Arthi Krishnaswami

Arthi Krishnaswami serves as an Adjunct Professor at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Design, where she teaches 'Design for Social Innovation,' a full-semester seminar course she designed that integrates design, public policy, technology, and business to address social sector challenges. She has developed RyeCatcher Education PBC, a web-based application supporting students' academic, behavioral, social, emotional, health and wellness needs, and founded the Community Success Institute, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization focused on improving educational outcomes for students in at-risk communities.

Education:

• Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy and American Institutions from Brown University (May 2000)
• M.Des. in Communication Planning and Information Design from Carnegie Mellon University (May 2006)

Arthi Krishnaswami works at the intersection of public policy, design, and technology, specializing in information design and data visualization to enable informed decision-making for diverse audiences. Her research spans educational technology, user experience design, behavioral economics, and GIS mapping, with a particular focus on creating systems that support holistic student development and improve outcomes in underserved communities. Her work emphasizes user-centered research, strategic information design, and creating visual narratives that make complex data accessible to policymakers and the public.

Her publication history reveals a consistent trajectory from early work on information design for public policy analysis through to current innovations in educational technology platforms. The most recent articles focus on pandemic response, vaccine education resources, and holistic student data management systems, demonstrating her ability to apply design thinking to rapidly evolving societal challenges while maintaining a consistent focus on equity and accessibility.

Scientific Awards and Recognition:

• MacArthur DML Trust Challenge winner and grant recipient (2015)
• Values Award 2008 (highest service award at College Board)
• Patent US 10,147,335 B2 for Education Data Platform (2018)
• Patent Singapore for related educational technology (2020)

As founder of both RyeCatcher Education PBC and the Community Success Institute, Krishnaswami has secured significant funding from organizations including the Gates Foundation, Robinhood Foundation, and Houston Foundation to develop and implement her educational technology platforms. She has collaborated with institutions including Brown University, Duke University, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, presenting at the first US Datapalooza and contributing to the Obama administration's behavioral economics initiatives through Ideas42.

Her work with CMU School of Design extends beyond teaching to include project sponsorship for graduate interaction design studios, where students have contributed to the development of RyeCatcher's mobile interfaces, data visualization approaches, and data entry mechanisms. Through the Community Success Institute, she leverages open source software and open access research to create sustainable communities of trust in education across America.