I'm a Salinas-based industrial designer, educator, and artist inspired by the landscapes and communities I call home. My work explores materials, ecology, and making as ways of understanding and strengthening our relationships with people, place, and the environment. Drawing from industrial design, CAD/CAM, fabrication, and material research, I approach design with curiosity, experimentation, and a belief that making is a powerful way to learn and connect.
Growing up in the Salinas Valley shaped the way I see the world. Surrounded by agriculture and local industries, I became interested in the stories embedded in everyday materials and the possibilities they hold for rethinking how we design, make, and care for the places we live.
My projects — including Olla Adaptación, Colores del Río, and De La Tierra — bring together ceramics, ecological systems, agricultural byproducts, and localized manufacturing through an iterative process of research, prototyping, and hands-on experimentation. Whether working in a machine shop, a ceramics studio, or alongside community partners, I'm interested in how thoughtful design can foster stewardship, resilience, and a deeper sense of belonging.
I earned an MFA in Design (Industrial Design) from the California College of the Arts and bring more than two decades of experience teaching and facilitating learning in schools, community organizations, and informal educational settings. Across all of my work, I see making as an invitation to ask questions, share knowledge, and build more meaningful relationships with the world around us.
Publications & Exhibitions:
Pioneering Biomaterials: Academia & Industry Convergence, Exhibition, 2025.
MFA Design Showcase, CCA, 2024.
Biodesign Challenge, Alumni Voices, 2023.
AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS:
Arts4MC Individual Artist Grant, 2026
William & Alice Hinckley Scholarship, 2024.
LoveFrom Scholarship, CCA, 2023-2024.
Biodesign Challenge, Winner Outstanding Social Critique, 2023.
Bright Futures, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, 2021.
Bernard Osher Scholarship, CCA, 2021.
All College Honors, CCA, 2021.
Merit Scholarship, CCA, 2020-2023.
BAVC (Bay Area Video Coalition) graphic design track Scholarship, San Francisco, 2014.
Honors Art Department - UCSB, Santa Barbara, 2009.
Finkel Award - UCSB, Santa Barbara, 2008.
Dole Scholarship - UCSB, Santa Barbara, 2007.
Art Summer Program Scholarship - CalArts, Valencia, CA, 2003.