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Design Technology

Field Description

The field of design technology at Cornell offers a M.S. degree with concentrations in design technology and matter design computation. The field is composed of a multi-disciplinary faculty committed to design technology education and research. The field’s size (about 48 students) enables it to offer diverse, innovative, and transdisciplinary programs of study. Students pursue research in areas that bridge disciplines and domains with the aim of generating innovations across science and design for applications spanning digital tools, products, responsive materials, and the built environment. All students spend the first year in Ithaca; the second year is spent at either the Ithaca or Cornell Tech campus, depending on the student's track. The M.S. Design Tech program is designated as a STEM program in Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology (CIP code 04.0902) making international M.S. DT graduates eligible to extend their F-1 visas for up to three years in order to work in the United States.

During the admissions process, students select one of two tracks in the program: 1. A thesis research track based in Ithaca (year two), or, 2. A studio professional track based at Cornell Tech (year two). During the first year, students will take core studios and courses to develop foundational skills in design and technology. In addition to core studios and required courses, electives are carefully selected in consultation with the student's primary advisor to support their research and project interests. At the end of the first year, students who elect to do a research thesis will be required to produce a comprehensive research plan with supporting materials and an outline of their approach to their thesis. Students in the thesis track must also have a full (two-person) special committee in place no later than the end of the first year. Students electing to pursue the studio professional track will spend their second year at Cornell Tech taking the required studio sequence and related courses, which includes Product Studio in the fall and either Startup, BigCo, or PiTech studio in the spring. In this track, students develop a collaborative specialization project in teams.

Contact Information

Website: https://designtech.cornell.edu/academics/designtech/master-science-design-technology
Email: aap-grad-admissions@cornell.edu
Phone: 607-255-4376

Sibley Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY  14853

Data and Statistics

Subject and Degrees

Design Technology

Design Technology: Studio

Concentrations by Subject

Design Technology

  • design technology
  • matter design computation

Design Technology: Studio

  • design technology
  • matter design computation

Faculty

Tiffany Y Cheng

  • Campus: Ithaca
  • Concentrations: Design Technology: design technology; matter design computation; Design Technology: Studio: design technology; matter design computation
  • Research Interests: Architectural technology, Computational design, Robotic fabrication, Additive manufacturing, 4D-printing, Material programming, Biomaterials, Responsive materials, Bioinspired structures, Ecological practice, Sustainability

Itai Cohen

  • Campus: Ithaca
  • Concentrations: Design Technology: design technology; matter design computation; Design Technology: Studio: design technology; matter design computation
  • Research Interests: Origami, Biolocomotion, Mechanics of Biological Tissues, Microsopic Robots, Bioinspired Design

Timur Kamil Dogan

  • Campus: Ithaca
  • Concentrations: Design Technology: design technology; Design Technology: Studio: design technology
  • Research Interests: Architectural design, Sustainability and building energy modeling, Computational design

Francois V. Guimbretiere

  • Campus: Ithaca
  • Concentrations: Design Technology: design technology; matter design computation; Design Technology: Studio: design technology; matter design computation
  • Research Interests: Information Science, Interaction design, HCI, HRI, Robotic Fabrication, 3D printing

Wendy Guang-wen Ju

  • Campus: Cornell Tech (NYC)
  • Concentrations: Design Technology: design technology; Design Technology: Studio: design technology
  • Research Interests: Information Science, Interaction design, HCI, Human-Robot interaction, open source hardware

Saleh Kalantari

  • Campus: Ithaca
  • Concentrations: Design Technology: design technology; matter design computation; Design Technology: Studio: design technology; matter design computation
  • Research Interests: Human–Building Interaction, Spatial Cognition & Wayfinding, Virtual & Augmented Reality (VR/AR), Computational Design, Evidence-Based Design, Neuroarchitecture

Marirena Kladeftira

  • Campus: Ithaca
  • Concentrations: Design Technology: design technology; matter design computation; Design Technology: Studio: design technology; matter design computation
  • Research Interests: Architectural technology, Computational Design, Additive Manufacturing, Robotic fabrication, Human-robot interaction, Physical Interaction, Lightweight Structures, Sustainability

Heeju Terry Park

  • Campus: Ithaca
  • Concentrations: Design Technology: design technology; matter design computation; Design Technology: Studio: design technology; matter design computation
  • Research Interests: Smart clothing, Wearables, Computational Fashion, Sportswear and Shoes

Jenny Sabin

  • Campus: Ithaca
  • Concentrations: Design Technology: design technology; matter design computation; Design Technology: Studio: design technology; matter design computation
  • Research Interests: Architectural design, Bioinspired design, Biomimicry, Ecological practice, Architectural Practice, Collaborative Practice, Architectural technology, Computational Design, Digital Fabrication, Sustainability

James C. Weaver

  • Campus: Ithaca
  • Concentrations: Design Technology: design technology; matter design computation; Design Technology: Studio: design technology; matter design computation
  • Research Interests: Biologically inspired materials, architecture, and design; Advanced manufacturing and 3D data visualization, Multiscale imaging and materials characterization

Ulrich Bernd Wiesner

  • Campus: Ithaca
  • Concentrations: Design Technology: design technology; matter design computation; Design Technology: Studio: design technology; matter design computation
  • Research Interests: Materials Design, Advanced Materials, Materials Synthesis and Processing, 3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing, Nanotechnology and Nanobiotechnology, Nanomedicine and Theranostics, Biomedical Imaging, Soft Matter and Self-Assembly, Asymmetric Ultrafiltration Membranes for Biotechnology and Clean Water, Materials for Energy and Sustainability, Soft Matter enabled Quantum Materials