Susan Melsop is a Associate Professor in the Department of Design at The Ohio State University. Prior to this appointment, she taught design studios and graduate seminars at the Knowlton School of Architecture at OSU. She holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a Bachelor in Architecture from The Ohio State University.
Though her formal training is in architecture, Susan’s work mediates between the scale of building, installations, furniture and sculpture. Her research interests include design pedagogy and reflective practices, sustainable building practices and environmental aesthetics. Early and influential studies include East Asian philosophy, Buddhism and the hermeneutics of sacred space.
Susan received the Faculty Award for Excellence in Community-Based Scholarship as part of the 2012 Ohio State Service Awards program. She was also received the Arts and Humanities Outreach Award from the College of Arts and Sciences.
Susan is the creator of Design Matters, a service-learning course that brings together urban youth with Ohio State students to co-design and build small scale structures, furniture pieces, and landscape elements for a community art center on the East side of Columbus. Each project is completed by university students and youth from the Transit Arts program, an arts-based development program for urban teens.
EDUCATION
Master of Architecture, University of Illinois Chicago
Bachelor of Architecture, The Ohio State University
EXPERTISE
Interior Design
Architecture
Community engaged pedagogy