Dori Tunstall appointed OCAD design dean

OCAD University has appointed Dr. Elizabeth (Dori) Tunstall as Dean of the Faculty of Design, effective Aug. 29.

Reporting to the Vice-President, Academic & Provost, Tunstall will be responsible for the educational and research leadership, development and supervision of the Faculty of Design.

“Dr. Tunstall is a wonderful addition to the academic leadership at OCAD University.  She brings a significant background in academic administration, fundraising and international partnerships, as well as pedagogy and curriculum development, particularly in building Indigenous knowledge into curriculum and enhancing support for Indigenous staff and students,” said Gillian Siddall, Vice-President, Academic & Provost.

A design leader, professional design anthropologist, advocate and educator, Tunstall held the role of Associate Dean of Learning and Teaching in the Faculty of Design at Swinburne University of Technology in Australia. While at Swinburne, she established the Master’s and Graduate Diploma of Design (Design Anthropology) program, which focused on developing students and practitioners who could understand people’s values, design, and evaluate people’s experiences respectfully within and across cultures.

“I am excited to be the first black Dean of a Faculty of Design anywhere,” said Dr. Tunstall. “The fact that this milestone is happening at OCAD University aligns with its commitment to becoming a global leader of inclusive, decolonizing and Indigenizing design curriculum, practice, and scholarship—what I describe as Respectful Design.”

Tunstall founded the Cultures-Based Innovation Initiative (a global network of designers, anthropologists, Indigenous scholars and activists, innovation consultants, computer scientists and leadership scholars across 24 nations) to define and implement more inclusive and decolonizing perspectives on innovation. Prior to her teaching career, Tunstall worked as a strategist for Sapient Corporation and Arc Worldwide. She studied at Bryn Mawr College, going on to earn a PhD in Anthropology from Stanford University.

Source: PR Newswire for Journalists | Dr. Elizabeth (Dori) Tunstall appointed Dean, Faculty of Design