Black Stories/18: Audrey Bennett

An abstract background of densely-packed dots in shades of red, orange, and black, with some lighter dots forming an irregular shape resembling a human profile or silhouette. The Amazon Design logo and the words "BLACK STORIES" are prominently displayed in the bottom right corner against a bright yellow background

Graphic Design Scholar, Audrey Bennett, joins Media Producer, Justin James Lopez, to discuss the importance of representation, RE-presentation, and shifting cultural narratives. Let’s hear her Story!

Audrey Bennett is a 2015 Andrew W. Mellon Distinguished Scholar of the University of Pretoria, South Africa. She joined the Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design faculty as a full professor with tenure in 2018. She was appointed an inaugural University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor in 2019. Previously she taught at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Bennett’s design research agenda diverges into theoretical and applied lines of inquiry that study “interactive aesthetics” to facilitate cross-cultural and multimodal communication to yield cognitive and behavioral changes toward equity and justice.

She is a member of the Editorial Boards of the journals Image and Text (South Africa) and New Design Ideas (Azerbaijan) and a former member of the Board of Directors of the College Art Association, where she served as Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She holds an M.F.A. in graphic design from Yale University and a B.A. in studio art from Dartmouth College.

Related Episodes
Global Head of Brand Design, Teran Evans, joins Media Producer Justin James Lopez to discuss humility and the use of failures as a developmental resource. Let’s hear his story!
Founder, Imani Ellis, joins Media Producer, Justin James Lopez to discuss how she took a creative outlet and turned it into a career. Let’s hear her story!
Director of UX Research for Audible, Amber Davis, meet producer, Justin James Lopez, to discusses the importance of knowing your worth and how to negotiate effectively. Let’s hear her story...