Raja Schaar, IDSA is Associate Program Director and Assistant Professor of Product Design at Drexel University’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design. She also co-chairs IDSA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council. She is an industrial designer with an extensive background in museum exhibit design who is passionate about ways design can make positive impact intersections with health, the environment, and education.
Raja’s interdisciplinary research focuses on addressing inequities in maternal health; methods for engaging black girls and underrepresented minorities in STEM/STEAM through design and technology; innovation and entrepreneurship education; and biologically-inspired design and sustainability.
Raja currently co-leads two collaborative research projects. She works with faculty from Drexel’s College of Nursing and Design and Merchandising Programs the development of low-cost wearables for maternal health. She is co-PI on an interdisciplinary research project funded by the US Department of Education Promise Neighborhood Grant entitled “Black Girls STEAMing through Dance,” where she works with students and faculty from Drexel's departments of Computing and Informatics, Dance, and the School of Education to uncover STEAM identities, literacies, and self-concept in African American girls through the development of wearable technology. Raja is also PI on a VentureWell Faculty Grant that connects Product Design, Biomedical Engineering, and Entrepreneurship to examine the role of clinical immersion on product innovation on campus.
As an educator, Raja works to infuse Drexel’s Product Design Curriculum with society-centered design principles that address impactful, real-world problems. She teaches a number of traditional and research-based studios across the curriculum, but her favorite courses to teach are Interdisciplinary Product Design, Bio-Inspired Design and Sustainability, Design and Waste, and Wearables for Health.
Before joining Drexel's Product Design faculty, Raja taught at Georgia Tech School of Industrial Design and the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at GA Tech and Emory University. Raja received her BSID from Georgia Tech in 2001 and completed her graduate work at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2003.
BS Industrial Design, Georgia Tech, 2001
MA Art Education, School of the Art institute of Chicago (SAIC), 2003
Refereered Journal Articles and Book Chapters
Ifill, V., Schaar,R., Cameron, T., Rogers, & Allen-Handy, A., M. (under review). Black Creativity and Interdisciplinary Education as Liberation. Contribution in the “Learning Pursuits & Liberatory Literacies” chapter. Liberatory Curriculum in Dance Education.
Schaar, Raja. Rittner, Jennifer. 2022. "In conversation: Raja Schaar & Jennifer Rittner on sustainability as a historically Black practice ." In The Black Experience in Design: Identity, Expression, & Reflection, edited by Anne H. Berry, Kareem Collie, Penina Laker, Lesley-Ann Noel, Jennifer Rittner, Kelly Walters, 300-317. New York: Allworth Press
Jennifer Rittner, Anne H. Berry, Jacqueline Francis, Ricardo Gomes, Alicia Olushola Ajayi, Ajay Revels, Raja Schaar, David J. Walker, Kelly Walters, Michele Washington. Suggestions for How We Begin to Achieve Equity by Design: Design Leadership: Now What? Design for All Institute of India December 2021 Volume 16 No.12
Allen-Handy, A., Ifill, V., Schaar, R., Rogers, M., Woodard, M. (2021). The Emerging Critical Pedagogies of Dance Educators in an Urban STEAM After-School Program for Black Girls, Journal of Urban Learning, Research, and Teaching, 16(1), 58-88.
Allen-Handy, A., Ifill, V., Schaar, R., Rogers, M., & Woodard, M. (2020). Black Girls STEAMing through Dance:
Inspiring STEAM literacies, STEAM identities, and positive self-concept. In K. Thomas & D. Huffman
(Eds.). Challenges and opportunities for transforming from STEM to STEAM education. Hershey, PA: IGI Global
Schaar, R., Baeza, C., Using Design Fiction to Teach Ethics in Design. INNOVATION: the Quarterly Journal of the Industrial Designers Society of America, Design Education, Winter 2020.
