When James Dyson Foundation was looking for ways to inspire the next generation of design engineers, Art Center Industrial Design students kept appearing on the Foundation’s radar.
“We’ve consistently received strong entries to the James Dyson Award from Art Center,” says Erin Webb, Foundation manager, referring to the Foundation’s annual international design competition. “It was clear to us that the College has a very iterative approach to the design process and that Art Center students are challenged not just to come up with ideas but also to create prototypes.”
The outcome? A recent fellowship grant in the amount of $90,000 to support students in Art Center’s Graduate Industrial Design program. The grant provides enough money to cover costs for three graduate students for one term of study, including tuition, fees and living expenses.
Among the Art Center projects that most intrigued the Foundation was a prosthetic socket designed to change its shape throughout a patient’s lifetime. Created by The BETH (Benevolent Technologies for Health) Project, a design team that includes Jason Hill INDU 09, the project was an international runner-up in the 2012 James Dyson Award and recently went on to win the $10,000 Grand Prize in the MIT Accelerate Contest.
“The substantial and meaningful fellowship awards that this gift provides will allow our top students to focus on their studies and produce higher quality outcomes,” says Andy Ogden, chair of the Graduate Industrial Design Department. “This is a great step forward in the College’s plans to advance educational study and research in the areas of science and engineering and an opportunity to honor and celebrate those who demonstrate educational excellence in those areas.”
“It’s tough starting out as a design engineer,” adds Webb. “Ideas are often expensive to implement, even in college. The James Dyson Foundation gives students financial help so they can spend less time paying bills and more time in the fabrication studio.”
To learn more about how to create a scholarship or fellowship at Art Center, contact Maya Fredrickson [maya.fredrickson@artcenter.edu].
Students interested in learning more about the scholarship application process and availability of aid at Art Center may contact the Financial Aid Office at 626.396.2215 or finaid@artcenter.edu.
