MDes Industry Advisors
The MDes Industry Advisors are a group of alumni and professionals from across design, technology, engineering, and related fields who bring broad expertise and deep familiarity with industry practice. Meeting regularly with program leadership, the advisory group provides guidance on the evolving state of industry and helps ensure that the MDes curriculum remains aligned with professional practice, emerging opportunities, and societal needs.
In addition to their advisory role, members may engage directly with students by joining design critiques, mentoring projects, or offering career insights. Their diverse perspectives and collaborative spirit reflect the innovation and interdisciplinarity at the heart of the MDes program, and their involvement strengthens the program’s mission to prepare students to lead the next generation of socially innovative and impactful products.
Ashley Bailey
Director of Experience Strategy & Design, Slalom
Will Bates*
Senior Staff User Experience Manager, YouTube
Kate Edgar-Owens
Design Educator, Advisor, and Entrepreneur
Allegra Fischer*
Staff Product Designer, Gusto
Jillian Haller*
Product Design Manager for AI & Identity Enforcement, Cisco
Alan Hurt
Director of Innovation, Incubation Lab, Eli Lilly & Co.
Shelby Lindblad*
Staff Product Designer, Stripe
Molly Needelman*
Staff User Experience Researcher and Strategist, Google
De Nichols*
Senior User Experience Research Manager, YouTube
Sarah Phares*
Owner & Principal, Sarah Phares Design
Doug Powell*
Executive Design Leader, Educator, & Coach
Enrique Von Rohr*
Senior Director of Communications Design, Ascension
Liz Lingelbach Welzbacher
Principal Product Designer, Bonterra
Adam Wilson
Associate Director, Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship at WashU
Aaron Zemach*
Senior Product Designer for Skunkworks, Datadog
*WashU alum