For Immediate Release
Contact: Gloria Gottschalk, New School University
             (212) 229-5667, ext. 239
              Carole Schaffer, Parsons School of Design
              (212) 229-8950

(October 11, 2000 - New York, NY) Parsons School of Design announced the appointment of Tony Whitfield as Chair and Atim Annette Oton as Associate Chair of the Product Design department effective this fall. Mr. Whitfield has been a member of the faculty of Parsons School of Design since 1993. He served as Acting Chair of the B.F.A. Product Design department since 1999 and was Coordinator of the department's furniture program.

On the current state of product design, Tony Whitfield remarked, "In unprecedented numbers, new technologies are being introduced that will have undeniable impact on the environment we inhabit. From cosmetic counters to music video animation, from retirement villages to deep space exploration, product designers are essential players in the application of those technologies. Technical expertise, cultural specificity, digital fluency, ergonomic and psychological responsiveness, and environmental sustainability are fundamental concerns for product designers as they devise the things that help us manage and enjoy our lives."

This new vision is born out in daily classroom assignments that not only solve design problems, but may be issue-driven as well. For example, the department theme for 2000/01 is "privacy" and will explore the relationship of design to different human conditions from homelessness to the virtual world of cyberspace. Recent student projects include the development of ecologically beneficial furniture using the rainforest plant -- liana cane -- that included a trip to and collaboration with Liana Cane Lab in Guyana. Students are also working on projects with Price Pfister, IKEA, and Onkyo.

Mr. Whitfield is a furniture designer, arts administrator, educator and writer. Since 1992, when he established his firm, Red Wing & Chambers, Inc., he has designed and produced custom and limited edition furnishings. Mr. Whitfield's work has been published in Interiors, Essence, InStyle, Interior Design, Metropolis, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, among other publications. He has completed commissioned works for the Manhattan restaurants Surya and Cafe Spice as well as Sony Music Entertainment, Lord & Taylor, Mayor and Mrs. David N. Dinkins, Wesley Snipes, Peter and Eileen Norton, Julianne Malveaux, Cassandra Wilson, Sheila Bridges Design, Jack Travis Architects, and Stephen Tilly Architects. His work has been exhibited at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, the Mary Delahoyd Gallery, Rotunda Gallery and Dieu Donne Papermill. He has also been a visiting instructor at the Design School of Universidad Diego Portales in Santiago, Chile and a frequent visiting faculty member at La Escuela de Diseno at Altos de Chavon in the Dominican Republic.

Mr. Whitfield also has an extensive background as an arts administrator. From 1990 through 1995 he was the Senior Policy Analyst for Cultural Affairs for the Office of the Manhattan Borough President. In addition, Mr. Whitfield writes about art, design and new media. He is currently the Design Editor for Oneworld Magazine.

Ms. Oton was born and raised in Nigeria and currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. She is a graduate of City College of New York and the Architectural Association Graduate School, London. She has been published in Architecture Record, Design Build, DesignArchitecture.com, Oculus and Blacklines Magazine. Her work has been exhibited at the Architectural Association, London, the Schomburg Center, the Institute for the Research on the African Diaspora in the Americas and the Caribbean (RADAC), New York, and the City College of New York. Ms. Oton has been profiled in Office.com and Diversity.com for article on Blacklines Magazine. She was a Studio Professor, Interior Design Division at Berkeley College, Waldwick, New Jersey. She is a Board Member of the City College of New York's Architecture Group, an Advisory Board Member for the City College Academy for Professional Preparation Intern Program and a member of the Caribbean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCAC).

The B.F.A. degree in Product Design at Parsons prepares students for a broad spectrum of professional career directions. Students learn to design thoughtful and functional domestic and consumer products to meet specialized needs and make intelligent, responsible use of the latest technologies and materials. They study the process through which a product is conceived, developed, fabricated and marketed, and they develop an awareness of New York City's professional and cultural resources.

The program addresses responsiveness to special needs, industry sponsored product development, architectural and virtual interfaces, mass market electronics, human-powered transport, lighting and furniture design. Students take part in competitions, collaborations, intensive projects, internships, and foreign study - to gain the "real world" experience and flexibility that will enhance their careers. Some of the companies offering Product Design internships to Parsons students are: A/X Armani Exchange, Chanel, Inc., Coach Leatherware, Dakota Jackson, Donghia, Jack Lenor Larsen, Inc., and Ralph Lauren Home Collection.

# # #

 Parsons School of Design is one of the largest degree-granting colleges of art and design in the nation. Currently enrolled are 2,400 undergraduate students, 380 graduate students, and 2,500 non-degree students from all 50 of the United States and from 60 countries. Parsons' main campuses are in New York City's Greenwich Village and Midtown Manhattan. In addition, Parsons has affiliate schools in Paris, France; Kanazawa, Japan; Seoul, South Korea; and the Dominican Republic.

Undergraduate degrees are offered in Architectural Design, Communication Design, Design Marketing, Fashion Design, Fine Arts, Illustration, Integrated Design Curriculum, Interior Design, Photography, Product Design. Graduate degrees are granted in Architecture, Design and Technology, Lighting Design, Painting, Sculpture, and the History of Decorative Arts.