Assistant Professor, Design Department
Loyola University New Orleans
Personal Statement Reappointment (2025-2026)
As a design educator, I am fundamentally committed to the belief that design education should not exist in isolation from the communities it serves. My work this year has been guided by a central question: How can we build educational infrastructure—pedagogical, institutional, and relational—that supports not only individual student success but also strengthens the connections between our program, our community, and the broader design profession?
Building Sustainable Infrastructure Through External Funding
One of my primary contributions this year has been developing strategic pathways for external funding. I contributed to four grant proposals totaling over $390,000, each addressing a distinct aspect of our program's mission: first-year student retention through cross-disciplinary collaboration (Charles Lafitte Foundation, $15,000), K-12 educational partnerships (Baptist Community Ministries, $65,000), gallery infrastructure to position us as a regional design hub (Diboll Foundation, $250,000), and contemporary art discourse through artist residencies (Andy Warhol Foundation, $66,500).
What has been most valuable is the strategic thinking required: Which departmental needs are most critical? Which funding partners share our values? How do we build projects that serve multiple constituencies? While these grants remain in various stages of submission, the work of developing them has already shaped departmental conversations about priorities, partnerships, and strategic growth.
Addressing a Hidden Problem: The Portfolio Crisis
My pedagogical research this year emerged from observing that students consistently developed portfolios that looked "professional" but failed to showcase what actually matters at the student level—process, learning, problem-solving capacity. The problem is structural: online portfolio examples come from designers with 5-10+ years of experience, leading students to hide their learning process and attempt to emulate expertise they don't yet possess.
Through extensive research into what recruiters and graduate admissions committees actually seek, I developed comprehensive guidelines distinguishing professional and student-level expectations, then transformed them into an interactive HTML workbook system—48 pages restructured as self-paced modules with assessment checkpoints and progress tracking. This moves students from passive consumption to active engagement while providing metacognitive scaffolding. The long-term vision is to distribute these workbooks to all design students in foundational years, enabling progressive portfolio literacy development.
Creating Models for Community-Engaged Learning
The Holy Name of Jesus Elementary School partnership represents my commitment to community-engaged pedagogy that genuinely benefits all participants. Our model: Loyola students work with elementary students and teachers to develop interactive learning tools addressing actual classroom needs. Elementary students participate in user research and testing, experiencing how their input directly informs design decisions. The tools remain with the school; the relationship continues across semesters and faculty.
What makes this work pedagogically is the authenticity of constraints—students navigate unexpected feedback, changing requirements, and communication challenges inherent in real client work. They learn to design for child users, understanding cognitive development stages and age-appropriate interaction patterns, while creating portfolio work with genuine community impact. The partnership's continuation in Fall 2025 with other faculty demonstrates its sustainability as institutional infrastructure, not individual teaching.
Service as Infrastructure Building
My service work this year has focused on essential but often-invisible infrastructure that creates conditions for long-term departmental success. I'm updating the Design Department website (currently working on Interactive Design site, target completion February 2026 for spring recruitment), serving as technical liaison for NASAD accreditation to ensure compliance without depending on delayed institutional web services, and launching the Louisiana UX Network Development initiative—systematically mapping UX/UI companies across Louisiana and initiating conversations about internships, guest speakers, and partnerships.
None of this produces immediate visible outcomes, but all of it addresses strategic gaps and builds the systems and relationships necessary for sustained departmental growth.
Looking Forward: From Foundation to Growth
This year has been about building foundations—funding pipelines, pedagogical tools, community relationships, institutional infrastructure. These investments take time to mature, but position the Design Department for sustained impact. Moving forward, I'm committed to advancing these initiatives: submitting grant proposals, expanding scalable learning resources, deepening community partnerships, and strengthening connections between our program and Louisiana's growing creative economy.
My goal is not simply to contribute to the department, but to help build systems and relationships that will support student success and community engagement long after my own involvement. Design education, at its best, prepares students not just for careers but for meaningful participation in the communities they'll serve. That's the work I'm building toward.
Summary Statement
The following provide an overview of my research, teaching, and service contributions throughout my career at Loyola University New Orleans.
Research Contribution
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Technology Engagement for Older Adults: Developed innovative frameworks to improve older adults’ interaction with technology, focusing on accessibility, simplicity, and enhancing quality of life through independence and social connectivity.
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Social Dynamics in Computer Science Education: Investigated discrimination and social exclusion in computer science education, with a focus on the experiences of female and BIPOC students. Findings inform inclusive teaching practices to foster equitable learning environments.
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Augmented Reality Design: Explored UX and game design principles through projects like the “AR Haunted College,” using student-driven research to develop heuristics that enhance immersive AR user experiences.
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Curriculum Development: Played a key role in creating Loyola’s undergraduate UX program, balancing theoretical knowledge with hands-on skills through project-based and studio-style courses.
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Future Directions: Expanding research into environmental education and sustainability awareness through interactive digital installations and immersive AR experiences to engage users in environmental issues.
Download Research Statement Here
Teaching Contribution
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Innovative Course Development: Developed and launched new courses such as Web Portfolio Development, equipping students with professional, career-ready skills in tools like Framer, and enriched the Capstone course by integrating UX-focused, interactive, and innovative projects.
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Hands-On, Real-World Learning: Designed courses that emphasize practical, real-world projects, including collaborations with community partners like Holy Name of Jesus School and Loyola’s Earth Week team, providing students with invaluable experience in user-centered design and applied problem-solving.
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Structured Skill Development: Created meticulously crafted course materials and clear, progressive learning structures that enable students to build both technical expertise and soft skills like collaboration, leadership, and communication.
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Focus on Student Success: Fostered strong, supportive relationships with students by offering personalized guidance, extra feedback, and additional tutorials. This approach has encouraged engagement, confidence, and growth, evidenced by consistent positive feedback and heartfelt gestures of gratitude from students.
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Commitment to Innovation and Excellence: Introduced students to emerging technologies such as augmented reality, generative AI, and interactive installations, preparing them to adapt to the evolving demands of the design industry while emphasizing ethical, thoughtful, and impactful design.
Download Teaching Statement Here
Service Contribution
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University Senate Representation: Advocate for the College of Music and Media through participation in monthly University Senate meetings, contributing to institutional governance and policy development.
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Journal Paper Reviewer: Review research submissions in design and UX, providing constructive feedback while staying informed on emerging trends.
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Recruitment Efforts: Conducted eight Friyay Workshops this year, engaging high school students with hands-on design and UX activities to promote the program.
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Academic Advising and Mentorship: Guide UX majors in academic planning, portfolio development, and career preparation. Supported two students in gaining admission to graduate programs this year.
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Conference Attendance: Attended ConveyUX 2024 in Seattle to explore AI’s role in design and shared insights with faculty to enhance curriculum and teaching practices.
Download Service Statement Here