TESTING Social

Let’s welcome Assistant Professor Cheng Chen, joining the Sustainable Design Program!

Professor Chen will be teaching FAA 430: Sustainable Design Capstone Seminar this fall semester. We’re excited to have him as part of the program and look forward to all the knowledge and perspectives he’ll bring to our students!

What is your profession? Can you tell us more about it?

I’m a practicing architect and urban scholar, and now faculty in FAA. My design work centers on critical regionalism, community engagement, and net-zero design. My research looks at how infrastructure gets planned, financed, and managed, and how those decisions shape the built environment and our living experience.

How did you get to where you are now?

I was born and educated in China — bachelors at Southeast University, masters at Tsinghua University
— and practiced throughout. A pro bono design project in Sri Lanka sent me to UVA for a PhD studying infrastructure systems, during which I spent 2 years in Africa for fieldwork. Along the way I taught at UVA, Kean, Ithaca, and Columbia before joining Illinois.

How is sustainable design integrated into your career?

As a designer, critical regionalism taught me how much low-tech, place-specific strategies can do (often more efficiently than high-tech fixes). As a researcher, I found that sustainability is really a socio-technical complex: stakeholders shape outcomes as much as materials do. So I work “glocally,” moving between local practice and global systems across my research, teaching, and design.

What course will you be teaching in the Sustainable Design curriculum?

This fall I’m teaching FAA 430, the Sustainable Design Capstone Seminar, which prepares seniors for the final stretch toward their degree. Going forward I’ll be involved across the BSSD curriculum and hope to develop new courses on sustainable policy, infrastructure, and urban systems.

Can you tell us a bit about what this class would look like?

FAA 430 is a hands-on methodological bootcamp for design research. Students run the full arc of design research: identifying their own inquiries and projects, learning research methods, and translating findings into a working p ...

Say hello to... the event coordinator`s!!

We`re excited to welcome our newest SAC members and can’t wait to see all the amazing things they accomplish in their new positions!

Let`s meet the team! -->

What do the event coordinator`s do?
Plan, organize and promote activities and events to students.

River Ceinfuegos:
Howdy! I’m River, a senior in Sustainable Design interested in protecting urban ecology, solving food insecurity in marginalized communities, and creating art in various mediums. I have a dance background, which will accelerate my need for a hip replacement, but is a big part of who I am and how I engage with my community. I’m also an avid baker and advocate for foraging food that’s hiding in plain sight. As a member of the Events Committee, I look forward to meeting y’all at an event very soon!

Sierra Arnold:
Hi all. I’m Sierra, and entering my final year of BSSD. I’m exciting to bring forth my global experiences and education in landscape, environment, and art to host some awesome events this fall. In my time at the University, one year was spent experiencing sustainability through the candid lens as a Swedish resident; I’ve engaged in multiple organizations and affiliations in the CU community focused on sustainability; and enriched my knowledge through the School of Landscape Architecture, School of Art + Design, and the College of Aces. These experiences provide me with a rich ecosystem I’m excited to share!

Meghana Sharma:
Hello! My name is Meghana Sharma, I am a senior in Sustainable Design. I would like to pursue sustainable architecture post grad. I am very excited to work with my committee to organize events for the Sustainable Design community. ...

Say hello to… the New Student Ambassador Team!

We’re so excited to welcome our newest SAC members and can’t wait to see all the amazing things they accomplish in their new positions!

To kick things off, we’re excited to introduce our New Student Ambassador team!

Let’s meet the team! —>

What do New Student Ambassador’s do?

Meet and welcome new and prospective students through tours, visit days, and program event.

Tara Giblin:

I am a senior in BSSD with a strong interest in how architecture, sustainability, and human-centered design intersect. As a transfer student, I am passionate about making everyone within our program feel welcome, included, and free to express their ideas-just as I felt when I transferred into BSSD. In my time here, I have involved myself through clubs like Alpha Rho Chi, AIAS, and SBMA. With this experience, combined with my passion for outreach and design, I hope to help foster a strong, welcoming community within BSSD and ensure that students feel like they belong.

Chieley Geiler:

Junior in Sustainable Design who is in interested designing public space with all levels of community in mind and connecting new and prospective students to how they can translate their creative passions into helping others.

Sofia Dominguez:

Hi! My name is Sofia Dominguez and I am a
Sustainable Design student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I’m passionate about sustainability, architecture, and urban design, and enjoy exploring how thoughtful design can help create stronger and more sustainable communities. I’m excited to serve as a student ambassador and look forward to connecting with other students, represent their perspectives, and help create meaningful opportunities and experiences within the Sustainable Design program.

Xitlalli Cabrera:

Hello everyone, I’m Xitlalli Cabrera! I am one of the Student Ambassadors for SAC and I am excited to begin working with other students in BSSD! I am currently a senior in Sustainable Design with a minor in Architecture and Spanish, and my main focus is sustainable building practices. Through BSSD I have been able to travel to London for a study abroad trip focusing on urban sustainability. ...

Let’s shine a spotlight on our BSSD students and their internships they took part in this summer!!!
Meet Callie Preisman, who interned at Elemental Interiors!

Congratulations Callie!

Let’s hear about it! —>

BSSD:
Tell us about your internship this summer? What company or organization did you work for? What was your role within the internship?

CP:
This summer, I had the pleasure of interning with Elemental Interiors as a residential interior design intern. I led my own client project from start to finish, from the consultation through installation. I worked on-site, sat in on client meetings, assisted with ACAD drawing sets, and learned how to present design work to clients. I also redesigned the company’s website and social media platforms, growing engagement.

BSSD:
How has the BSSD program prepared you for this role?

CP:
BSSD prepared me well for this role by exposing me to the technical side of design that I saw every day on the job. The program also encouraged me to seek out designers focused on community involvement and sustainability close to home in New Jersey, which is how I found Elemental Interiors and eventually earned my internship there.

BSSD:
Do you have a dream job or role you hope to play in the future? If in any way, how does your internship connect to that dream job or role?

CP:
Looking ahead, my dream job would be designing commercial and public spaces, like office buildings and schools, with a focus on how a space truly fits into its environment. This internship gave me so much more confidence that I can get there, and I owe a lot of that to my bosses for trusting me. I believe our environment and community are core to what makes us human, and BSSD has shown me how a career in design can nurture that.

BSSD:
Do you have advice for BSSD students interested in applying and pursuing an internship?

CP:
My advice for BSSD students looking for an internship is to get started and be bold. Pushing myself out of my comfort zone during the search helped me get the right phone calls. And when it came to interviewing, what really helped was talking about what I’m passionate about, staying curious, and being honest about how much I still have ...