Category Archives: Spotlight: Faculty

Mallory Kraus is a versatile UX designer and front-end developer dedicated to crafting intuitive, human-centered digital experiences. By bridging the gap between empathetic design and technical execution, she brings a holistic, end-to-end approach to product development. Mallory has honed her expertise through impactful roles at industry-leading companies like HP and Roku. In these fast-paced environments, she has demonstrated her ability to translate complex user needs into seamless, visually engaging, and highly functional interfaces, consistently advocating for the end-user at every stage of the design and development lifecycle.

Her practical design philosophy is deeply rooted in a strong academic foundation. Mallory earned her degree in Cognitive Science with a specialization in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) from the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego). This background provided her with a profound understanding of user research methodologies, behavioral science, and interaction design principles, allowing her to build products that align naturally with how people think and behave.

Beyond the screen, Mallory is fueled by continuous curiosity and a passion for making. In her free time, she immerses herself in reading and hands-on creative projects—pursuits that continually inspire her design thinking and keep her creative problem-solving skills sharp

Fred Besançon, RA, RLA, LEED AP BD+C, SITES AP

Education:

• Master of Landscape Architecture with Honors, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)
• Bachelor of Architecture, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly)
  

About Fred

Fred is a licensed architect and landscape architect born in Santa Barbara. At NSAD, Fred integrates both sides of his professional background by teaching ways to incorporate innovative site and urban design into architecture. He has taught 2nd-year, 5th-year, and vertical undergraduate design studios; environmental science; introduction to landscape architecture; landscape graphics; landscape construction; landscape design; and served as a thesis advisor. Fred continues to learn, taking college classes and attending workshops on topics including sustainability, stormwater systems, ecology, horticulture, and ethnobotany, while contributing chapters to Routledge academic publications.

Fred worked for over eight years for architecture firms on award-winning and published projects, including custom homes, multi-family housing, government offices, zoo exhibits, and dotcom interior spaces. After working in architecture, Fred earned a master’s degree in landscape architecture at RISD and the Sheridan Center’s Certificate in Reflective Teaching at Brown University to prepare for teaching. Fred was awarded a graduate program Award of Excellence and his department’s travel fellowship. His Berlin Wall Memorial student proposal won the American Society of Landscape Architects’ Award of Excellence – its highest student design award. After RISD, Fred won a competition reimagining San Diego’s Horton Plaza Park. His entry for the Sandy Hook Elementary School Memorial was selected as a semifinalist.

Fred worked at Spurlock Landscape Architects as a senior associate on award-winning projects, including housing, corporate campuses, community spaces, university planning, university landscapes, and botanical gardens. Just before the pandemic, Fred started his own company, Connected Studio, where he explores how to design memorable places where people can connect with one another, their community, and the local ecology. Projects include landscape designs for homes, apartments, corporate campuses, public schools, and cultural landscapes across California and Arizona.

Outside of teaching, Fred enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons, gardening, astronomy, and exploring the world around him.