Elaine Lopez is a Cuban-American designer, researcher, artist, and educator whose work explores the intersection of culture, identity, equity, and Risograph printing within the design field. She acquired her BFA from the University of Florida (2007) and her MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design (2019), both in graphic design. She was awarded the AICAD Post-Graduate Teaching Fellowship in 2019-2021 at the Maryland Institute College of Art, where she taught in the undergraduate and graduate graphic design programs. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Communication Design at Parsons School of Design. Additionally, she has served on the board of various design organizations, including AIGA Chicago and the Type Director's Club. Her work has been featured in various exhibitions, publications, and conferences, such as the STA:100, Extra Bold: A Feminist, Inclusive, Anti-racist, Nonbinary Field Guide for Graphic Designers, Where Are The Black Designers?, and the In/Visible Conference. Elaine is passionate about creating inclusive and equitable design spaces, and her practice challenges existing design paradigms.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Parsons School of Design/The New School
Pratt Institute
Maryland Institute College of Art
Rhode Island School of Design
Chicago Portfolio School

EDUCATION

Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design
Rhode Island School of Design
Providence, RI
2017-2019

Werkplaats Typografie—ISIA Summer School
Urbino, Italy
Summer 2018

Bachelors of Fine Arts in Graphic Design
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
2003-2007

AWARDS

2019 AICAD Post Graduate Teaching Fellowship, MICA
2019 GD USA Designers to Watch
2019 Hispanic Scholarship Foundation
2018 AIGA Worldstudio Coyne Family Foundation Award 
2018 Henry Wolf Scholarship

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Jacobin, Prophet, 3st Design, Greater Good Studio, gravitytank, Leo Burnett