Kent State University
PROJECTS 2022
Innovasive
Alyssa Skilton, Gabriela Gonzales Allende, Tyler Mathes, Celia Ohnmeis, Justin Byler
The project creates sustainable, responsive textiles which are made from the invasive common reed and react to changes in humidity.
Instructors 2022
Margarita Benitez
Margarita Benitez is an Associate Professor at The Fashion School at Kent State University. She is the Fashion Technologist and TechStyleLAB Director. She received her MFA in art and technology studies through a trustee scholarship from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her bachelor's degrees are in new media arts and animation and in studio arts (specializing in fiber-based painting/video art). In addition to working with fashion technology, wearables and e-textiles, Margarita’s current research explores digital fabrication in an art and design context. Her current projects include 3D-printing animal habitats/enrichments, VR and fashion explorations and Liquid Crystal Sock for self-monitoring. During her eight years at Kent State University, Margarita has collaborated with the architecture, biology, dance, liquid crystals, podiatry and physics departments and the Kent State University Museum.
Diane Davis-Sikora
Diane Davis-Sikora is a licensed architect and Professor in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at Kent State University. Her current research focuses on temporary, interactive structures with surfaces that employ variable patterns and dynamic material effects. Diana has also produced films on narrative and documentary storytelling in architecture. Her writings have been presented nationally and internationally; and her projects exhibited in the Denver Art Museum, San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center, Chicago Athenaeum, Curated Storefront, and the 2019 IASS Form & Force Expo in Barcelona, Spain. She is a Co-Director of the Environmental Science and Design Research Institute (ESDRI) dedicated to research and investigations within natural and built systems.
Christopher Blackwood
Christopher Blackwood is an ecologist working at the interface of microbiology, soil science, and plant ecology. He obtained a Ph.D from Michigan State University and is now Professor of Biological Sciences at Kent State University. Christopher’s work addresses environmental issues spanning natural, managed, and built environments, including urban green infrastructure, forest restoration, and soil carbon storage. He is a Co-Director of the Environmental Science and Design Research Institute (ESDRI) dedicated to research and investigations within natural and built systems.