CHICAGO, May 21, 2024 — The School of Design (UIC Design) at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) today announced the appointment of Anne H. Berry as its new Director. A practicing designer, writer, and educator for nearly two decades, Berry's research has focused on representation and diversity in design, as well as the ethnic and racial disparities in the field. In her new role, Berry will continue to amplify design’s social impact and advocate for equity and inclusion to a student body that is uniquely diverse in its culture, socioeconomic background, and national origin. Berry comes to UIC from Cleveland State University (CSU), another urban public institution, where she teaches in the Department of Art and Design. She will join UIC in July 2024.
As an established thought leader in the field, Berry brings more than 20 years of expertise and cutting-edge work in design to the school. She is currently finishing her term as President of AIGA Cleveland, the local chapter of the professional association for design, and was a Design Incubation Fellow in 2018. Berry has written for and edited many publications including The Black Experience in Design: Identity, Expression & Reflection, published in February 2022 for which she served as the managing editor. The book, included in Fast Company's "Best Design Books of 2022,” examines how Black designers have helped shape their field professionally and aesthetically through the work of over 70 designers, artists, curators, educators, students, and researchers who represent a wide cross-section of Black diasporic identities and multidisciplinary practices.
“Anne H. Berry is a leading voice in the field, an outstanding graphic designer, and a passionate educator who will work collaboratively with our faculty of renowned professional designers to equip students with the formal, conceptual, and technical skills necessary to make their ideas real and make a difference in a professional setting,” said Rebecca Rugg, Dean of the College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts (CADA). “Building upon the work of her predecessor, Marcia Lausen, and her demonstrated commitment to using design as a tool for societal impact, Anne will help continue UIC and CADA’s work to take ideas initiated in our classrooms beyond the university to bring about positive change in the world.”
Berry’s research, as well as her dedication to training the next generation of designers from all different backgrounds has helped shape and propel important conversations in the field. In 2021, Berry and collaborator Sarah Edmands Martin co-created the award-winning project Ongoing Matter: Democracy, Design, and the Mueller Report (OM), which emphasized the importance of designers in a democracy. Focusing on the large amount of information contained in the Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, Berry and Edmands Martin’s project emphasizes the importance of making information accessible and understandable for the public. Berry’s writing has also been published in several graphic design journals and magazines including "The Virtual Design Classroom" for Communication Arts magazine, "The Black Designer's Identity" for the inaugural issue of the Recognize anthology featuring commentary from Indigenous people and people of color, and the co-authored article "The Intersection of Electoral Politics and Design Education" for the international design research journal Message. Additionally, in 2021, Berry was featured in Kelly Walters’ book, Black, Brown + Latinx Design Educators: Conversations on Design and Race.
Berry also continues to practice professionally as a graphic designer, designing identities, exhibitions, and print collateral for a wide range of clients. She previously spent eight years as a Principal at LightBox Studio, a creative studio in downtown Goshen, IN, that she co-founded.
“Berry's strengths in diversity and empathy shone among the outstanding candidates,” said Sung Jang, co-chair of the search committee and Associate Professor at UIC Design. “The search committee was impressed by her proactive poise to navigating the evolving world, drawing on the perspective of an energetic designer with remarkable leadership. In person, Berry effortlessly aligns with the personality and culture of UIC.”
Berry, whose background is in the arts, has exhibited her work in several individual and group exhibitions throughout her career. Most recently, she co-created and co-curated an exhibition for her Ongoing Matter project that traveled to Indiana, Ohio, and California. Another of her exhibitions, Making Waves: Civil Rights and the South Bend Natatorium, is part of the permanent collection currently on view at the Civil Rights Heritage Center in South Bend, IN.
“Over the course of my time in higher education, I have seen the variety of ways in which access to public education has transformed people's lives,” said Anne H. Berry. “Being able to serve the exceptionally diverse student population and campus community at UIC in a new capacity as Director, alongside Design faculty and staff who are equally passionate about education, is an extraordinary opportunity. I feel privileged to be able to help shape and advance the mission of the school as we prepare students to actively engage with the world around them.”
As Director, Berry will work closely with the Dean of the College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts; leadership from the School of Architecture; and with UIC Design faculty, staff, and administration, on all aspects of the school’s operation across its programs in Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Design Studies, and Computer Science + Design. Berry’s role will also include fostering and strengthening relationships both within and outside the field that promote the school’s pursuit to innovate in the conceptualization and creation of new ideas that make a difference.
This appointment is pending approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.
About the UIC School of Design
The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) School of Design (UIC Design) is currently housed within the College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts (CADA). UIC Design is an established leader in design education. Students benefit from engagement with faculty recognized for excellence in their fields, and from the dynamic urban setting that is Chicago, with the City’s thriving design community, exceptional cultural institutions, and penchant for invention. UIC programs in Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Design Studies, and Computer Science + Design prepare students for professional practice. The academic rigor and creative innovation of UIC Design is recognized by design-savvy employers in Chicago and beyond.
About the College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts (CADA)
The College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts (CADA), a unique group of schools and affiliated units dedicated to the investigation, creation, and interpretation of our physical, social, and sensory environments. With degree programs in the visual arts, design, theatre and music, architecture, and art history, CADA’s dynamic learning and research environments prepare students for successful careers as industry leaders in the arts and design. In addition to the School of Design, CADA comprises the School of Architecture, the School of Art and Art History, and the School of Theatre and Music, as well as the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, a National Historic Landmark and museum committed to social justice, and Gallery 400, a dynamic, cutting-edge contemporary art gallery.
About University of Illinois Chicago
As the only public research university in the Chicago area, the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is committed to providing first-class education as a public good through a rare combination of research excellence and access to higher education. UIC offers 86 undergraduate and 177 graduate academic degree programs across 16 colleges to more than 33,000 students, who are among the most demographically diverse in the United States. Over 33% of undergraduates are first generation college students, and 54% receive federal Pell grants awarded to students with exceptional financial need. UIC ranked 13th among U.S. public universities by the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2024 Best Colleges in the U.S., as well as 40th among public national universities and 82nd among the top 100 national universities overall by U.S. News & World Report. UIC is also ranked among the top Research 1 universities, with Annual Research Expenditures over $500 million in 2023.