NewSchool of Architecture & Design Announces New Board Members for its San Diego-Based Domus Academy School of Design

Top industry professionals from Nissan, Sound United, and RKS Design offer professional practice opportunities and industry connections for its students

SAN DIEGO—September 8, 2015—NewSchool of Architecture & Design (NewSchool) announced that it has appointed three top industry professionals as its newest members to the Advisory Board of its Domus Academy School of Design at NewSchool. Scott Clear, chief design & innovation officer at RKS Design, Michael DiTullo, chief design officer at Sound United, and Brenda Parkin, lead color designer at Nissan Design America, will join the existing Board members composed of leading professionals from the international design community. The Domus Academy School of Design Advisory Board members enhance the learning and career opportunities for its students through professional practices and industry connections.

“We are very pleased to have Brenda, Michael and Scott join the Advisory Board,” said Elena Pacenti, director, the Domus Academy School of Design at NewSchool. “Each has a wealth of industry experience and professional connections and have already been very close to the Domus Academy School of Design in its foundational years.”

Clear, serving as the Chief Design and Innovation Officer at RKS, a product design and development firm, consults with clients to promote design-driven cultures that help generate new revenue and profits through design thinking and creative processes. He has decades of experiences around the globe, working with organizations from startups to Fortune 500 companies, offering a unique global background in architecture, transportation design, product design and business/design strategy and experience with many sectors including tech, utilities, chemicals, construction, manufacturing, consumer durables, apparel, entertainment, travel, consumer services, retailing, and education. He has advised such clients as GE, 3M, and Eastman in identifying growth opportunities and building new business.

As Chief Design Officer of Sound United, DiTullo is a passionate advocate as well as experienced practitioner of design, where he is responsible for ethnographic research, product definition, design strategy, industrial design, and brand creative for the Definitive, Polk, and BOOM brands. In addition to his work at Sound United he is a contributor for the well-known design resource, core77.com. Prior to Sound United DiTullo was Creative Director at the legendary frog design, where he led teams that worked with Google, Motorola, Honda, Braun, and Intel. He also spent nearly a decade developing several product collections at Nike Inc for the Converse, Jordan, and Nike brands, from advanced concept to production. DiTullo’s work has garnered international awards and has been featured in many media outlets and publications.

Brenda Parkin has been a Color Designer at Nissan Design America in San Diego since 1990. Graduating from San Diego State University in 1985 with a degree in

applied design (crafts), Parkin now applies her design skills to experiment with materials at Nissan. She has a passion to educate students about the diversity and opportunities that exist with a career as an Automotive Color Designer.

Each Board member is appointed for one year and will also provide opportunities for students through internships and other hands-on learning experiences.

“One asset of our design programs is to simulate client experiences that students will have in real life after graduation,” said Pacenti. “NewSchool thus offers project-based studio activities, which are critically important to our program so the students understand the profession and reality of the industry. We are so grateful that our new Board members have already contributed significantly to the program so far in this regard and intend to deepen their collaboration with NewSchool moving forward.”

Interior Architecture & Design and Product Design students have previously developed two projects with Sound United focused on exhibit design and on the future of sound technology, respectively. Students in the design programs also participated in workshops about design of colors, finishes and materials at the Nissan Design Center in collaboration with the color design team.

“We expect to develop and strengthen the cooperation with industry of national and international significance for the design programs, and to prepare our graduates to be effective contributors to the professional design community,” added Pacenti.

About NewSchool of Architecture & Design:

Located in downtown San Diego, NewSchool prepares students for career success in design fields through an emphasis on interdisciplinary and global design skills, industry collaborations and real-world projects. Programs of study include architecture, construction management, product design, media design, game art, and interior architecture & design. The school’s design environment provides inspiration for the school’s students and faculty, recognized for their work regionally and internationally. NewSchool is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission. NewSchool’s Bachelor of Architecture, Master of Architecture and Executive Master of Architecture programs are accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). NewSchool is a member of the Laureate International Universities network – a global network of more than 80 campus-based and online universities in 28 countries. Through this network, students at NewSchool are prepared to work in a global and diverse work environment through the school’s collaborations with sister institutions in the Laureate network, including award-winning schools such as Domus Academy in Milan, Italy and Media Design School in Auckland, New Zealand. For more information about Laureate International Universities, visit www.laureate.net.