MASD & ISSP

Faculty Focus

Nov 16, 2021

Faculty Focus

Holly Robbins

Nov 16, 2021

One of the things that we’re very proud of — and thankful for –  in our MASD program is our faculty. Not only are they incredibly devoted to the program and our students, they all actively practice what they teach. Some literally wrote the book on what they teach!

Their expert knowledge, skills, and teaching capabilities are recognized outside of the MASD program.  Recently, ISSP announced the launch of two new online on-demand courses — Sustainability Foundations and Sustainability Short Course — both of which were created by MASD faculty Holly Robbins.  For those who want a solid grounding in sustainability, but are not quite ready to dive into a graduate degree in sustainable design, these courses are for you.  

We’re also proud of — and thankful for — our close relationship with ISSP.  Not only are we Education Partners, two of our faculty (Denise DeLuca and Trisha Bauman) play very active roles on the ISSP Governing Board. This relationship allows us to keep tabs on the latest trends in the world of sustainability while giving us the opportunity to contribute to ISSP’s mission.

If you’re interested in short on-demand courses covering a variety of topics relevant to current or emerging sustainability professionals, please explore the growing number of courses offered by ISSP.  If you’re ready for that deep dive leveraging the power of design to drive sustainability, we invite you to explore our fully online MA in Sustainable Design program.

Denise DeLuca / Former Director

Denise DeLuca is the Director of MCAD’s Sustainable Design program. She was co-founder of BCI: Biomimicry Creative for Innovation, a network of creative professional change agents driving ecological thinking for radical transformation. Denise is author of the book Re-Aligning with Nature: Ecological Thinking for Radical Transformation, which was illustrated by MASD alum Stephanie Koehler. She also teaches with the Amani Institute.

Denise’s previous roles include Education Director for the International Living Future Institute, Project Manager for Swedish Biomimetics 3000, and Outreach Director for The Biomimicry Institute. Denise is a licensed civil engineer (PE) and holds a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering with a focus on modeling landscape-scale surface and groundwater interactions.  In addition, Denise is a Biomimicry Fellow and a member of the Advisory Council of The Biomimicry Institute,  Board Member of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP), on the editorial board of the Journal of Bionic Engineering, and an Expert with Katerva. Denise is based in Oregon.

contact:  [email protected]