Refereed Conference Paper Presentations
AABHE 2024
AERA 2024
Allen-Handy, A., Ifill, V., *Cameron, T., Schaar, R., & Rogers, M. (2023, April). Amplifying Black women educators’ postionalities and critical praxis in a transdisciplinary STEAM program for Black girls. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
Chris Baeza, Raja Schaar, Carissa Henriques, Kyle Gipson, B Academics Roundtable, Humanity at work in Academia: informing the future of business for good. Philadelphia. December 2022
Justin Henriques and Raja Schaar. Learning activities that support analysis of design resilience across difference climate futures. CDW2:Canadian Design Workshop. University of Waterloo. Virtual. December 2022
Schaar, R. and Ifill, V. (2022, July) Designing Expressive Wearables: Trans-disciplinary co-curricular Dance-led collaboration. Advances in Interdisciplinary Practice in Industrial Design Proceeding of the AHFE 2021, International Conference on Interdisciplinary Practice in industrial Design, New York.
Ifill, V., Schaar, R., Allen-Handy, A., Rogers, M. Black Girls Create: Supporting Multi-media Art Making through an After School Program. Paper presentation at the annual National Dance Educators Organization Professional Development Conference. Virtual. July 2022
Schaar, R., Baeza, C. Cli-fi Futures: Afrofuturism, Climate Justice, and Design. International Design Conference Education Symposium. Virtual. September 2021
Schaar, R., Zeagler, C. (July, 2021) Predicting Inclusive Futures: Wearables, Automation, and Design Speculation. Advances in Interdisciplinary Practice in Industrial Design Proceedings of the AHFE 2021, International Conference on Interdisciplinary Practice in Industrial Design, Virtual Conference, USA. July 5-29, 2021
Allen-Handy, A., Ifill, V., Schaar, R., & Rogers, M. Our Stories, Our Spaces: Black Women and Girls' Experiences as Students and Teachers. American Education Research Association Conference. April 2021
Woodard, M., Schaar, R., Rogers, M., Allen-Handy, A. & Ifill, V. (2020). Cultivating a STEAM interest in Black Girls in an After-School Program. In E. Langran (Ed.), Proceedings of SITE Interactive 2020 Online Conference (pp. 346-348). Online: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).
Raja Schaar and Chris Baeza. Using Design Fiction to Teach Ethics in Design. International Design Conference Education Symposium, Virtual. September 2020
Schaar, R. Gerondelis, A., Scheel, B. Attafit. Proceedings of the Second Digital Naturalism Conference, Gamboa, Panama pp 216-219. August 2020.
Allen-Handy, A., Ifill, V., Schaar, R., & Rogers, M. Dancin’, Steamin’, and Dreamin’: How Black girls negotiate identity and future selves in a dance infused STEAM after school program. American Education Research Association Conference, San Francisco, CA. April 2020
Schaar, R., Allen-Handy, A., Rogers, M., Ifill, V. Supporting African American girls STEAM identities and positive self-concept through dance, design, and coding. American Education Research Association Conference, San Francisco, CA. April, 2020
Raja Schaar, Beyond Design Today. Rethinking relations between people, objects and environments. AMPS Experiential Design Conference, Tallahasee, FL, January 2020
Mamta Shah, Raja Schaar, Danielle Chen, Mark E. Petrovich, Jr., and Aroutis Foster, Invent with Environment: A Maker Course for Environmental Science and Art, The European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI), Aachen, Germany, August 2019
Mamta Shah, Mark E. Petrovich, Jr., Raja Schaar, Danielle Chen, and Aroutis Foster, Change in Role Identity of an
Environmental Science Educator Who Desires to Facilitate Learning by Making, The Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education (SITE), Las Vegas, Nevada, March 2019
Allen-Handy, A., Schaar, R., Ifill, V., Rogers, M., Black girls STEAMing through Dance: A Transdisciplinary
Collaboration. Paper presented at the International Conference on Urban Education. Nassau, Bahamas. November 2018
Schaar, R. STEAM Education + Play. Proceedings of the First Digital Naturalism Conference, Koh Lon, Thailand (2018), pp 272-275. October 2018
Ackerman, J. Schaar, R. Clinical Observational Design Experience: A Large Design Oriented Clinical Immersion Course Based In Emergency Departments. VentureWell Open 20th annual conference proceedings. March 2016
Schaar, R. Jacobson, M., and Rains J. Jump-starting Biomedical Design Education in the Sophomore Year: A human-centered approach. VentureWell Open (Formerly NCIIA) 19th annual conference. March 2015
Schaar, R. and Shankwiler, K. Design Gateway: Pedagogical Discussion of a Second-Year Industrial Design Studio. 24th National Conference on the Beginning Design Student, 2008.
