A Preeminent Design Executive
The Savannah College of Art and Design has announced Kate Aronowitz (BA, Graphic Design 1997), GV (Google Ventures) Lead Operations Partner, has been named Executive in Residence at the university.
In her role, Aronowitz will travel to all three SCAD locations – Savannah, Atlanta and Lacoste, France – to visit classes, review portfolios, and offer mentorship to SCAD students. She will provide her unique vision and expertise in collaborations with academic leaders to review portfolios and develop new curriculum design processes for the SCAD De Sole School of Business Innovation, School of Design, and School of Foundation Studies, furthering the university’s recognition as a global leader for art, design, and innovation in higher education. Aronowitz’s presence emphasizes SCAD’s commitment to being a preeminent source of knowledge in the disciplines of graphic design, industrial design, advertising, social strategy, design management, creative business leadership, and service design, among others.
Aronowitz is a seasoned design executive who has built and led world-class design teams at several iconic Silicon Valley companies. She began her career at eBay, where she joined the first user experience team and became a Senior Manager of User Experience and Design. She joined LinkedIn as Director of Design and started their user research team, and at Facebook (now Meta), she was the company’s first design executive. In her current role at GV, she leverages her extensive experience to empower portfolio companies, advocating for incorporating design thinking into high-level business strategies.
“SCAD gave me the foundation I needed many years ago to launch my design career, and ever since, the university has remained committed to doing the same for generations of designers,” said Aronowitz. “I’m thrilled to return as an Executive in Residence, eager to spend time in the classroom offering industry perspective and mentorship to students, while collaborating with faculty on the future of design education – spanning from graphic design and user experience to the evolving impact of artificial intelligence. With more opportunities than ever for design to shape the world, I believe SCAD is truly at the heart of it all!”