Elon By Design

“Elon By {Your} Design” is headed for Elon 101 courses this fall. This workshop assists students in the creation of a holistic Elon plan, reflecting the balance of academics, experiences, and student wellness. Design Thinking Student Catalysts lead the workshop through hands-on activities and discussions.

The two-day hybrid event included teams from 21 universities and community organizations with more than 110 people participating virtually and in-person at the Center for Design Thinking.

It is not too late to participate in Elon's 2021 Design Forge! The Forge is bringing twenty-one teams from across higher education and non-profit sectors together to design participatory placemaking projects. Event keynotes and workshops will feature North Carolina’s Poet Laureate, Jaki Shelton Green, Dr. Josina Vink from Oslo School of Architecture and Design, and the Creative Reaction Lab.

On May 5 from 4 to 5:15 p.m., the Center for Design Thinking and the Center for Leadership are hosting Elon’s 2021 Design Thinking and Leadership Showcase. This year’s session features pedagogical innovations from across two 2021 interdisciplinary faculty learning communities, allowing participants to hear authentic stories of leadership and acquire learning strategies for individualized goals.

One credit “Pathways to Design Thinking” course offered students the chance to deepen their understanding of the design thinking process by applying it to campus and community design challenges. 

Associate Professor Tracey Thurnes and Dianne Person, director of the Anatomical Gift Program presented “Better End-of-Life Conversations: A Mutually Beneficial Educational Experience.”

The Center for Design Thinking is hosting a variety of events ahead of its fourth annual Design Forge which is scheduled for June 3-4, 2021.

Paula DiBiasio, associate professor in physical therapy and GLO program coordinator, and Danielle Lake, director of design thinking and associate professor, are partnering with Doctor of Physical Therapy program students and Global Learning Opportunities (GLO) program alumni to co-design the future of GLO. DiBiasio envisions a more flexible program that positively impacts healthcare disparities by promoting students’ development of skills related to engaging with difference sensitively and equitably.

The collaborative, which includes faculty from universities across North Carolina, is working to reimagine and extend teaching, research, and service using design thinking methods.

The Professional Development Collaborative launched the Better Together Workshop Series this fall to help community members in Alamance County gain skills designed to address the collective challenges 2020 brought.