Welcome Fall 2022!

Student Spotlight

Welcome Fall 2022!

We’re so happy to welcome our newest MA in Sustainable Design students! As always, they bring passion and a diversity of experiences and backgrounds. We have eight students starting this semester:

  • Lara Cornell
  • Danielle Dekalb
  • Hilmarie Figueroa
  • Janet Gonzales
  • Jessica Neal
  • Veronica Mangio
  • Golaleh Poorsoltan
  • Meg Raiano


You can read about each of them, as well as all of our returning students, on our STUDENTS page.

Starting a Masters degree — especially while working, navigating a pandemic, and social unrest — is a big commitment. We’re so proud of all of our students — and alumni — who have not only committed to pursuing graduate school, but also to changing their perspectives, changing their designs, and changing our world. We are all very lucky to have them as part of the program.

If you’re curious if this program might be right for you, please join one of our upcoming informational webinars. We also invite you to explore the other blogs on this site as well as our YouTube channel.

Dawn Keene / Director

Dawn Keene is the president of Studio Change, a company offering sustainability consulting services. Prior to Studio Change, Dawn has served as president of Keene Design, Inc. an award-winning Atlanta-based firm specializing in graphic design for over a decade.

Her previous affiliations have included High-Performance Healthy Schools Committee for USGBC Atlanta (United States Green Building Council), serving as the membership chair and on the sustainability committee for AIGA Atlanta (American Institute of Graphic Arts AIGA.) Her work has been featured on Sustainable Brands and published in Graphic Design U.S.A. In addition, she has participated in panel discussions on various topics such as environmental design and community outreach.

Her life mission is to empower communities and individuals to take positive action towards building a more sustainable future through education and community outreach. She holds a BFA in Graphic Design from Georgia State University and graduated from MCAD’s MA in Sustainable Design program in 2013.