*Full photo set see here.
1) Hip-hop Entrepreneurship Project
Dr. William M. Patterson is a lecturer in the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has developed a plethora of scholarly initiatives utilizing Hip Hop such as the IPOWERED: Higher Ed Remixed Lecture Series and the Hip Hop Xpress Urban STEM Lab. In collaboration with the iSchool, College of LAS, College of Engineering, Student Affairs, and the College of Business at UIUC, Dr. Patterson has developed courses including Service Learning from a Hip Hop Perspective, KRS: Hip Hop Artistry and Social Activism, C.R.E.A.M. (Cash, Rules, and Everything Around Me), Hip Hop and Social Entrepreneurship, Hip Hop as Community Informatics, Decoding Dr. Dre: urban creativity in engineering and technology, and Hip Hop Entrepreneurship: Evolution in Engineering and Technology. His current research and action interests concentrate on urban STEM pedagogy development, organizing community code trainings, community sustainability, entrepreneurship, and connecting university students with indigenous community organizations.
2) Design for America RSO
Isak Massman is currently a Junior in the College of Business studying Business Process Management with a minor in Scandinavian Studies. This past summer, he worked in the iVenture Accelerator on Therapalz, a startup that creates therapeutic robots animals for individuals with Alzheimers and dementia. When he isn’t in class or working on Therapalz, Isak enjoys riding his road bike around CU.
Sahil Kumar Hi! My name is Sahil Kumar, and I am a Mathematics and Learning Sciences dual major with minors in Computer Engineering and Statistics. I’ve been a Studio Lead for Design for America since freshman year, and I teach Human Centered Design to students of all majors. I believe that every person has the aptitude for design, regardless of background and future aspirations, as design is a huge part of our daily lives. From the way we design our skyscrapers to the way we design our days, every aspect of life is centered in optimizing the way we interact with the world and every human should have the opportunity to learn at one point or another. I hope to attend grad school within a few years to learn more about designing technological learning environments and creating a better educational experience for students of all ages and backgrounds.
For further information on Design for America (DFA):
www.DFAIllinois.com
www.facebook.com/DFAIllinois
uiuc@designforamerica.com