As I write this, our Pratt community is once again preparing for an extraordinary transition. Our 2026 graduates are entering into a new phase, and whether that move has felt gradual or swift, their years at Pratt have prepared them to meet their moment. Our students are joining an amazing network of alumni on pathways of creative practice, entrepreneurship, innovation, community building, and civic leadership. They remind us what worlds are possible.
This spring, amid the turbulence of national and global events and continued pressures on higher education, we must not lose sight of the brilliant openings our community has created. The work of our graduating students shone at Pratt Shows, not only a culminating celebration but a launchpad for careers and new connections. Research Open House showcased projects from across the Institute that are building new knowledge and avenues to the future. On campus, renovations are improving accessibility, energy consumption, emissions, and support for our students, which includes refurbishing construction of the Student Success and Wellbeing Building (formerly ISC).
Meanwhile, we’ve seen the power of our collective efforts affirmed as Pratt ranks among the top five art and design universities in the world, according to the QS Rankings, with more than 20 of our programs ranking in the top 10 in the nation.
The energy, expertise, and work of our students, faculty, and staff bring to life the ambition of our new Strategic Plan, launched last fall: to be the standard setter among creative institutions. Higher education is undergoing its own threshold moment, with economic pressures, political and workforce requests, and other challenges to relied-upon models and approaches. Our distinctive learning ecosystem, community and civic partnerships, and clarity of values and purpose lay the groundwork for our mission to equip the thinkers, makers, innovators, and leaders who shape the world we live in.
Our alumni are living proof of the power of a Pratt education, and part of the story of what’s next, as mentors, employers, colleagues, and sources of inspiration. This issue of Prattfolio goes behind the scenes with alumni and looks at the ways they enter their work, whether it’s launching a new career, entering an unfamiliar world to tell its story, or connecting with creative practice through a beloved sport.
Our community is always practicing the art of the possible. You are leading the way.
—President Frances Bronet