Jessica J. Meharry, MFA, PhD
Visiting Assistant Professor, Institute of Design
Illinois Institute of Technology
Bio
Jessica Meharry (she/her) is a designer, researcher, facilitator, and educator who focuses on justice-oriented design methodologies in professional practice.
Jessica is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Institute of Design at Illinois Institute of Technology where she teaches graduate courses on developing more equitable and liberatory forms of design studies and practice. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Design Management and the Director of Academic Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Columbia College Chicago. In May of 2022, she received a PhD in Design from IIT Institute of Design. Under the direction of Carlos Teixeira and Laura Forlano, her dissertation topic was “Sensemaking for Power Asymmetries in Anti-Oppressive Design Practice”.
Her scholarly research focuses on three intersecting lines of inquiry that explore equitable design methodologies in both practice and pedagogy: anti-oppressive design practices for professional designers; envisioning anti-racist futures through design methods; and equity-oriented experiential education within design pedagogy and curricula.
Jessica also actively maintains an award-winning creative practice of graphic design projects, for both personal explorations and professional clients.
To get in touch, email jessicajmeharry@gmail.com.
Education
PhD in Design, IIT Institute of Design, Chicago, IL, May 2022
Advisors: Carlos Teixeira, PhD and Laura Forlano, PhD
Dissertation: “Sensemaking for Power Asymmetries in Anti-Oppressive Design Practice”
MFA in Photography, Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA, 2001
BS in Radio/Television/Film, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 1996
Academic Appointments
Visiting Assistant Professor, Illinois Institute of Technology – Institute of Design, 2023-present
Associate Professor, Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL, 2019-2023
Business and Entrepreneurship Department, Design Management program
Assistant Professor, Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL, 2013-2019
Business and Entrepreneurship Department, Design Management program
Assistant Professor, St. Norbert College, De Pere, WI, 2005-2007
Department of Art, Graphic Design and Photography program
Assistant Professor, Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH, 2001-2005
Fine and Performing Arts Department, Graphic Design and Photography program
Academic Leadership Roles
Director of Academic DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL, 2022-2023
Interim Co-Director of Academic DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL, 2021-2022
Interim Chair, Design Department, Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL, 2018-2019
Vice President, Faculty Senate, Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL, 2015-2018
Chair, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force, Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL, 2017-2018
Program Coordinator, Design Management, Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL, 2014-present