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Summary
MICA’s Center for Creative Impact is seeking a graduate student to work as a fellow on a local, field-based, interdisciplinary project focused on increasing safe behaviors of drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists along Falls Road.
The Creative Impact Fellow will be part of an interdisciplinary team and participate in a real-world project, engaging with outside partners and community members in Baltimore. They will gain a better understanding of the pedestrian, cyclist, and driver safety issues, and specifically, apply the process of human-centered design to this effort.
Project Overview
Falls Road has suffered due to poor urban planning, disproportionately impacting poorer local neighborhoods. Specifically looking at the stretch of Falls Road from Chestnut Avenue down to the West Trenton Street Alley, according to census data and the Maryland Highway Safety Office (MHSO) ORIOLE traffic safety composite index, this area faces infrastructure and transportation challenges. Of the area’s 18.4K residents, 5.7K (31-33%) live below the poverty line and 13K (71%) are non-white. Additionally, this area recorded 6.4K injury crashes in a six-year period (2018-2023) and averaging 973 total stops each year. The Bike Baltimore counter (https://streetsofbaltimore.com/counters) installed in June 2024 by BDOT along Falls Road where it intersects with the Jones Falls Trail gives further insight into this heavily utilized thoroughfare: 31,310 counts (daily average of 153) of bicyclists, pedestrians, and scooters were documented for only in the second half of 2024 (June-December) – this included 62% bicyclists, 29% pedestrians, 9% scooters.
In collaboration with local neighborhood partners, and with support from the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Highway Safety Office, the MICA Center for Creative Impact is facilitating the “Piloting local neighborhood-engaged interventions to increase safety of all road users on Falls Road” project. The project aims to increase safe behaviors of drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists along Falls Road by increasing access to public safety information (through local neighborhood engagement and improved safety signage and wayfinding) and by testing creative safety interventions that will ultimately prevent crashes and dangerous behaviors and incidents, and reduce safety risk factors.
Focusing on the heavily-trafficked but aging stretch of the historic Falls Road – from the intersection of Chestnut Avenue and Falls Road in the north down to the intersection of West Trenton Street Alley and Falls Road in the south, the project specifically concentrates on six varied sites along this corridor:
Trenton Street Alley & Falls Road Intersection
MICA ‘Park’ Crossing (between Howard St and North Ave bridges along Falls Road)
Baltimore Street Car Museum & CSX Bridge Underpass
W28th Street Bridge Underpass & MA & PA Railroad Roundhouse
Wyman Park Drive Underpass, Horseshoe Falls Crossing, & Jones Falls Trail Intersection
Jones Falls Mills Bend at Chestnut Avenue
Scope of Work
Starting in the Fall 2025 semester, the Creative Impact Fellow will work in a supporting role alongside Steffanie Espat, the Co-Design Lead, of MICA’s Center for Creative Impact, our MDOT collaborators, Neighborhood Partners, and other members of the project team to:
Utilize the human-centered design (HCD) process and HCD methods to learn and design interventions for road-user safety;
Conduct qualitative research, including but not limited to surveys, one-on-one and group interviews, observations, and work-alongs;
Synthesize and share research findings;
Use research findings to generate ideas to inform the development and testing of prototypes;
Plan and facilitate in-person and virtual planning meetings and shareback sessions;
Plan and facilitate in-person and virtual project-related community outreach events and site-specific workshops; and
Engage with people, organizations, institutions, neighborhoods, events, etc. that are also working on road user, pedestrian, and bicycle safety, specifically along the Jones Falls and Falls Road.
The Creative Impact Fellow will work on these activities in varying degrees, depending on project timelines and needs.
*Human-centered design (HCD) is a collaborative, creative process dedicated to understanding people’s needs and designing interventions that better serve people’s needs. HCD supplements and enhances existing research and views problems through the perspective of the people directly impacted. HCD is informed by qualitative insights, positions lived experience as expertise, and involves people in every step of the design process, as co-creators and experts.
Timeline
Start date: December 3, 2025
End date: May 29, 2025 (with potential opportunity to extend through July)
Other important dates to note:
Project Kickoff Meeting: Thursday, December 4, 10am-12pm. Ideally, the student fellow should be able to attend the Project Kickoff in order to meet key project stakeholders and partners.
Although students have winter break from December 20-January 20, a portion of our research will be conducted in January. Prospective Fellows should note that we will need them to work during that time (starting around January 5).
