Resume

Gareth Roberts

Master of Industrial Design 4426 Osage Ave, 3F Philadelphia, PA 19104 Ph: (901) 233 8845 groberts@uarts.edu

Profile

Mechanical Engineer and Industrial Designer, with a background in automotive design, industrial design, user-experience design and design research.

Nationality

Australian, with U.S. Permanent Residency since 2006

Education

2010 Masters of Industrial design

The University of the Arts, Philadelphia PA

As of May 2010, I will have completed a Masters of Industrial Design from the University of the Arts; a program that embraces the exploration of new models of design and actively explores how designers can be a catalyst for innovation. The premise of my Masters thesis involved an investigation into how design could be harnessed to increase the efficiency of knowledge transfer in Distance Education, with a focus on improving the functionality and usability of e-learning environments through the use of new technologies including eye tracking.

2006 Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering / Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design) Monash University, Melbourne Australia

My undergraduate studies were undertaken at Monash University (Australia), where I completed a double-degree program in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Design. The program was sponsored through the General Motors PACE program, integrating creative skills in engineering (inventiveness and project management) and industrial design (aesthetics, manufacturing technologies and graphics), with a focus on hi-tech consumer product design and development.

Websites

MID Thesis: Distance Knowledge Transfer

www.distanceknowledgetransfer.com Personal Website

www.gareth-roberts.com Experience

Industrial Designer

MachineArt, Frenchtown NJ 2009

During 2009, I worked with MachineArt as a part-time Industrial Designer and Engineer. My responsibilities include product ideation, design and engineering work for both conceptual and client-driven projects, including the design of an innovative baby stroller.

Gareth Roberts

Master of Industrial Design 4426 Osage Ave, 3F Philadelphia, PA 19104 Ph: (901) 233 8845 groberts@uarts.edu

Experience Continued

Mechanical Engineer

Buchart-Horn, Inc - Memphis, TN 2006 - 2008

Between September 2006 and June 2008 I was a full-time Mechanical Engineer at Buchart-Horn, Inc., a multi-disciplinary architectural and planning company based in Memphis Tennessee. My responsibilities included leading the design of mechanical systems for various facility design projects, managing clients and evaluating potential projects.

While at Buchart-Horn, I managed several large design projects, including a multi-million dollar project with the Tennessee Department of Correction.

Teaching Assistant

First Year Masters of Industrial Design Studio Spring 2010

During the Spring Semester of 2010, I was a Teaching Assistant for Dr. Slavko Milekic’s masters-level studio class. Dr. Milekic is a Professor of Cognitive Science & Digital Design at UArts, and is one of the leading experts in the field of learning technologies. My responsibilities included mentoring two teams of graduate students investigating Distance Education and Eye Tracking. Additionally, I was involved in fostering a collaboration between the UArts MID studio and graduate students from The University of Art and Design, Helsinki Finland.

Teaching Assistant

Sophomore Industrial Design Studio Fall 2008

For the Fall Semester of 2008, I was a Teaching Assistant for the Sophomore Industrial Design Studio at the University of the Arts. The studio was an investigation of material properties and fundamental design principles. My responsibilities included mentoring students during class, guiding student projects throughout the week, providing technical assistance on projects and critiquing student presentations.

Teaching Assistant

Mechatronics Engineering subject GSE-3405 Computer Aided Manufacture 2006

During my final semester at Monash University, I was employed as a Teaching Assistant for Dr. Abdul Mazid, a leading research professional in the field of robotics and control in Australia. My responsibilities included instructing students in the use of Computer Aided Design programs, providing weekly guidance for students outside of class, tutoring problem solving classes and mentoring students.

Gareth Roberts

Master of Industrial Design 4426 Osage Ave, 3F Philadelphia, PA 19104 Ph: (901) 233 8845 groberts@uarts.edu

Major Projects

Distance Knowledge Transfer MID Thesis Project 2010

In an age of increasing connectivity and mobile access to information, Distance Education continues to struggle to gain credibility as a legitimate alternative to traditional education. Why? My MID Thesis project is aimed at answering this question through a critical investigation of current Distance Education practices, culminating in the development of digital interface tools to enhance the efficiency of Knowledge Transfer within Online Education. The project centers on identifying the untapped potential of online education through engaging with the Stakeholders, leading to the co-design of digital tools to improve the functionality, communication and interaction within an e-learning environment.

For more information, see www.distanceknowledgetransfer.com Amuneal Project

First Year MID Project 2008

How can design help a business understand their internal dynamics and streamline their business model?

In the Fall semester of 2008, I was involved in a collaborative project with four other graduate students charged with using design to investigate this question. The project involved the use of Industrial Design theories and practices to fuel a user-centered investigation to understand how the business was operating, what challenges were hindering them and how these could be circumvented. Beginning with the Customer Delivery Teams (CDT’s), we observed the environment they worked in, interviewed the stakeholders, and co-designed solutions to address the challenges they faced. This bottom-up approach afforded us the opportunity to uncover the roots of issues that the company was experiencing directly from the source, and gave the staff an opportunity to contribute to the process directly.

For more information, See http://issuu.com/groberts/docs/collated_book_050809

Gareth Roberts

Master of Industrial Design 4426 Osage Ave, 3F Philadelphia, PA 19104 Ph: (901) 233 8845 groberts@uarts.edu

Conferences and Publications

Museums and the Web 2010 (MW2010) Denver, April 14th-17th

At the Museums and the Web conference in Denver, I was a copresenter of a demonstration focused on the use of webcam-based eye-tracking for museum outreach & research with Dr. Slavko Milekic and Mr. Matthew Miller. My presentation involved a demonstration of a series of digital tools developed for online education throughout my thesis study of Distance Knowledge Transfer.

For more information,

see http://www.archimuse.com/mw2010/abstracts/prg_335002414.html Knowledge Generation, Communication and Management: KGCM 2010 Orlando, June 29th-July 2nd

Dr. Slavko Milekic and I are currently developing a paper for the Knowledge Generation, Communication and Management conference.

The paper, tentatively titled “The potential use of webcam based eyetracking in distance education� will explore how eye tracking can enhance the efficiency of knowledge transfer, increase usability and provide vital feedback to instructors about student cognition.

For more information,

see http://www.iiis2010.org/wmsci/website/default.asp?vc=18 Academic References

Dr. Slavko Milekic Professor of Cognitive Science & Digital Design The University of the Arts, Philadelphia

e-mail: smilekic@uarts.edu Ph: (215) 717-6052 Dr. Benjamin B. Olshin Associate Professor of Philosophy, History of Science and Technology, and Industrial Design The University of the Arts, Philadelphia

e-mail: bolshin@uarts.edu Ph: (215) 717-6486 Mr. Jonas Milder MID Program Director The University of the Arts, Philadelphia

e-mail: jmilder@uarts.edu Ph: (215) 717-6256