Introducing the Next Dean of the College of Design

June 1, 2023

On Thursday, June 1, Executive Vice President and Provost Rachel T.A. Croson announced the appointment of Dr. Prasad Boradkar as the next Dean of the College of Design, effective September 5, 2023.

Dr. Boradkar is an educator, researcher, and designer with several years of experience leading design and research teams in both academia and industry. Most recently he served as UX Research and Sustainability Lead at Google’s Advanced Technology & Projects division, where he led efforts on user experience research and sustainable development for health and wellness products.

Prasad Boradkar
Dr. Prasad Boradkar

Prior to his work at Google, he was a professor of industrial design at Arizona State University, where he also served as co-director of the Biomimicry Center and director of the InnovationSpace transdisciplinary research and education lab. Throughout his career, Dr. Boradkar has led and worked in cross-functional, transdisciplinary teams that included engineers, architects, biologists, sustainability experts, business specialists, social scientists, and many others.

Dr. Boradkar holds a PhD in Sociocultural Anthropology from University College London; an MA in Industrial Design from The Ohio State University; an MDes in Industrial Design from the Industrial Design Centre, Bombay; and a Bachelor of Engineering from the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, India.

As dean, Dr. Boradkar will be the chief executive officer and chief academic officer of CDes and will collaborate broadly to advance the college as a national and international leader. Building on CDes's strengths, and guided by the strategic priorities of the University, he will collaborate with faculty, students, and staff to preserve and enhance the excellence of the college.

Dr. Boradkar's appointment as dean of the College of Design is the culmination of a national search for a successor to Carol Strohecker, who announced plans last fall semester to step down at the start of the new academic year, after serving with distinction as dean since 2017.