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News or events specific to the Department of Product Design

College of Design hiring for Department of Product Design Chair

The University of Kentucky College of Design has launched its search for the next Chair of the Department of Product Design. This key leadership role will guide the program’s continued growth, advance its academic and industry partnerships, and support the college’s mission to prepare the next generation of innovative designers.

Product Design: In Process

Fourth-year PRD students Jackson Deye, Kiefer Howland and Connor Sinewe have been hard at work since May designing a mobile pin-up panels that bring flexibility and creativity to studio spaces across our building as part of a research project with assistant professor SK O'Brien.  Now, you can see their full design journey, from early sketches to prototypes to the final product, in “Product Design: In Process,” the newest installation in the Gray Design Building's Gallery.

PRD students sweep design category at 2025 Oswald Research and Creativity Awards

The University of Kentucky Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) recently announced the 21 undergraduate winners of the 61st annual Oswald Research and Creativity Awards. Chad Risko, Ph.D., faculty director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, and Research Ambassadors, presented the awards.

Spring 2026 Product Design Electives

The Department of Product Design's Spring 2026 elective offerings explore the development of educational toys and communication with AI tools for design. Full course details are listed below. Register Now

Two CoD students named to 2025-2026 sustainability internship cohort

The sustainability internship program has been around since 2016, giving undergraduates the opportunity to engage with others through campus projects, research, and outreach within sustainability. Each intern works within a unit within the sustainability department, strengthening their professional and technical skills while enhancing their leadership skills.

Bartlett named 2025-26 TEK Faculty Fellow

The University of Kentucky’s Office of Transdisciplinary Educational approaches to advance Kentucky (TEK) has announced the TEK Faculty Fellows for the 2025-26 academic year. A critical mission of TEK is the development of new transdisciplinary courses and the reimagining of existing courses to emphasize one or more essential employability skills. To accomplish this, TEK is leveraging the expertise of a new cohort of TEK Faculty Fellows.

UK CoD announces Fall 2025 hires and promotions

The University of Kentucky College of Design is pleased to announce faculty promotions, new appointments and staff additions for the Fall 2025 semester, underscoring the College’s continued commitment to academic excellence and community support across the School of Architecture, School of Interiors, Department of Historic Preservation and Department of Product Design. 

Department of Product Design launches new curriculum and minor

As of the Fall 2025 semester, the University of Kentucky’s Department of Product Design (PRD) will utilize a new curriculum for its Bachelor of Science program. After an extensive review of curriculum delivery in the opening years of the program, PRD faculty leveraged the strengths of the original curriculum while ensuring a more efficient, engaging and effective educational experience for its students. 

Blueprint Kentucky student fellows program helps reimagine one local community

This unique internship experience helps communities identify and leverage their unique assets to support economic growth, tourism and quality of life.

UK students explore community-driven design at Design Futures Forum

Earlier this summer, 10 students and three faculty members from the University of Kentucky College of Design and the Department of Landscape Architecture in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment traveled to New Orleans for Design Futures Forum (DFF) 2025, a yearly national public interest design student leadership forum.