate Professor Michigan State University Marius Valdes Professor University of South Carolina

Ryan Slone, Assistant Professor, University of Arkansas.

STUDENT POSTER DESIGN INITIATIVE This year, the student poster initiative theme is Immerse.  Students are invited to explore immersive design in all its formal and contextual possibilities. This student poster design contest helps promote positive thinking by enabling students to design an original poster for print or online use. We welcome entries as part of a class assignment or done independently by students outside of class. Entries are reviewed by Student Poster Chairperson, Ryan Slone, Assistant Professor, University of Arkansas.