Faculty
If there is one thing that makes NYSID shine, it’s the faculty. Throughout the years, many of the world’s top designers, art historians, architects, and authorities on the decorative arts have taught and lectured at the College. Because New York City is a world-class design center, NYSID has access to the best design professionals and experts to serve as instructors and guest lecturers in their areas of specialization. People like Becky Button, director of design at Swanke Hayden Connell; Peter Brandt, former vice president at Gensler; and Barry Lewis, architectural historian and co-host of WNET Channel 13’s Video Walks; are committed and beloved faculty members (see the full list below).
Another great thing about NYSID is that the class sizes are small (often no more than 15 people per class), so the students and faculty get to know each other well. As faculty member William Engel says, “The students want to know what you have to say; they respect you. There is definitely a sense of mutual respect. You don’t see that at a lot of other schools.”
Current Faculty
Faud Abillama
Ph.D, State University of New York, Binghamton
MA, Lebanese American University
BS, Lebanese American University
Raja Abillama
Ph.D., City University of New York, Graduate Center
MS, London School of Economics and Political Science
BArch, American University of Beirut
Maryann Sorenson Allacci
PhD, MPhil, Graduate School and University Center CUNY
MA, Hunter College
Emily Altman
MA, Columbia University; BA, Smith College
Paul Anavian
BA, Queens College (CUNY)
Goil Amornvivat
MArch, Yale University
BArch, Carnegie Mellon University
Patricia Barbis
MFA, New York School of Interior Design
BFA, Escuela Superior de Diseno Interior de Miraflores, Lima, Peru
Dean Barger
BFA, University of Toledo
Ann Barton
BArch, Cooper Union
Vanessa Betancourt
BPS, Pratt Institute
Reid Betz
MArch, Georgia Institute of Technology
Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering, Cooper Union
Melinda Bickers
MA, Parsons, the New School for Design/Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum
BFA, New York School of Interior Design
BS, Northwestern University
Benjamin Birillo
School of Visual Arts
Raymond Blackburn
MFA, City College of New York
BA, Hunter College
Daniel Bontrop
BFA in Interior Design, Parsons, the New School for Design
Anthea Bosch-Moschini
BFA, New York School of Interior Design
Peter B. Brandt
Director of Undergraduate Studies
BArch, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Donald Brown
BA, St. Lawrence University
Debra L. Bryant
MFA, Syracuse University
BFA, State University of New York at Buffalo
Michael Buchanan
BA, Fashion Institute of Technology
David Burdett
MA, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK
BA, Leicester Polytechnic School of Architecture, Leicester, UK
Ruth Virginia Burt
MA, New York University
BA, Marymount Manhattan College
AAS, New York School of Interior Design
John Buscarello
BA, Adelphi University
Becky Button
BFA, New York School of Interior Design
BS, State University of New York at New Paltz
Charles Cameron
Program Coordinator, MPS in Interior Lighting Design; Coordinator, NYSID Lighting curriculum<
MFA, New York University
BA, Drew University
Lissette Carrera
MFA, New York School of Interior Design
BFA, Ringling College of Art & Design
Maria Chamberlin-Hellman
PhD, MPhil, MA, AB, Columbia University
Eric Chenault
BFA, North Carolina School of the Arts
Richard Todd Class
Director of Academic Computing
BS, New York Institute of Technology
Eric Cohen,
MArch, University of Minnesota
BA, Kent State University
Adrienne Concra
BFA, University of Georgia
Kati Curtis
BFA, Savannah College of Art & Design
Robert Dadras
BArch, New York Institute of Technology
Victor Dadras
Program Coordinator, MPS in Healthcare Interior Design
MArch, Harvard University
BArch, New York Institute of Technology
Elaheh Dalton
MArch, North London University
BArch, North London University
Jennifer Kiki Dennis
BA, Ithaca College
AAS, New York School of Interior Design
Carol Derby
BA, Williams College
Alphonse D. Diaz
MArch, BS in Architecture, University of Illinois
Patricia DiMaggio
BA, Brooklyn College
Pamela J. Durante
AAS, Parsons, the New School for Design
William Engel
BFA, New York School of Interior Design
Rene B. Estacio
BS, Architecture, University of St. Thomas
AAS, New York School of Interior Design
