by Susan Yelavich
On the fifth anniversary of the inauguration of the MA Design Studies program at Parsons, we are extremely proud to announce that10% of MA Design Studies graduates are matriculating in PhD programs across the U.S. Building on her Masters thesis, Salma Shamel Bakr of the Class of 2017 will pursue her research on archival technologies and historiography in the Department of Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University.
Two members of the Class of 2016 are now pursuing their PhDs: Anke Gruendel in Politics at the New School for Social Research and Laura Belik in Architecture at UC Berkeley with a degree emphasis in History, Theory and Society. As an MA Design Studies student, Anke queried the neo-liberal character of design methods deployed in governmental institutions, laying the ground work for her current research on changes in theoretical conceptions of democracy. Laura will continue to study the social lives of cities in the Americas, with special emphasis on the role of the street.
In keeping with the hybrid nature of Design Studies, Veronica Uribe del Aguila, Class of 2015, is in Communication and Science Studies at University of California San Diego – an interdisciplinary program that draws on Communication, Sociology, Philosophy and History. Her research will explore technology, innovation, neoliberalism, and National Discourses in South America and Latino diasporas in the United States.
Kudos to all! We can’t wait to see you marching with in your velvet robes!
