UMN College of Design

What if one of Minnesota’s most destructive invasive species could be used to bring communities together? Recent landscape architecture graduate Sean Durbin (MLA '26) transformed harvested buckthorn into a handcrafted marimba, creating a joyful new way for communities to engage in ecological restoration through sound, design, and collective action. Read "Alumni Spotlight: Designing Solutions for a Thorny Problem" on the College of Design blog now. https://design.umn.edu/news/alumni-spotlight-designing-solutions-thorny-problem

🎓 Congratulations College of Design graduates! We’re so of what you’ve accomplished and the amazing senior showcase you put together. Thanks to all the friends and family who came out to celebrate your incredible achievements!

🎓 Today's the day graduates! The College of Design Commencement Ceremony will take place Thursday, May 14 with a livestream broadcast available. Check-in for students begins at 12:30 PM, and students must be checked-in no later than 2:15 PM. Please be aware of new security check protocols. You and your guests should plan to arrive early to avoid lines.

Do you have questions about the where to check in on the day of the event, honor cords, tickets, parking, etc? See our Commencement FAQ page! https://design.umn.edu/students/college-design-commencement

Watch the livestream here: https://z.umn.edu/2026designcommencement

The College of Design is proud to welcome William D. Chilton, FAIA, RIBA, as our 2025–2026 Commencement Ceremony speaker! https://design.umn.edu/news/william-chilton-named-2025-2026-college-design-commencement-speaker

Bill earned his Master of Architecture from the College of Design in 1980. He is a co-founding Principal of Pickard Chilton, an architectural practice based in New Haven, Connecticut, whose work spans four continents – from corporate headquarters and mixed-use districts to institutional buildings that serve as anchors for their communities. Closer to home, Pickard Chilton designed both the Orville L. Freeman Office Building and the Minnesota Senate Building in St. Paul’s Capitol Area District.

Bill is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects, and a Governor of the Urban Land Institute Foundation. He has served the College of Design as a Professor in Practice.

His return to commencement reflects the lasting impact of mentorship, teaching, and a College of Design education that resonates far beyond campus.

Invite your friends, family, and professional connections to view a college-wide exhibition featuring presentations, final projects, and other culminating work by the College of Design’s spring graduates from both graduate and undergraduate programs!

🤝 Industry Night, Wednesday, May 13, 5:00-7:00 PM

🫂 Family and Friends Night, Thursday, May 14, 5:00-7:30 PM

Lab Founder and Professor Lucy Dunne and Assoc. Professor Brad Holschuh have been featured in MPR News article "At the University of Minnesota’s Wearable Technology Lab, clothing becomes medical care". Listen to their segment here: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/05/08/university-of-minnesota-wearable-technology-lab-clothing

In the photo below, Lucy demonstrates the blue LEDs in her wearable photo therapy onesie designed to treat infants with jaundice in the Wearable Technology Lab in the College of Design's campus in St. Paul.

You’re invited to PLAYsentations, a theatrical show of product design prototypes. Students work in small cross-disciplinary teams to design and prototype their own product concepts with help from consumers and industry. This year, students are working with Hape Toys to design slime and kinetic sand products for preschoolers. https://design.umn.edu/playsentations

Tickets are $5 and students attend free! This show is happening Thursday, May 7 from 5-7 PM at the Coffman Memorial Theater.

“It’s probably unlike any presentation you’ve ever done before,” says course instructor and Assistant Professor Carlye Lauff. “It’s basically children’s theater meets an Apple product launch.”

The creative work of the graphic design class of 2026 will be on display in Rapson Hall May 4–15! The design community is invited to join us during Industry Night on Wednesday, May 13 to view the exhibition and talk with the designers about their projects. Family and friends of our graduates can come celebrate with all of the College of Design on Thursday, May 14 right after the Commencement Ceremony. https://events.tc.umn.edu/design/event/26789-graphic-design-senior-thesis-exhibition

Meet the Designers Receptions:
- Industry Night: Wednesday, May 13, 5:00-7:00 PM
- Family and Friends Night: Thursday, May 14, 5:00-7:30 PM (Follows the Design Graduation Celebration, 3:00 PM, Northrup)

Can’t attend one of the public receptions? Stop by Rapson Hall during public hours to view the exhibition while it’s on display.