Michelle Everett
BFA, New York School of Interior Design
Shaun Fillion
MFA, California Institute of the Arts
BFA, New York University
Ellen Fisher
Vice President for Academic Affairs & Dean
PhD, MS, University of Missouri
MA, Columbia University
BA, Ithaca College
AAS, Fashion Institute of Technology
Rachel Fletcher
MFA, Humboldt State University
MA, State University of New York at Albany
BA, Hofstra University
Tom Folk
PhD, City University of New York
MA, Rutgers University
MS, New York University
BA, Seton Hall University
Andrew D. Fredman
MArch, Columbia University
BA, Johns Hopkins University
Daniel C. Friedman
MArch, New Jersey Institute of Technology
BA, Hobart College
Danielle L. Galland
MA, Parsons, the New School for Design/Cooper-Hewitt National Design
BFA, Parsons, the New School for Design
Steve Gerber
BFA, Pratt Institute
Eric J. Gering
MArch, Yale University
BS Arch, Penn State University
Breeze Pascal Glazer
MArch, Tulane University
BArch, Tulane University
Joseph Goldstein
BArch, Cooper Union
BA, Yale University
Donna J. Goodman
MArch, Columbia University
BA, Smith College
Judith B. Gura
Program Coordinator, BA in History of the Interior and the Decorative Arts
Coordinator, Design History curriculum
MA, Design History, Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts
AB, Cornell University
Randi Halpern
BFA, New York Institute of Technology
Kate Hanenberg
MArch, University of Virginia
BA, Sarah Lawrence College
Robert J. Harding
MFA, Southern Illinois University
BA, Rutgers University
Eric Hilton
BArch, Syracuse University
Matthew Hoey
BArch, Temple University
Morris Hylton III
MS, Columbia University
BArch, University of Kentucky
Eileen Imber
Masters in Urban Planning, Graduate Center, City University of New York
MS, Education, Brooklyn College
BS, City College, City University of New York
BS, Education, New York University
Darris W. James
BArch, University of Tennessee
Evie T. Joselow
PhD, Graduate Center CUNY
BA, Vassar College
May Julsuwan
MS, Pratt Institute
BBA, Baruch College
Steven R. Kaplan
MArch, Columbia University
BA, Bowdoin College
John Katimaris
MFA, Parsons, the New School for Design
BS Arch, New York Institute of Technology
Addison Kelly
Parsons, the New School for Design
Robert Arthur King
BArch, Columbia University
ADipl, Architectural Association, London, UK
Terry Kleinberg
MArch, Princeton University
BA, Wesleyan University
Anne Korman
Design Diploma, New York School of Interior Design
Don Kossar
BFA, New York School of Interior Design
BS, Brooklyn College
Ellen R. Krasik
MBA, Columbia University
MPH, Columbia University
AB, Barnard College
Chad Laird
MA, Stony Brook University
BA, Florida State University
Eric Lam
BA, City College of New York
Natalie Langone
BArch, New York Institute of Technology
Mark La Rosa
BA, Central Michigan University
Kunho Lee
BFA, New York School of Interior Design
Rocco Leonardis
MFA (Sculpture), MFA (Painting), New York Academy of Art
BArch, Pratt Institute
Barry Lewis
BS, New School for Social Research
Certificate, University of Paris
Chia-Yu Li
MArch, Columbia University
BA, Tamkang University, Taipei, Taiwan
Kai X. Liang
MS, Columbia University
BArch, University of Oregon
Pedro Lima
MFA, Academy of Art University Online
BFA, Brigham Young University
Cathleen Lindsay
BD, University of Florida
Stephen Thomas Lofthouse
MA, BA, Hunter College
Jesse Lowenstein
BFA, Carnegie Mellon University
Barbara Lowenthal
Director of MFA Programs
MArch, Princeton University
BA, University of Michigan
Ethan Lu
Director of Graduate Studies
Program Coordinator,
MPS in Sustainable Interior Environments
Coordinator, Sustainability Curriculum
MS, Columbia University
MArch, Harvard University
BS, University of Michigan
Robert Malone
BFA, Yale University
BA, Wesleyan University
Walter Martinelli
Architectural Degree, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Francine Martini
Master in Design Management, Pratt Institute
BA, The College of New Jersey
Patricia McGillicuddy
MFA, Lighting Design for Theatre, New York University
BA, State University of New York at Oswego
Valerie Mead
BFA, New York School of Interior Design
Larry Mersel
BArch, Carnegie Mellon University
Margaret Mintz,
MA, Carleton University, Canada
BA, University of Windsor, Canada
BEd, University of Toronto, Canada
BFA, New York School of Interior Design
Thomas Morbitzer
