Benjamin Gaydos

Benjamin Gaydos is Associate Professor of Communication and Visual Arts and Program Director of Art and Art History at the University of Michigan–Flint, within the Department of Fine and Performing Arts, College of Arts, Sciences and Education. He holds a joint appointment in the College of Innovation & Technology and leads the Arts + Culture Research Cluster and the Community Design Studio, a student lab for community-led social impact design.

• Associate Professor of Design, College of Arts & Sciences, UM-Flint (2018–present)
• Associate Professor of Design, College of Innovation & Technology, UM-Flint (2021–present)
• Faculty Lead, Arts + Culture Research Cluster (2021–present)
• Faculty Fellow, Urban Institute for Racial, Economic, & Environmental Justice (2020–present)

His educational background includes an MFA in Visual Communication/Design from Virginia Commonwealth University (2008) and a BA in Design from Michigan State University (2002).

Benjamin Gaydos’s research and creative practice focus on social impact design, community resilience, urban renewal, and Black feminist spatial practices. His interdisciplinary work bridges design, anthropology, and urban justice, emphasizing listening, cultural integration, and participatory methods. He co-founded goodgood, a social impact design studio, and is founding editor of Flint Magazine and producer for Sensate Journal at Harvard. His work has been presented at MIT Media Lab, Harvard University, and RISD.

The recent scholarly and creative outputs reflect a strong trend in community-engaged design, public art, and urban justice. Themes include urban acupuncture, memorialization, decolonial curating, and inclusive public space development, often centered in post-industrial cities like Flint and Detroit. These works combine design practice with critical theory, particularly around race, gender, and equity.

His scientific awards include:

• Reconnect2Scholarship Award (2023)
• Provost Teaching Innovation Prize (2022)
• DETROIT DESIGN 139: Inclusive Futures Award (2019)

Benjamin Gaydos has secured significant grant funding as Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-PI from organizations such as the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, Michigan Humanities Council, Ruth Mott Foundation, and the Arts Initiative. These grants support community arts programming, public art projects, urban renewal research, and student-led design labs. His advising role is evident through the Community Design Studio, where students engage in real-world, community-driven projects, though specific student names are not listed.

He leads or co-leads several key initiatives, including the Arts + Culture Research Cluster, the Community Design Studio, and Riverbank Arts, all of which focus on integrating design with community needs, resilience, and cultural expression in urban settings.