Maria Ahmad
"It is a perfect balance of all my passions: teaching, conducting research, working on a team, and designing experiences to make people's lives easier. I love that I have so many options.”
Maria Ahmad, M.F.A. Visual Communication Design
Current role: Adjunct Faculty, School of Visual Communication Design
For Maria Ahmad, pursuing her Master of Fine Arts degree in Visual Communication Design (VCD) was a way to capitalize on her interests after finishing her undergraduate education.
“I chose to study at Kent State University because of its perfect combination of research and teaching, which were two of my biggest interests while I was finishing my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Graphic Design,” Ahmad said.
Ahmad has been faced with many successes and achievements throughout her time in this program but presenting her thesis dissertation to her committee has been a milestone in her experience.
M.F.A. Visual Communication Design CCI Graduate Programs
“I put hours of work into conducting and analyzing interviews, focus groups, observing waiting rooms, reaching out to service designers and healthcare designers on Zoom calls, attending a service design conference virtually, and writing.”
As she completes her coursework, Ahmad also serves as an adjunct instructor in VCD. The unique combined experience of being a graduate and an adjunct professor has given her the dual perspective of content she is pursuing a career in.
“As an adjunct professor, I love hearing the voices of each student in class. I love seeing them present their work and discuss their thinking process behind their design decisions. I am privileged to have the opportunity to share with students how design is such a rewarding career that can make people's lives better and easier,” Ahmad said. “As a designer, I love that I can make a positive impact in the world by using creativity and critical thinking. I see myself as a problem finder who conceptualizes potential solutions and ways to improve experiences, services, and products.”
The experience of Kent State’s graduate program while being an adjunct professor has opened Ahmad’s eyes to new areas of interest for her and has influenced her outlook.
“I realize that I love both teaching and research. I have also grown to love service design, a subfield of design that I explored for my thesis.” Ahmad said. “I will continue to teach as I work in the design industry. It is a perfect balance of all my passions: teaching, conducting research, working on a team, and designing experiences to make people's lives easier. I love that I have so many options.”
Advice for future graduate students:
“Reach out to (your) grad advisor, visit Kent and take a tour, and attend a class. Take the time to speak to students and ask them questions about their classes, what they are studying, and why they chose to attend grad school. Having a few questions to ask the advisor and the students beforehand is very beneficial.”