MArch, Yale University
BS, The Ohio State University
Leah Nanpei
MS, Columbia University
BArch, University of Oregon
Ali Nematollahy,
MA, Graduate Center
City University of New York
BA, University of Maryland
Ozgem Ornektekin
BS, University of Denver
Mehmet Ozpay
MArch, University of Stuttgart
Mitul Parekh
Master of Engineering in Architectural Engineering, Pennsylvania State University
Bachelor of Technology in Architectural Engineering, University of Calicut, India
Erin Peavey
Bachelor of Environmental Design, Texas A&M University
Pamela Perkins
Coordinator of the Writing & Communications Center
Coordinator, Liberal Arts curriculum
PhD, AM, Brown University
AB, Vassar College
Matthew A. Postal
PhD, Graduate Center, City University of New York
MA, New York University, Institute of Fine Arts
BA, Vassar College
Zhijian Qian
MA, New York University
MA, The Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China
BA, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
Ethel Rompilla
BFA, New York School of Interior Design
William Rosebro
MArch, Rice University; BA, University of Virginia
Kate Russell
MS Pratt Institute; BA, State University of New York College at Brockport
Roxanne Ryce-Paul
MS in Urban Planning, Columbia University
MS in Historic Preservation, Columbia University
BArch, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Art and Science
Tina Sarawgi
MArch, Miami University
BArch, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, India
Kelly M. Seeger
MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
BS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Addie Sels
BFA, New York School of Interior Design
BS, Cornell University; Diplome d’Etudes de la Civilisation Francaise, Sorbonne
Rebecca Short
MS, Drexel University
BA, University of Maryland
Mark T. Simpson
MFA, Lighting Design, New York University
MA, American University; BA, Case Western Reserve University
Marjorie Sobylak
BFA, Syracuse University
BA, Syracuse University
Christopher Spinelli
MFA, School of Visual Arts
BA, Oberlin College
Mark Squeo
MArch, University of Texas at Arlington
BArch, Syracuse University
Gregory Stanford
BArch, Syracuse University
Stefan Steil
MFA, BFA, New York School of Interior Design
Lee Stout
BFA, Pratt Institute
Andrew Tedesco
BFA, University of Maryland
Richard S. Thomas
MBA, New York University; BArch, Pratt Institute
Jeffrey Tome
MA, Computer Art, New York Institute of Technology
BFA, School of Visual Arts
Ernesto E. Trindade
Master of Urban Design, City University of New York
BArch, City College of New York
Peiheng Tsai
MS, Graduate School of Architecture Columbia University
BArch, Tung-Hai University, Taichung, Taiwan
Peter Tymus
MA, BS, New York University
Attila Uysal
MA, Pratt Institute
BArch, Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey
Freya Van Saun
MA, Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts
BFA, Fashion Institute of Technology
AS, Empire State College
Thomas B. Walter
MA, Miami University; BA, State University of New York at Geneseo
Nicholas Watkins
PhD, BA, BS, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Erin Wells
BFA, New York School of Interior Design
BA, Oberlin College
Christopher Welsh
BArch, Pratt Institute
Doug West
BS, Cornell University
Veronica Whitlock
Associate Dean
MA, Parsons, the New School for Design/Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum
BFA, New York School of Interior Design
BA, Duke University
Cecilia Whittaker-Doe
BFA, State University of New York College at Buffalo
Mason Wickham
MArch, Rice University
BS, University of Virginia
David Wilburn
MFA, New York University
BA, University of Pittsburgh
Katherine Wildt O'Brien
BA, New York University
Jennifer R. Worth
MA, Hunter College
BA, Hunter College
Robert E. Yori, Jr
BS, Catholic University of America
BArch, Catholic University of America
Robert Yuricic
BS, Architecture, New York Institute of Technology
Edwin J. Zawadzki
MArch, Yale University
BA, Harvard University
Lecturers
Rosalind Benedict
BA, Duke University
Ivy Berman
MBA, New York University
BA, Tufts University
Christopher J. Desler
BS, BA, University of Massachusetts
Dennis Lee
BS, State University of New York, Empire State College
AAS, Fashion Institute of Technology
Edward Goodman
BA, Long Island University
Jody Xuereb
College of Aeronautics
Mary Paul Yates
AAS, Fashion Institute of Technology
BFA, Syracuse University