Design Innovation News Center
The Design Innovation Initiative is pleased to welcome the third cohort of The John and Fonda Elliot DI Faculty Fellows Program and first to participate in the six-week summer fellowship. Based in the Design Innovation Hub and generously supported through an endowed gift from John and Fonda Elliot, the program creates space and time for faculty members from any academic unit to engage in collaborative, cross or trans-disciplinary projects utilizing human-centered design and innovation strategies.
Rachel Stauffer, a senior at Kent State University double majoring in Fashion Design and Business Marketing, is using fashion as a vehicle for environmental change. Her latest project, a seven-look biodegradable collection titled "Bury Me," blends technical innovation with bold sustainability goals. Thanks to her creative vision and access to Kent State’s Design Innovation (DI) Hub, Stauffer is redefining what’s possible in contemporary fashion.
Kent State University MFA candidate and DI Hub Collaborator Atoosa Fadaei recently unveiled her thesis installation "Paradox," a sculptural work that merges traditional materials with digital fabrication to explore themes of displacement, war, and cultural memory.
In this week's DI news article, DI Student Fellow DeAnte Bernard shares his experience at the 2025 a2ru Emerging Creatives Student Summit, where a group of DI Fellows explored this year’s theme, Resonate: Making Waves.
Kent State Student Media’s 'Food Flash' has found a new home for its creative culinary content at the DI Hub’s Innovation Teaching Kitchen. Through this partnership, Student Media’s food-focused YouTube series is utilizing the state-of-the-art kitchen to record segments that bring food culture to life in an exciting, interactive way.
The Design Innovation (DI) Initiative at Kent State University is proud to announce that the Female Filmmakers Initiative (FFI) has been selected as the inaugural DI Student Organization in Residence. This exciting partnership marks the beginning of a new program aimed at fostering creativity, collaboration, and innovation among student organizations at Kent State.
J.R. Campbell, executive director of the Design Innovation Initiative at Kent State University, discusses how working together can lead to amazing new ideas on the "iNNOVATION Insights" podcast and website. Campbell, who is an expert in combining technology with design, believes that when people from different backgrounds and skills come together, they can create incredible things.
Stephen Gagola Jr., a mathematician, retired professor, and lifelong learner, has transformed his passion for abstract mathematical concepts into tangible creations at Kent State University’s Design Innovation (DI) Hub. His innovative project, rooted in Latin cubes, demonstrates how the DI Hub empowers members to turn intellectual ideas into physical realities.
Exciting news for creators, innovators, and collaborators in the Kent State community! The Design Innovation (DI) Hub and Reactor makerspace are now open on the 4th Saturday of every month, from 10 AM to 5 PM, providing you with even more opportunities to bring your ideas to life.
Board games, card games and computer games are all fair game at the second annual Let’s Make the Rules: A Game Creation Experience, a design challenge open to Kent State University students who have an idea for a new game.