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Kate Catterall is an Associate Professor in the Department of Design at the University of Texas at Austin. She studied at the Glasgow School of Art in Scotland and is currently a design researcher and practitioner. Initially trained in materials and methods from the industrial age as a silversmith and furniture designer, she started her career by designing one-off products for the luxury market in the United Kingdom. Since moving to the United States in 1993, she has undertaken a broad range of projects that explore the history and cultural relevance of design within her new context. Her teaching emphasizes the ethical dilemmas faced by designers and the far-reaching consequences of design in society, encouraging a reassessment of the broader role of designers in culture during the Anthropocene period. Her current research leverages 'design intervention' as an opportunity to reframe design as a central form of cultural production, while also positioning the practice to reach commercial applications. She explores the potential for designed artifacts to serve as polemical tools capable of transforming actions, lifestyles, and opinions.
General requirements for the Graduate School at UT Austin apply to all programs unless otherwise specified.