Stacie Rohrbach
Stacie Rohrbach is a Professor and Director of Graduate Studies for the MDes, MPS, and MA programs in the School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University. Stacie teaches studio- and seminar-based courses in communication, information, and learning design courses at all levels of the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs and regularly advises thesis projects. Her research, which stems from the study of communication, information, and interaction design, and a keen interest in perception and cognition, focuses on design for learning. Prior to becoming the Director of Graduate Studies, Stacie played a significant role in the design and implementation of the School’s curriculum that was launched in 2014, which spans all of its degree programs. She also served as the School’s Communication Design Chair from 2013-2019.
Situated in formal and informal learning contexts, Stacie’s research investigates the design of learning experiences as complex systems. Through her work, which translates abstract information into concrete, experiential forms, she aims to foster enjoyment in the learning process and aid understanding. Stacie actively engages with student teams, colleagues across campus, local experts, and project sponsors, applying innovative learning theories to contemporary challenges, with recent efforts focused on aiding the understanding and treatment of eating disorders. Additionally, she has conducted design-based learning projects that support financial wellbeing, chronic illness management, environmental mindfulness, middle school math and science concepts, and fundamental communication skills.
In the realm of design education, Stacie's discoveries inform investigations of student motivation as a critical facet in the design of effective learning experiences. Continuing the work she conducted over the past decade, Stacie is applying her findings to the design and development of interactive assessment tools that enable students and instructors to comment on, and track, performance over time to aid continuous learning. Her recent research projects have been supported by National Science Foundation, Qatar National Research Foundation, Fine Foundation, Institute of Education Science, and Carnegie Mellon University ProSEED grants. Stacie also teaches a course related to her research—Designing Experiences for Learning—which has been sponsored by PNC Bank, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, UPMC Health Plan, Inc., and Phipps Conservatory.
Stacie publishes her work that focuses on design for learning in books, international journals, and conference proceedings, presents at national and international design and education conferences, conducts curriculum design and implementation workshops with educators and administrators across the country, runs executive education sessions, and integrates her inquiry and discoveries into her courses. Stacie has developed three courses for the School of Design that speak directly to her strength in design for learning, which include ‘Information, Interaction, and Perception’, ‘Designing Experiences for Learning’, and a doctoral-level course, ‘Teaching Design II’.
Prior to her current academic appointment that began in 2003, Stacie worked professionally in print, digital, and physical media, designing identity systems, corporate standards manuals and annual reports, environmental graphics, interactive websites, and product packaging since 1996. She earned a BFA in graphic design from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of Graphic Design from North Carolina State University. Stacie was a member of the AIGA Design Educators Community steering committee from 2007 to 2011 and served as its vice-chair for three years. She was also a board member for the Adobe Design Achievement Awards from 2011-2014. Stacie currently serves as an editorial board member for the AIGA Design Educators Community publications ‘Dialectic’ and ‘Dialog’. In addition to her national contributions to the field, Stacie applies her strengths in course planning and implementation to the design of rubrics and syllabi that serve as models for the School and university.
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