Jo is a Masters of Industrial Design student. She received a BA in Environmental Studies from Vassar College and a Master of Education from Johns Hopkins University.

Jo’s interest in material exploration stems from a passion to understand how things are made and how to use materials in unexpected ways. She is skilled in sewing and textile design and is pursuing opportunities at Pratt that build on these foundations. 

Jo’s professional background includes teaching, project management, and curriculum design for nonprofits and educational programs. These experiences have shaped her design perspective - blending storytelling, creativity, and a deep commitment to equity and sustainability.

Pranathi is a graduate student in the Masters of Industrial Design (MID) program at Pratt’s School of Design. She holds a Bachelor’s in Design, specializing in Lifestyle Accessory Design from NIFT, New Delhi. Afterward, she worked as a product designer in the global south development sector, focusing on decentralized renewable energy solutions for small-scale entrepreneurs in agriculture and animal husbandry.

With a strong background in research and innovation strategy, Pranathi’s work emphasizes climate action, sustainable production, and community resilience. She is particularly interested in exploring production scales, material manipulation, and the long-term use and care of objects.

In her free time, Pranathi loves cooking, traveling, and exploring new skills and hobbies. She seeks to immerse herself in art, music, films, nature, and a variety of experiences—always on the lookout for something new to discover.

Gwendolyn is pursuing an MFA in Interior Design at Pratt Institute, set to graduate in Spring 2026. She holds a BBA in Operations Management from the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College, CUNY. She’s always been interested in the systems and processes behind building things—and likes keeping multiple projects going at once. Most recently, she worked as a manager at 21 Sawmill Group, getting hands-on with the processing of lumber production and the day-to-day of operations. Keeping her passion for building, she’s further exploring the possibilities and impact that materials bring to her design projects, adding a creative edge to how they shape the spaces we inhabit.

Zoë is a graduate student at the Pratt School of Information studying Library and Information Science with a concentration in archives. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Film History, Theory, and Criticism and Literature from Bard College. Alongside working for the Material Lab, Zoë also volunteers at the Museum of the Moving Image and works with digitizing parts of their collections. 

Zoë’s interests include the digitization, preservation, and accessibility of cultural history, particularly in the realm of popular culture and entertainment. She also is interested in media literacy and education, critical analysis, and research into the specific works of media that were popular in the past century with a focus on the Old Hollywood era.

Jay Lemire is Director of Production Labs at Pratt Institute School of Design in addition to overseeing the the Material Lab at Pratt Institute’s School of Design, where he leads a range of programming, mentorship, and professional development initiatives that revolve around material literacy and design research. Prior to joining Pratt, Jay served as Research Specialist at Robert A.M. Stern Architects, and before that, managed research to support design and business development at Ralph Lauren in New York.

He has been a visiting instructor at Pratt Institute, and a teaching assistant at New York School of Interior Design. Jay holds a B.A. in English Literature from Marymount Manhattan College and a M.A. in Decorative Arts, Design History, and Material Culture from Bard Graduate Center. He is a recipient of the Winterthur Research Fellowship. 

MJ is a current graduate student in the Museums and Digital Culture program in the School of Information. She received her bachelors in Anthropology from Texas A&M University in 2024. While in undergrad, she worked in the Collections Department at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. In her personal life, she enjoys crocheting, playing Stardew Valley, and hanging out with her cat, Pedro. 

Her special interests include museum collection management, digital preservation, and metadata upkeep. She hopes to use her experience at the Material Lab in her future career as a footing for the importance of material knowledge in museum collections. After graduation, she hopes to work in a registrar or collections management position in a history museum or archive. 

Navya is a first-year graduate student in the MS Information Experience Design Program at Pratt's School of Information. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences and Studio Art at Vanderbilt University in 2022. In the last year, Navya worked remotely for a healthcare organization while traveling as the recipient of Vanderbilt's Hamblet Art Grant. The travel grant culminates in Navya's upcoming solo exhibition in Nashville in January 2024.

Navya's interests span across art, printmaking, archiving, information organization, and design systems. She hopes to delve into these interests at the MSIXD program as well as at the Material Lab. In her downtime, Navya loves to cook, roller skate, and people-watch in New York's public spaces!

Taylor Wilcox (B. Arch ‘25) is the acting Student Liaison for the Material Lab Prize. She has a keen focus on researching experimental materials and exploring their innovative applications. Taylor is particularly interested in biomaterials and their potential uses in the construction industry. In addition to her architectural studies, she is pursuing a minor in philosophy. This interdisciplinary approach enriches her understanding of the historical and ethical dimensions of architecture, adding depth and nuance to her work.