Rizco Creative Director Keith Rizzi was recently appointed to the advisory board for the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design at his alma mater Drexel University. After the inaugural meeting last month, we sat down with Keith to get the inside scoop on this exciting opportunity.
What is the advisory board trying to achieve at Drexel?
As the landscape and environment of the design profession rapidly changes along with the blurring of boundaries between design disciplines, a strong design education is essential. The advisory board has been asked to share our insights on these changes and trends in the industry, and how they potentially impact design education. There are many exciting challenges and opportunities that lie ahead that will impact how Drexel assesses and molds their design curriculum in order to continue to engage students and ultimately prepare them for the future.
What did you do and accomplish during your first meeting?
The first meeting was really a chance for the board members to meet in person, get to know one another, and start to create a dialogue on the topics at hand. The board also toured the new design building — a renovated building that has elements of old along with rustic and modern. The current students have all the assets that they need to be very successful.
What does this assignment mean to you?
First and foremost, it is a great honor to be able to give back to my alma mater. Even more satisfying and probably even more important, is the ability to share my voice as a design practitioner, thinker, and leader. It is very gratifying to lend my expertise towards helping the board continue the excellence in design education at Drexel, which we are all thankful to have encountered first-hand.
When was the last time you were on campus? What has changed the most?
It has been a few years since my last visit, and honestly those visits usually revolved around alumni swim meets. This was the first opportunity I had to experience the program for what it is today, as well as see how the Drexel campus has expanded. The university has grown exponentially. I think what has changed the most is how many majors and course offerings now exist within the design school — it is truly inspiring and almost makes me want to go back to school. (Almost!)
What is the biggest thing that has changed in the creative industry since you were a student?
The digital world we live in now. It can be a very powerful tool, but it is also blurring the lines.
