Mark Seltman (A’69) picked up his mail, chuckling at a photo on an invitation to Carnegie Mellon’s Industrial Design program’s 75th anniversary. There was his old professor, smiling atop a motorcycle that Seltman had designed for the class. The photographer? Seltman himself.



The design alum returns to campus Oct. 31 for the special occasion—honoring the first degree-granting industrial design program in the country.

After graduation, Seltman went on to a successful career both teaching and designing everything from housewares to window coverings. Checking his products in Bloomingdale’s one day, he had a life-changing epiphany. “I suddenly realized I had depleted too many of my planet’s natural resources,” he recalled.

He began creating with recycled materials and teaching a new class, “Designing with Garbage.” The media was intrigued, and he quickly became famous as the “guru of garbage.”

Seltman has since moved on to other pursuits but still re-creates for his country house in Vermont.

Today, the industrial design program itself is a home for the environmentally-conscious. For more than 10 years, “sustainability has been an area that we actively explore,” said Mark Baskinger, associate professor of design and organizer of the celebration.


Undergraduate studio

Environmental awareness isn’t taught through specific courses, but integrated throughout the curriculum. “From day one, our students consider not only our relationships with products, but our relationships with each other, and to the environment,” Baskinger explained.

Classes are taught using the apprentice model, in which faculty demonstrate skills right alongside
students. The school is a pioneer of human-centered design, teaching students not just the how to make things, but also the why.

As Baskinger explained, “We really try to get the students to espouse the idea that, hey, we’re designing things that are going to affect people’s lives.”

Seltman still appreciates one of Carnegie Mellon’s enduring priorities. “I give Carnegie Mellon credit for its open-minded, problem-solving kind of focus,” he said.

The anniversary events include open studios, tours, a panel discussion and a reception. For more information, visit www.design.cmu.edu/id75.


Posted on Oct 28, 2009