The Creative Impact Fellow will work the equivalent of approximately one day per week for the duration of their 18-week fellowship, totaling a maximum of 125 hours over the spring semester (a 26 week period). (MICA’s work day is equivalent to 7 hours/day).
The Fellow’s work schedule may vary week to week to accommodate their class schedule and commitments, as well as project-related meetings and deadlines. As a result, some weeks the Fellow may work more or less than 7 hours. The Fellow will track their hours worked (not to exceed the allotted 125 total) and will coordinate with their supervisor, Steffanie Espat, to allocate their time accordingly. At the beginning of the fellowship, the Fellow and their supervisor will come up with a work plan together.
The Fellow will also need to participate in the Master of Social Design Practice Based Studio course focused on this project for credit. Some of the research will be completed during/for the course, while other research will be completed during their fellowship. The Fellow will need to track their hours accordingly and work with their supervisor (Steffanie Espat) and faculty for the course (Christina Jenkins) to track time contributed toward the course versus time contributed toward the Fellowship.
Compensation
The Creative Impact Fellow will receive a stipend totaling $2,500 for the duration of their fellowship (equivalent to approximately $20/hour for 125 hours of work total). The stipend will be paid in equal, biweekly installments through student payroll.
Experience and Skills Required
The Creative Impact Fellow candidates must:
Be currently enrolled in the MA in Social Design (MASD) at MICA
Have human-centered design or similar relevant experience
Have demonstrated experience and skills in working with and/or leading diverse teams and facilitating collaborative team work (both virtually and in person)
Work well with a variety of working styles and personalities
Demonstrate effective time management and is able to work on various projects and responsibilities simultaneously
Have excellent communication skills (verbal, written and visual), and be able to communicate in an efficient and timely manner
Adept at using platforms such as Gmail, Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams
Be self-motivated and unafraid to ask questions
Have excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
Be proficient at:
G Suite: Google drive, Gmail, Google docs, Sheets, etc.
Microsoft platforms: Word, Excel, Teams
The Creative Impact Fellow will also need to participate in the Practice Based Studio course focused on this project.
Creative Impact Fellow candidates may also demonstrate the following skills, but are not required to:
Have proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop in particular)
Have proficiency with MURAL
Professional project management and coordination experience
Application Process
Applications must contain the following:
Letter of Interest (1 page maximum)—provide specific reasons or insights for your interest in the position.
Resume/CV—provide any professional experience or activities relevant to the project and position (past and/or current).
Work Sample—include 3-5 portfolio pieces that show your skills and experience in human-centered design, facilitation, and any other relevant skills.
Class Schedule–include a breakdown of your weekly schedule with classes and other obligations for the fall 2024 semester through early spring 2025, as well as any specific dates that you will be unavailable.
Applications must be submitted in Workday.
Please upload one PDF with all of the materials listed above. This may include embedded links.
Please submit applications no later than 5pm EST on Friday, November 19, 2024. Applications received later than the deadline may not be considered. MICA assumes no responsibility or liability for late delivery or receipt of applications.
Applications will be evaluated according to the criteria set forth in this job requisition. Notification of selection or non-selection of all respondents who submitted applications will be issued after the final selection is made.
Questions regarding this job requisition must be submitted to Steffanie Espat, sespat@mica.edu.
Evaluation Process and Criteria
After submission and review of applications, interviews may be requested. Selection of a candidates will be based on the following criteria:
Interest in the position;
Excellence in graduate study and relevant professional experience or activities;
Skill/experience in human-centered design, facilitation, and other relevant skills.
MICA reserves the right to consider other relevant factors it deems appropriate in order to hire the best candidates. MICA may or may not seek additional information from applicants prior to making a selection. This RFP does not commit MICA to select any applicant. MICA reserves the right to accept or reject any or all submittals received, cancel or modify the requisition in part or in its entirety, or change the requisition guidelines, when it is in the best interests of MICA to do so.
Maryland Institute College of Art is committed to its policy of providing equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or veteran status (disabled, Vietnam-era, or otherwise). Furthermore, the College does not tolerate any form of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment or sexual violence. This policy applies to all programs, facilities, and activities provided by Maryland Institute College of Art, including but not limited to admission, educational programs, and employment.
Applicants must apply online for each job in which they are interested. You will not be considered for any job for which you have not specifically applied. We do not accept applications via email, U.S. mail, or fax. Successful candidates for any staff or faculty positions will be subject to a pre-employment background check.
MICA provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact Human Resources at 410-225-2363.