Refereed Posters
Schaar, R., Allen-Handy, A., Rogers, M., Ifill, V., Woodard, M. Humanizing Computer Science Education: Addressing Critical Issues for K-12 Teaching and Learning, Black Girls STEAMing through Dance, Design, and Code. American Education Research Association Conference, Virtual Conference, USA. April, 2021
Mamta Shah, Raja Schaar, Danielle Chen, Mark E. Petrovich, Jr., and Aroutis Foster, Invent with Environment: A Maker Course for Environmental Science and Art, The European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI), Aachen, Germany, August, 2019
Schaar, R., Allen-Handy, A., Rogers, M., Ifill, V. (2020, April). Supporting African American girls STEAM identities and positive self-concept through dance, design, and coding. Paper accepted at the American Education Research Association Conference, San Francisco, CA (cancelled due to Covid)
Editorials
Eds. Raja Schaar and Chris Livaudais. INNOVATION: Decolonizing Industrial Design, the Quarterly Journal of the Industrial Designers Society of America. https://www.idsa.org/innovation/spring-2021 Spring, 2021
Raja Schaar, From Colonization to Liberation. INNOVATION, the Quarterly Journal of the Industrial Designers Society of America. https://www.idsa.org/innovation/spring-2021 Spring, 2021
Rittner, J. Anne H. Berry, Jacqueline Francis, Ricardo Gomes, Alicia Olushola Ajayi, Ajay Revels, Raja Schaar, David J. Walker, Kelly Walters, Michele Washington.. Design Leadership: Now What?. Medium.com The Future of Design in Higher Education. June 2020.
Raja Schaar. Empathy for Engineers, Pioneer, monthly newsletter based in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory, April 2014
Grants
Spencer Foundation Large Grant ($361,000)
STEAMing through Dance: A Multimodal Exploration of Black Girls Intersectional Identities and STEAM Literacies in a STEAM Counterspace
Co-Principal investigator, 2024-2026
PI: Allen-Handy, A.,
Co-PIs: Ifill, V., Rogers, M
This multimodal exploratory case study aims to understand the ways in which transdisciplinary, embodied learning within the nexus of a STEAM counterspace and participants’ cultural wealth support the intersectional identity development and STEAM literacies of 7-13 year old Black girls.
U.S. Department of Education West Philadelphia Promise Neighborhood Grant. ($150,650)
BLACK GIRLS STEAMING THROUGH DANCE
Co-Principal Investigator/Program Provider, 2019-2023
The West Philly Promise Neighborhood is a U.S. Department of Education funded grant to support "cradle-to-career" opportunities for children living or going to school in Belmont, East Parkside, Mantua, Mill Creek, Powelton Village, and West Powelton/Saunders Park. The program seeks to improve education, health, and economic successes for children, their families and communities.
Colonial Athletic Alliance IN/CO
Empowering Students to Lead Climate Resilient Change ($40,000)
Principal Investigator, 2022-2024
Drexel University and James Madison University
This grant supported a series of convenings of an interdisciplinary group of faculties between James Madison University (Engineering, Graphic Design) and Drexel (Product Design and Merchandising) to adapt and create a suite of tools and learning experiences that help students develop mindsets and skillsets necessary to address climate change and sustainability challenges in
their work.
