About me

Hi, I’m Karina!

I define design as: “the ability to make deliberate decisions to change or create anything.”

I am specifically passionate about product design for personal growth, as I advocate for lifelong learning and development. As someone with an innate desire to help others, I find it meaningful to assist people in learning and improving themselves.

When I’m not designing, I enjoy playing with pugs, painting, and reading on art and philosophy.

Current Role

Kids in Tech, STEM Program Instructor | September 2025 – Present
Teaching STEM, design, and LEGO robotics to elementary school students each week.

Experience

Johnson & Wales University, Systems Design Instructor | January 2026 – April 2026
Taught a course on design methodologies with a food systems project.

Wentworth Institute of Technology, Industrial Design Instructor | January 2025 – December 2025
Courses taught: Freshman Studio, Sophomore Studio, and Drawing
Faculty for SummerFAB, a pre-college program for high school students to learn architecture and design while building a functional greenhouse for a local community garden.

K&M Accessories, Jewelry Designer | September 2024 – May 2025
Researched trends, designed, and developed jewelry designs for Guess Factory.

Procter & Gamble (P&G), Industrial Design Co-op | May 2023 – August 2023
Advanced four Charmin and Bounty product initiatives via research, testing, and prototyping.

Georgia Tech Interactive Computing, Graduate Research Assistantship | August 2023 – May 2024
Projects: Pediatric Mobility Assistive Technology, Energy-harvesting Prosthetics

ZIBRIO, User Experience Design Internship | May 2022 – August 2022
Improved the ZIBRIO Balance Coach app via interface design and testing.

GRIND Basketball, Industrial Design Internship | January 2022 – May 2022
Optimized product features and implemented changes with manufacturers.

Moku, Industrial Design Internship | May 2020 – August 2020
CAD modeled a retail kiosk, designed jewelry, and researched sustainable materials.

Iowa State University Virtual Reality Applications Center, Internship | May 2019 – August 2019
Conducted a virtual reality experiment and co-authored a research paper and poster.

Education

PhD in Product Design Student | August 2026 – May 2030 (Expected)
University of Minnesota, College of Design

Master of Industrial Design (MID) | August 2022 – May 2024
Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Industrial Design
Master’s Thesis: Leveraging Neurodivergent Experiences for Inclusive Design Education

Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design (BSID) | August 2016 – May 2022
University of Houston, Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design
Honors Thesis: Industrial Design and Cold War Consumer Politics

Co-Curricular Experience

Graduate Representative, Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA)
Staff, Innovation and Design Collaborative: Design Bloc
Research Assistant and Facilitator, Radio Crafters Project in the CodeCraft Lab