Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Arts & Culture
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Arts & Culture

DesignIntelligence Ranks VPA Design Programs among Top 10

Monday, November 11, 2013, By Erica Blust
Share
College of Visual and Performing Artsrankings

di_best_schools_seal_2014_smTwo undergraduate programs in the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ (VPA) Department of Design have been ranked among the top 10 in the nation in the 2014 DesignIntelligence report “America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools.” DesignIntelligence is the Design Futures Council’s bimonthly report on the future, delivering original research, insightful commentary and instructive best practices.

VPA’s industrial and interaction design program was ranked No. 3 in the nation for undergraduate industrial design programs and No. 1 in the east region. The college’s environmental and interior design program was ranked No. 8 in the nation for undergraduate interior design programs and No. 5 in the east region. The east region encompasses Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.

“This ranking is a very welcome external validation for what we know to be excellent programs with dedicated and innovative faculty, and it reaffirms the programs as being leaders in their respective sectors,” says James Fathers, the department’s Iris Magidson Endowed Chair of Design Leadership. “The design department is entering an exciting phase of development; next fall we are launching an M.F.A. in collaborative design, which will partner with a range of organizations, including the Aging Studies Institute on campus. This initiative will provide a much-needed focus and impetus for the many exciting collaborative initiatives between design and the cutting-edge research at Syracuse University.”

The industrial and interaction design faculty includes Fathers; Denise Heckman, Kathleen Brandt, Don Carr, Jonathan Mills and John Truex. The environmental and interior design faculty includes Sarah Redmore, program coordinator; Dennis Earle; Jennifer Hamilton; Lucinda Havenhand; Zeke Leonard; and Ruth Westervelt.

The DesignIntelligence study ranks undergraduate and graduate programs from the perspective of leading practitioners. Selected professional practice leaders with direct experience hiring and supervising the performance of recent architecture and design graduates are invited to participate in the research. Survey participants, who are drawn from a database of leading firms throughout the United States, were asked the question, “In your firm’s hiring experience in the past five years, which of the following schools are best preparing students for success in the profession?” They were queried about such additional issues as how programs rate in teaching various skills.

The Design Futures Council is an interdisciplinary network of design, product and construction leaders exploring global trends, challenges and opportunities to advance innovation and shape the future of the industry and environment. Members include leading architecture and design firms, dynamic manufacturers, service providers and forward-thinking AEC firms of all sizes that take an active interest in their future.

 

  • Author

Erica Blust

  • Recent
  • What’s New at Campus Dining in Fall 2025?
    Friday, August 29, 2025, By Jennifer DeMarchi
  • DPS Pilots License Plate Reader Technology to Enhance Campus Safety
    Friday, August 29, 2025, By Kiana Racha
  • IDJC Welcomes Fall 2025 Visiting Fellows Nathaniel Rakich and Miranda Spivack
    Friday, August 29, 2025, By Genaro Armas
  • Libraries Announces Fall 2025 Workshops
    Friday, August 29, 2025, By Cristina Hatem
  • Maxwell’s Baobao Zhang Awarded NSF CAREER Grant to Study Generative AI in the Workplace
    Friday, August 29, 2025, By Jessica Youngman

More In Arts & Culture

Point of Contact Marks 50 Years With Landmark Exhibition

To commemorate its 50th anniversary Punto de Contacto/Point of Contact, Inc. (POC) is presenting “50 Sin Cuenta,” a landmark exhibition of contemporary Latin American art drawn from its own permanent collection. An opening event will be held Friday, Sept. 19,…

La Casita ‘Corpórea’ Exhibition Explores Identity, Healing, Human Form

The themes of healing, identity and community through the lens of the human body are the focus of a new exhibition at La Casita Cultural Center. A free public event opens “Corpórea,” which translates to “of the body,” on Friday,…

Syracuse Stage Announces Auditions for 2025-26 Theatre for the Very Young Production ‘Tiny Martians, Big Emotions’

Syracuse Stage is seeking non-equity actors to audition for the Theatre for the Very Young production of “Tiny Martians, Big Emotions,” conceived and directed by Kate Laissle. The show is a touring educational program as part of the company’s 2025-26…

Art Museum Launches Fall 2025 Season With Dynamic, Interdisciplinary Exhibitions

The Syracuse University Art Museum kicks off its fall season on Aug. 26 with four new exhibitions that reflect the museum’s mission to foster diverse and inclusive perspectives and unite students across disciplines with the local and global community. From…

How Artists Are Embracing Artificial Intelligence to Create Works of Art

Artists have always embraced new technologies to push the boundaries of their creations—balancing imagination and authenticity with innovation. Artificial intelligence (AI) is no different, says Rebecca Xu, professor of computer art and animation in the Department of Film and Media…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • X
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2025 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.