Teagle Foundation Planning Education for American Civil Life Grant ($275,000)
The Program in Civic Foundations
Investigator, Faculty Fellow 2022-2024
36 month grant to establish the Program in Civic Foundations as a centerpiece of civic education in the Pennoni Honors College at Drexel University. The aim of the program is to explore the concept of a just society, the formation of the American republic, and critical issues facing Philadelphia and the United States. Throughout three key courses, students will have an opportunity to visit sites across Philadelphia and to work directly with local civic organizations.
Teagle Foundation Planning Grant ($25,000)
PLANNING GRANT FOR EDUCATION FOR AMERICAN CIVIC LIFE
Co-Investigator, 2021-2022
12-month grant to develop and pilot a first-year core curriculum course in the Honors College guided by the question: How does Philadelphia—where the most important documents in American history were written and ratified—reflect both the noblest values that we seek to embrace as a people and the ways in which our society has failed to live up to these values?
Drexel University Scholarly and Creative Activity Award ($8,560)
SMART TEXTILE SENSOR CUFF FOR THE PRE-DIAGNOSTIC DETECTION OF PREECLAMPSIA
Principal Investigator, 2018-2021
Development of a low-cost, wearable edema sensor cuff that will serve as an early warning of high blood pressure in order to mitigate socioeconomic and medical service challenges of hypertensive pregnancy complications—specifically preeclampsia.
Drexel School of Education Funded Research Award ($6000)
INVENT WITH ENVIRONMENT: FACILITATING 21ST CENTURY KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND MOTIVATION TO LEARN THROUGH STEAMULATING PLAY-BASED EXPERIENCES IN INFORMAL SETTINGS
Co-Principal Investigator, 2018-2019
The objectives of this study include are to examine one way to bridge students’ experiences with STEAM maker kits to disciplinary knowledge, transdisciplinary skills, and their interest in STEAM through the use of the Play Curricular activity Reflection Discussion (PCaRD) play-based pedagogical model, Design, and Making.
Westphal Mini-Grant ($1,500)
BLACK GIRLS STEAMING THROUGH DANCE: EXAMINING STEAM LITERACIES, STEAM IDENTITIES, AND SELF-CONCEPT COSTUME FUND
Principal Investigator, 2018
This project integrates concert dance, design, computer science, and creative writing to inspire the formation of STEAM literacies, STEAM identities, and positive self-concept amongst 7–12-year-old African American girls in West Philadelphia.
ExCITe Center SEED Grant ($5,000)
BLACK GIRLS STEAMING THROUGH DANCE: EXAMINING STEAM LITERACIES, STEAM IDENTITIES, AND SELFCONCEPT
Co-Principal Investigator, 2017-2018
This project integrates concert dance, design, computer science, and creative writing to inspire the formation of STEAM literacies, STEAM identities, and positive self-concept amongst 7–12-year-old African American girls in West Philadelphia.
Rankin Scholar-in-Residence Fund ($7,500)
PROGRAMMED INTIMACY: MAGGIE ORTH PUBLIC LECTURE, WORKSHOP, AND EXHIBITION
Co-Principal investigator, 2017
As a career development activity, received a generous internal grant to bring Maggie Orth, PhD to Drexel as a Scholar in Residence. During her week-long residency, she presented on ethics, e-textiles, and the sustainability of wearable technology to the Drexel community through a public lecture. Funding also supported exhibition of work, and a two-day interactive speculative design workshop.
VentureWell Faculty Grant ($19,600)
CI2PI: CLINICAL IMMERSION TO PRODUCT INNOVATION
Principal investigator, 2017-2021
Funding to the develop an interdisciplinary course designed to leverage expertise and opportunities within Drexel University's Department of Engineering, Product Design, and Entrepreneurship. Students will leave the course with a better understanding of how to identify clinical problems, exposure to real-world design learning, experience with Lean Startup methodology, and increased entrepreneurial confidence.
