College of Design

Jul 11, 2022

Global Alumni Spotlight: Designing Our Future

Urmica Yelavarthy ’21 enrolled at NC State to attain her master’s degree in architecture with a certificate in energy and technology as well as public interest design. Originally from Bangalore, India, Urmica was drawn to the university for its one-of-a-kind Airport Design Studio, which is taught by Wayne Place, Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Architecture. She is currently working as a design professional at Fentress Architects in Denver, Colorado. 

Jun 7, 2022

Jennifer Peavey Plans to Back the Pack Forever

Through a special legacy gift, this NC State alumna hopes to provide professors in the College of Design with the resources to Think and Do ad infinitum. 

May 24, 2022

Sustainability By Design

Students are gaining real-world experience while reducing waste in a new project sponsored by Eastman. The company challenged NC State industrial design seniors in the College of Design to create consumer products that have sustainability top of mind, with the work taking place in a studio sponsored by Eastman. 

May 3, 2022

Podcast: Planned Giving With Jennifer Peavey

On this episode of the NC State Philanthropy Podcast, we’re talking with the College of Design’s Jennifer Peavey about how she plans to support the university through a special gift from her 401(k) plan following her passing. 

Apr 19, 2022

‘Everything Had to Have a Purpose’: Remembering Journalism Visionary Richard Curtis

NC State alumnus Richard Curtis revolutionized print journalism as the founding managing editor for design at USA Today. In 2018, Curtis and Jane, his wife of more than 50 years, also established a scholarship for in-state students studying in the NC State College of Design. 

Mar 15, 2022

Extraordinary Difference: David Hill

NC State professor and head of the College of Design’s School of Architecture David Hill ’98 ’02 helps North Carolina’s coastal communities adapt to climate change. Through the Coastal Dynamics Design Lab, Hill’s team is envisioning new ways for towns like Nags Head and Princeville to interact with their environments — with help from the Think and Do the Extraordinary Campaign. 

Feb 22, 2022

Duda Visiting Designer Program Asks Students to Explore North Carolina’s Complex History

Thanks to a generous gift from Linda and Turan Duda, students from the College of Design are participating in an immersive, two-week visiting designer program to explore North Carolina’s complex history through the lens of racial justice, from the era of slavery to the present day. Students will grapple with one of three memorial sites spanning geography and time to answer the question: How can spatializing memory support healing and inspire collective action for generations to come? 

Feb 21, 2022

Extraordinary Difference: Dr. Derek Ham

Dr. Derek Ham’s work in virtual reality is helping him teach NC State students the importance of intellectual curiosity and inclusivity like never before. With help from the university’s Think and Do the Extraordinary Campaign, the artist and educator can push the academic envelope by enabling people to experience key moments in the Civil Rights Movement firsthand. 

Jan 14, 2022

Bringing New Voices to the College of Design

The importance of differing perspectives in design was a major consideration for Rodney Swink and his wife, Juanita Shearer-Swink, when they established their graduate award in 2016. To design effectively for communities, both felt it was important to bring a diverse set of professionals to the table — a process that begins with bringing diverse student perspectives to the College of Design. 

Oct 26, 2021

Meet the New Members of the College of Design’s Leaders Council

These select alumni and friends in design-related professions across the country will support the college in its ongoing mission to become the top public interdisciplinary design college in the U.S.