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The Daily Hub

A roundup of ideas and projects from around the Institute

  • Visiting Associate Professor in the School of Information Ken Soehner, Arthur K. Watson Chief Librarian at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, was quoted in the recent announcement about the renovation of the museum’s Nolen Study Room. “The renovation and design project is an exceptional opportunity for the library. The plans evoke optimism for the future and reflect our commitment to providing a more welcoming, comfortable, and inspiring environment for library researchers and staff.”

  • Dean of the School of Architecture Quilian Riano reflected on the recent past and the year ahead for The Architect’s Newspaper. “The Pratt Institute School of Architecture celebrated its 70th anniversary this past academic year with events and two exhibitions: one about recent student work and the other about our history. This coming year, we are building on the excitement around this work to host programs that look at the role of our fields in shaping the public sphere and to support faculty and students as they continue to tackle the challenges communities are facing, such as dealing with the climate and housing crises.” 

  • “Last Year…”, an animated short by Emmett Goodman, adjunct instructor of Digital Arts and Animation, will be included in the 2025 Woodstock Film Fest, an Oscar-qualifying competition showcasing 112 films, including 28 animated shorts. “An animator creates one second of animation every day for a whole year, resulting in a visual stream-of-consciousness that is funny, colorful and whimsical.”

  • Visiting Assistant Professor of History of Art and Design Kate Sekules was featured in the Costume Society of America’s Dialogues on Dress series. “I stand behind the term ‘visible mending’ because it conveys the general idea, but it can also sound a bit too trendy. Which is a problem, because trends end,” said Sekules. “An alternative way to frame it is perhaps ‘codesign.’ There are infinite ways to fix and alter something and add to it, to make it a collaborative process between you and the item. […] We need to innovate in style and design, and this is a design form. Fashion is fairly moribund and profit-driven, but mending can step in and disrupt that.”

  • Pratt pair Claire McKinney and Sophie Andes Gascon, both BFA Fashion Design ’15, were included in The New York Times Style Magazines article on new and emerging designers on the rise. “The pair, who met while studying at Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute, also design clothing. This season, after taking a break from it, they returned to a runway format and were included on the CFDA’s official New York calendar for the first time.” They also received coverage in i-D.

  • Pratt Institute has been subcontracted by Aalto University to support their efforts on a project titled UTOPIZE project, Urban Transformation Through Open Participation and Inclusivity for Citizen Empowerment, funded under Horizon Europe (HORIZON-MISS-2024-NEB-01-02). The originating grant, led by the Comunidade Intermunicipal de Coimbra, UTOPIZE is a €3.9 million, 36-month project piloting UTOPIA Labs to co-design and co-govern public spaces in communities across Portugal, Italy, and Sweden. Pratt’s project lead, David Erdman, associate professor of Graduate Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Design (GA/LA/UD), has been subcontracted to co-develop workshops that use artificial intelligence and machine learning to examine climate threats and strategies for adaptation.

More Pratt Institute News

A group of people gathers for a ceremonial signing event in a modern indoor space. In the foreground, a woman with short white hair, dressed in a dark outfit, is signing a large poster on a table. Surrounding her are four men in suits and a woman in a blue dress, observing the signing. Some attendees in the background are seated, with a few wearing blue hard hats.

Building ‘Cradle-Through-Career’ Pathways in Newark

A new public high school in Newark, New Jersey, is opening pathways to careers in the building industry with academic guidance from Pratt faculty.
Two women are discussing a map or document while seated at a table. One woman is pointing to the document, while the other woman is smiling and looking at it. Both are wearing light-colored shirts, and there are additional people and computer screens visible in the background. The setting appears to be an office or training environment.

Fashioning New Pathways for Incarcerated Women

From Pratt Institute News

The innovative program launched by Pratt Institute and the New Jersey Department of Corrections expands access to creative disciplines and workforce development.
A smiling graduate in a black cap and gown, wearing a white hard hat, holds up two large cutouts of faces. One face is of a child with curly hair wearing a hat, and the other is of a man in glasses with styled hair. The graduate is adorned with a colorful stole featuring various patterns and pendant-like decorations. The background shows a city street with people and tall buildings.

Building More Than Just Structures

From Pratt Institute News

Elijah Rayford, BPS Construction Management ’25, turned his passion for problem-solving into a full-time role in New York’s construction industry.