Refereed Conference Presentations
Sadan Kultural-Konak, Khanjan Mehta, Chithra Adams, Raja Schaar. Designing Mentoring Programs for Inclusive Innovation Ecosystems. VentureWell OPEN 2024, San Diego, CA, March 2024
Justin Henriques, Raja Schaar, Carissa Henriques. Innovating Climate Futures Workshop. VentureWell OPEN 2024, San Diego, CA, March 2024
Raja Schaar. Climate Futures and Resilience Workshop. Dinacon 3, Batticoloa, Sri Lanka. July 2022
Raja Schaar, Chris Baeza, Grace Landry. Ethical Futures in Social Entrepreneurship Workshop. VentureWell OPEN 2022. March 2022
Raja Schaar, Chris Baeza., Design, Disaster, and Impact: Connecting Cli-Fi, Ethics, and Social Entrepreneurship to the Future Workshop. VentureWell OPEN 2021. Virtual. March 2021
Raja Schaar, Ti Chang, Rachel Hobart, and Rachael Newton. Don't Just Make It Work, Make It Better for Womxn. South by Southwest (SXSW). Virtual. March 2021
Raja Schaar and Chris Baeza. It Was a Lack of Imagination,' Except Someone Thought of It: Teaching Ethics with Science Fiction. VentureWell OPEN, Salt Lake City., March 2020 (cancelled due to Covid)
Raja Schaar, Earth, Wind, Water, Fire: Design Innovation in the Face of Extreme Weather, VentureWell OPEN Annual Conference, Washington D.C., March 2019
Raja Schaar, Valerie Ifill, Ayana Allen-Handy, and Michelle Rogers, Black Girls STEAMing Through Dance: Examining Identity and Self Concept, National Art Education Association Convention, Boston, March 2019
Raja Schaar, Valerie Ifill, and Ayana Allen-Handy, Identity and Self Concept Through Design, Making, Technology and Dance: A STEAM Based Approach, National Art Education Association Research Commission Pre-Conference, Boston, March 2019
Raja Schaar, Black Girls STEAMing through Dance and Wearable Technology, NAEA Convention, Seattle, WA, March 2018
Mike Glaser, Raja Schaar, CI2PI: Training Problem Finders through Contextual Inquiry, VentureWell Open Conference, Austin, TX, March 2018
Raja Schaar and Samir Shah, Pennsylvania Digital Government Summit, Design Thinking in Government, Harrisburg, PA, December 2016
Raja Schaar, A Visit Into the World of Healthcare Wearables, VentureWell Open Conference, Portland, March 2016
Raja Schaar, Ann Gerondelis, and Marc Weissburg, Biologically-Inspired Design in the Classroom: a 5E Approach, Georgia Institute of Technology ASEE STEM Education Research Expo, Georgia Tech, February 2016
Ann Gerondelis, Raja Schaar, and Marc Weissburg, Biologically-Inspired Design, Georgia Science Teacher Association Conference, Stone Mountain, GA, January 2016
Raja Schaar, Leaders Instead of Leaners: Inspiring Women and Underrepresented Minorities to Lead in STEM Fields, EduCon 2.8, Philadelphia, January 2016
Jeremy Ackerman (Moderator), Raja Schaar, James Rains, and Wendy Newstetter, Clinical Observational Design Experience: A Large Design Oriented Clinical Immersion Course Based in Emergency Departments, VentureWell Open Conference, Portland, March 2016
Jeff Mather (moderator), Raja Schaar, Ann Gerondelis, Catherine Muller, Roundtable STEAM Conversation with Jeff Mather and Guests, Ferst Center for the Arts Tech Arts Festival, Atlanta, 2015
Catherine Muller, Raja Schaar, and Ann Gerondelis, ACTING OUT: Design Literacy, Connecting Students to Translation & Practice, NAEA Convention: Curriculum Slam!. NAEA Convention: Curriculum Slam!: Assembling Comprehensive Contemporary Art & Design Curriculum, New Orleans, 2015, New Orleans. March 2015
