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The Daily Hub

A roundup of ideas and projects from around the Institute

  • This Thursday, June 3, at 6 PM EST, the Association of Pratt Placemakers with Open Plans and PlacemakingX is hosting a discussion on “What if we managed streets as places?,” considering how the past year of rethinking public space can impact its future in New York City and beyond.

  • Salman Toor, MFA Fine Arts (Painting) ’09, is profiled in an immersive, multimedia feature in The New York Times that explores his studio space, his art practice, and his background and influences. “When he graduated from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn in 2009, Toor was painting as if he was an apprentice of the Italian Renaissance artist Giovanni Bellini. He had started making classical portraits of friends that included a strange scribble of paint above their heads. That is when Catherine Redmond, his painting professor at Pratt, knew something was about to change. His brushstrokes were becoming less about the Renaissance and more about him.”

  • Young Jun Kim, BFA Fine Arts (Jewelry) ’24, was featured in The Good Men Project about his jewelry practice. “In a world where jewelry often begins and ends with surface beauty, Young Jun Kim dares to dig deeper, transforming metal into memory, ornament into narrative,” writes Noen Noah. “As both a designer and metalsmith, Young Jun Kim is redefining what it means to adorn the body, crafting pieces that not only captivate the eye but also question the nature of beauty, imperfection, and time itself.

  • Graphis awarded Satchel McLaughlin, AOS Graphic Design ’25, Silver for typography and design in their New Talent 2025 competition. She also received an Honorable Mention for her poster design.

  • Fadila Prastawa, Qinni (Nino) Xiang, Xueer Han, and Liliya Treyger, all MPS Design Management ’25, presented their project “Beacon of Light” to the American Institute of Architects, New York. The proposal addresses urban resilience during citywide blackouts. A pilot program is slated for Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, with plans for citywide expansion and partnerships with agencies like NYC Emergency Management and FEMA. Emphasizing community preparedness over infrastructure alone, Beacon of Light provides a scalable, human-centered model for blackout resilience that aligns with global sustainability objectives.

  • Visiting Assistant Professor in the School of Information Claudia Berger, MSLIS ’21, and Gabby Evergreen, MSLIS ’24, led a workshop, “Exploring Environmental Data Through Data Physicalization,” at the 2025 METRO STEM Information Professionals Mini Conference. At that same conference, alumna Diedre Brown, MS Data Analytics and Visualization ’21, gave a talk, “Empathy for the Faceless: Using Coloring Books to Exploring the Urban Aerobiome Microclimate,” and alumna and METRO staff Mary Bakija, MSLIS ’20, helped organize the conference.

More Pratt Institute News

A man stands in front of a building. He wears a suit and tie and glasses. There is greenery behind him.

Dr. Peter West Appointed Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences 

The accomplished writer, scholar, and academic leader joins Pratt Institute from Mercy University. He will assume the role on July 7, 2025.

Barbie, Houseboats, Book Arts, and Beyond

From Pratt Institute News

Class trips invite students to experience art, conduct research, and meet with industry experts in New York City and around the world.
A young man sits cross-legged on a grassy lawn in front of a modern, light-colored stone building with rectangular windows. He is wearing a navy sweatshirt, khaki pants, black sneakers, and holds a dark baseball cap. Tall buildings rise in the background under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.

Finding Form and Inspiration in Foundation Year

From Pratt Institute News

Foundation year at Pratt has introduced Massimo Brocchini, BID ’28, to friends and mentors and broadened his perspective as a designer.