2024 KDI Burst: Bio-inspired Redesign

Emilie Snell-Rood is a professor of ecology, evolution and behavior at the University of Minnesota’s College of Biological Sciences. Research in her lab asks why organisms vary in developmental and behavioral plasticity, and what this means for predicting responses to novel environments. She primarily uses butterflies as a study system, but also has experience working with beetles, bees, birds, and mammals. Emilie teaches animal behavior and a course on bio-inspired approaches to problem-solving. Her interests in bio-inspired design have led to a series of interdisciplinary collaborations developing educational modules for engineers and designers interested in looking to biodiversity for ideas in their own applications.

Linsey Griffin is an associate professor at the University of Minnesota, specializing in the development of wearable health and safety products. She has conducted wearable product research with organizations including the UMN Medical Center, Park Nicollet Health Services, 3M, and NASA. Linsey’s design, research, and teaching perspectives are informed by eight years of international apparel industry experience in the United States, England, South Korea, India, and Spain. She received a PhD and MS in apparel studies from the University of Minnesota and a BS in textile and apparel design from Cornell University.

Carlye Lauff is an assistant professor of product design at the University of Minnesota, where she directs the product design graduate program. She earned her PhD from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow studying the role of product prototyping in business company contexts. Carlye’s research is in design theory and methodology. She studies how designers engage in the product development process and then improves tools and methods to support them. Carlye works at the intersection of multiple disciplines including engineering, product design, education, management science, and the social sciences. She often draws on qualitative and mixed-methods research and collaborates across diverse disciplines. Carlye has worked with more than 25 global companies in industries including medical devices, consumer electronics, transportation systems, educational toys, and footwear and apparel.