Raja Schaar, Rachel Ford, and James Rains, Spinning Out Champions and Winners: A curricular approach to empower entrepreneurs, VentureWell Open Conference, Washington, D.C. March 2015
Raja Schaar and Catherine Muller, Material Rescue: Design, Sustainability, + Lighting, Woodruff Art Center Educator Conference, Atlanta, June 2015
Raja Schaar, Catherine Muller, and Ann Gerondelis, What Drives Your Brain?, Design Learning Network Symposium, Boston, 2014
Raja Schaar and Catherine Muller, DesignEd Futures Design Education Conference, From STEM to STEAM: Design Activities Driving K-12 Learning in Math and Science, Philadelphia, 2014
Raja Schaar and Catherine Muller, Material Rescue: Design and Sustainability in the Classroom, Woodruff Art Center Educator Conference, Atlanta, 2014
Raja Schaar and Catherine Muller, Classroom Arts Interventions: STEM TO STEAM via Design Thinking, NAEA Convention: Curriculum Slam!, San Diego, 2014
- "Current | Future," When I can’t see the Shore Choreographed by Valerie Ifill and dancers Film by Les Rivera Dancers: Maddie Alberici, Louisa Arnold, Shermeka Brown-Ancrum, Giulia Dostie, Alisia Lipsey, Emma Stonehouse, Mia Zlupko. Music: “Wisdom Eye” by Alice Coletrane, “Solo” by Lous and The Yakuza, “BRAVA (Carta Pa Tareza)” by ACOLORS ENCORE. Lighting: Dom Chacon. Costumes: Rebecca Kanach. E-textiles Design: Raja Schaar and Nicole Feller-Johnson. Text: Gumbs Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals by Alexis Pauline
- Historical Marker: Old Stone Church Biracial History Project, Hooper Street Historical Markers, Atlanta, GA, Installed 2020
- Exhibition Design: Fox Historic Costume Collection, James Galanos Exhibition, Philadelphia, PA, 2018
- Teaching Museum North, IMPACT: *World War II, *Roswell, GA, 2016
- Teaching Museum North, *Depression Era Kitchen Recreation, *Roswell, GA, 2014
- GA Tech Biomedical Engineering Display Cases, Atlanta, GA, 2014
- Old Stone Church BiRacial History Project Historical Markers, Atlanta, GA 2009 & 2012, 2014
- Teaching Museum North, *Depression Era Kitchen, *Roswell, GA, 2014
- 60 Years of Distinguished Women at the GA Tech College of Architecture*, Atlanta, GA, 2013
- XYZ: Alternative Voices in Game Design, *Museum of Design Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 2013
- de Sakhnoffsky: The Illustrations and Works of Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky*, Atlanta, GA, 2013
- GA Tech College of Architecture Library Exhibition Windows, Atlanta, GA 2012
- GA Tech *Career Services History *Wall, Atlanta, GA, 2012
- Zoo Atlanta, *Traders Alley *AZA concept booklet; Atlanta, GA, 2011
- MODA, *Love Nests: Photographs and Objects*; Atlanta, GA, 2010
- National Park Service, Ocmulgee National Monument; Macon, GA, 2009
- Wind Creek Casino, Atmore AL, 2009
- Museum of Design Atlanta, *Made in GA: Made in School*; Atlanta, GA 2008
- Rome Area History Museum, Capital Campaign Concept Book & Sketches; Rome, GA, 2007
- American Museum of Natural History, *Darwin’s Study*, Traveling Exhibition, 2007
- GA Sea Turtle Center, Illustrations; Jekyll Island, GA, 2007
- The Audubon Institute, Fish Tank Façade; New Orleans, LA, 2007
- Evansville African American Museum; Evansville, IN, 2007
- Greensboro Historical Museum, *Welcome to the Gate City!*; Greensboro, NC, 2006
- National Park Service, Andersonville Prisoner of War Museum, Who is a POW?; Andersonville, GA, 2006
- Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Multimedia, *Reflections of Culture*; Atlanta, GA, 2006
- Imagineit! Children’s Museum of Atlanta, *Acorn’s Garden*; Atlanta, GA, 2000