Kansas State University

April 27, 2015

Department Head Notes

I hope this week finds you with a renewed energy as you finish up the semester! For most of you, the next two weeks will include the sense of a "rush to the finish" but I want you to remember that your professors have been helping you to build towards this time - you are prepared with the knowledge and skills to finish strong! You are in a unique program, preparing yourselves to engage problems with a strategy of investigation and innovation - and proposing solutions that are well-considered from a variety of viewpoints (and if not, its never too late!) Remember to let your graphics and words "tell the story" - from the need to the inspiration to the potential solutions to the final proposed solution. With every good story, there is the context, the build-up of the plot, the climax and the ending - be sure to include these in your story-telling.

This Wednesday, be sure to come to the Pierce Commons to hear our Visiting Scholar, Lin Li as she describes the field of Industrial Design in China - you will be amazed (as I was) at the relatively short history of this field and the products it has yielded. Let's fill the Pierce Commons for the hour - to show respect for Lin Li, and to learn something we would otherwise not have the opportunity to learn!

Kathy 

Pizza in the Pierce 

Thursday, April 30th will be the last Pizza in the Pierce! It is scheduled to begin at 9:30 pm. 

Don't worry - it isn't that the Libraries and APDesign won't ever furnish pizza again, but this is the last time to gather in the Pierce for this particular event!   Like with everything else, a temporary location for the next couple of years will need to be secured for this refreshment break.  

K-State Libraries will furnish the pizzas - pepperoni and cheese - plates and napkins.  

I hope you'll consider joining Weigel Library in providing a break and refreshments for your fellow students.  This is a good way to have fun, take a break during a really hectic time, and enjoy good company once more in the Pierce!  

Lin Li - Diversity Lecture 

The members of APDesign Diversity Committee invite you to attend a lecture by our Visiting Scholar Prof. Lin Li coming up onWednesday, April 29th, at 4:30 p.m. This lecture will be held in Pierce Commons. 

Prof. Li was born in XI'AN city in China and teaches in the College of Art and Design at Xi'an University of Technology. She holds a Master's Degree in Industrial Design from Jiangnan University  and   Bachelor's Degree from Harbin University. She is interested in understanding Product Semantics and product color design.

IDEC Call for Innovative Teaching Ideas

The Interior Design Educators Council invites educators to submit an Innovative Teaching Idea for potential inclusion in the 2015 Innovative Teaching Ideas Collection. An Innovative Teaching Idea is an Interior Design project, assignment or other planned learning activity, developed and facilitated by an Interior Design educator that advances creativity and effectiveness in teaching and learning in Interior Design. Submissions are double-blind reviewed by a panel of distinguished interior design educators who will recommend acceptance for publication on IDEC's website. An Innovative Teaching Idea may be appropriate for inclusion in an educator's curriculum vitae record (as a peer reviewed teaching entry without an empirical analysis component).

Submissions are welcome in the following categories: Studio Projects, Non-Studio Projects, Exercises, Focused Topic Reading Lists or Anthologies, Field Trip Itineraries and Details (with applied learning exercises), and Other Planned Learning Activities. Submissions are free for members of IDEC and should be submitted electronically by the May 15 deadline.

View additional information and the requirements online here

Summer Electives

If you are looking for an elective course to enroll in for the summer, below is a list of options available to you!