Ruth Schmidt

Ruth Schmidt is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Design (ID) at Illinois Institute of Technology. Her work focuses on behavioral design, integrating humanity-centered design, systems design, and behavioral science to address complex challenges in academia, public policy, and industry. She holds a BA in Art/Semiotics from Brown University and an MDes in Design Strategy from ID.

Her research emphasizes applying behavioral insights to systemic issues, including research assessment reform, public health policy, and organizational innovation. She co-led a $1.2M Arcadia-funded project to develop a dashboard tracking academic hiring/promotion criteria, advancing equitable research assessment practices through DORA collaboration.

Ruth teaches courses on behavioral design, strategic communication, and bias mitigation. She has advised global organizations in healthcare, finance, and education. Key speaking engagements include Yale, Harvard, and international conferences on behavioral science and policy design.

Her work bridges behavioral science and design methodologies, advocating for systems thinking to address ‘wicked problems.’ Recent publications span behavioral public policy, systems design, and research assessment frameworks.