With the support of Design Thinking Catalysts, we are enhancing…

Director

Danielle Lake

Director of Design Thinking, and Associate Professor

dlake@elon.edu

Danielle Lake has over ten years of experience creating implementing, and assessing innovative curricula designed to build student and community-capacity for addressing wicked problems. This experience has positioned her well to continue her work as an institutional leader, cross-campus consultant, and teacher-scholar of civic engagement.

With a Ph.D. in philosophy, her teaching and scholarship interests bridge Design Thinking and wicked problems research with the public engagement movement. Prior courses include “Design Thinking to Meet Real World Needs,” “Wicked Problems of Sustainability,” “Dialogue, Integration, and Action,” and “Reflect, Connect, Engage.”

As the former coordinator of the award-winning Accelerated Leadership Program and research lead for ten engaged department initiatives across three institutions, she also has leadership experience creating and assessing collaborative and innovative engagement projects that span curricular programs and bridge the university-community divide.

Lake received Early Career Recognition from the International Association of the Research on Service Learning and Community Engagement in 2018, the John Saltmarsh Award for Emerging Leaders in Civic Engagement from the American Democracy Project in 2017, the John Lachs Award for Public Philosophy in 2016, and the Jane Addams Prize from the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy in 2014.

Lake is coeditor of the book series, Higher Education and Civic Democratic Engagement: Exploring Impact, with Peter Lang Publishing. She is currently interested in exploring the long-term impact of design thinking practices and pedagogies of resilience. Recent publications can be found at http://works.bepress.com/danielle_lake/

Lake is committed to partnering with students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding Elon community in order to support design thinking initiatives.

Curricular Catalyst

Dr. Tracey Thurnes

Position

Elon’s Design Thinking Curricular Catalyst is a faculty member who supports the infusion of Design Thinking pedagogies across Elon curriculum.  The Curricular Catalyst advances Design Thinking curricular initiatives through facilitating communities of practice, consulting with faculty, and by providing resources for infusing Design Thinking methods and processes into curriculum.

Purpose

Creating opportunities to increase faculty experience, confidence, and competence in implementing high impact practices rooted in Design Thinking across all disciplines.

Actions

The curricular catalyst serves as a connector for faculty across the university who want to increase students’ capacity for experiential learning with design thinking processes and methods. The curricular catalyst also works closely with the Director to design and facilitate communities of practice around design thinking pedagogies that develop collaborative relationships with faculty members interested in design thinking.

Bio

Dr. Tracey Thurnes is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies. She has worked closely with the Center for Design Thinking to apply design thinking processes and methods within the health sciences in both the undergraduate and graduate student populations. Her work focuses on applying design thinking concepts to develop critical thinking skills and leadership and professional competencies to positively impact learning outcomes to create solutions-oriented graduates.

Co-Curricular Catalyst

Tyson Glover ’17

Position

Elon’s Design Thinking Co-Curricular Catalyst is a faculty or staff member that creates, supports, and celebrates co-curricular design thinking experiences, events, and initiatives. The Co-Curricular Catalyst works as an ambassador with the Elon community to support Design Thinking initiatives. Assisting in connecting students, faculty, and staff to relevant resources offered in the center for Design Thinking.

Purpose

Creating extra-curricular opportunities for Elon students, faculty and staff to gain the confidence and ability to apply design thinking’s process, methods and mindset to challenges.

Actions

The CCC designs, supports, and facilitates co-curricular design thinking experiences intended for Elon and surrounding communities. The CCC assists the Director and other Catalysts in achieving the Elon by Design Mission. This includes:

• Developing expertise and leading (both creating and facilitating) 4-6 extra-curricular design thinking experiences throughout the academic year.
• Serving as a design thinking ambassador to Elon students, faculty, staff, and community members; attending design events whenever possible.
• Providing mentorship to one or more student catalyst and guidance to the Director in relationship to the CCC initiatives, meeting with the director and/or student catalysts weekly/bi-weekly.

Bio

Tyson Glover ’17 was among the first students to graduate from the Design Thinking Studio in Social Innovation. He is a passionate and enthusiastic advocate for the Design Thinking process and social innovation. Tyson is a co-founder of the organization Phoenix Flops, a proud Elon alumnus, and founder of the local start-up Food Drivers. He is eager to connect, create, and collaborate with Elon as the Co-Curricular Catalyst.

Research Catalyst

Dr. Wen Guo

Position

Elon’s Design Thinking Research Catalyst is a faculty member who engages in, supports, and advances the critical study of design thinking. In addition to engaging in their own DT studies, the research catalyst also supports and advances the research accomplishments of Elon faculty, students, and staff across internal and external academic communities.

Purpose

Creating research opportunities for Elon students, faculty and staff to gain the experience, confidence, and competence to apply design thinking’s process, methods and mindsets to challenges.

Actions

The research catalyst 1) offers mentorship, training, and guidance to help students develop research skills and ideas inspired by design thinking across disciplines; 2) works with the director of the Center to study design thinking practices and innovation in higher education; 3)  develops collaborative relationships and research opportunities with faculty members interested in design thinking.

Bio

Dr. Wen Guo is an Assistant Professor of Art Administration in the Department of Art. She worked closely with Dr. Danielle Lake on mentoring students’ research on design thinking in the summer of 2020.  She studies the application of design thinking in arts administration education. She intensively infuses design thinking and entrepreneurship into an accessible teaching model for undergraduate students in artistic disciplines for their professional career preparation. She currently serves as a board member of the American Journal of Arts Management.

Student Catalysts

Student Design Thinking Catalysts