Cassandra Scanlon

Cassandra Scanlon serves as a Lecturer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), primarily affiliated with the Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects (AIADO) department and cross-listed in Ceramics. She teaches foundational courses exploring object design principles, ceramic techniques, and interdisciplinary design processes.

Her research and teaching focus on materiality, functional aesthetics, and the intersection of craft with contemporary design. Through courses like Introduction to Designed Objects and Throwing: Multilevel Ceramics, she emphasizes thinking through making, vessel functionality, and the cultural significance of designed objects. Key influences span James Dyson's engineering precision to Zaha Hadid's formal experimentation.

Scanlon integrates technical training in digital fabrication (Rhino, 3D printing) with traditional ceramic methods like neriage (colored clay marbling), examining how objects shape daily rituals and societal values. Her pedagogy bridges fine art and craft discourse through readings by Glenn Adamson and Edmund de Waal.

As an educator, she develops curricula requiring students to produce iterative physical prototypes while analyzing design heritage. Her courses demand technical proficiency with SAIC's AIADO software template and ceramic studio equipment, including kiln operation and glaze chemistry.