Eric Silverstein

Eric Silverstein serves as an Adjunct Faculty and Instructor/Lecturer in the MFA User Experience Design program at the College for Creative Studies while leading as Managing Director of 17th & Rose. With over a decade of experience directing innovation, engagement, and growth at General Motors, he has significantly influenced talent development across GM Design Studios and impacted thousands through curriculum development initiatives.

His educational background includes:

• MFA in User Experience Design from the College for Creative Studies
• BA in Psychology from Kalamazoo College with research focused on moral and ethical belief systems

Eric champions a holistic design approach emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge sharing for future problem-solving. His research spans sustainable materials lifecycles, AI/XR integration in daily life, future mobility systems, speculative design methodologies, and organizational dynamics within creative industries. This multidisciplinary focus bridges academic theory with automotive and technology sector applications.

As academic advisor for the CCS MFA program, he shapes curriculum development while leveraging industry experience from General Motors where he built talent pipelines across design disciplines. His professional journey also includes psychiatry research at the University of Michigan and Detroit-based non-profit consulting, demonstrating cross-sector expertise in human-centered systems.

Through 17th & Rose, Eric leads strategic design initiatives connecting education with industry needs. His former GM roles fostered collaborations with top design institutions to transform organizational agility and innovation frameworks within automotive design studios, creating scalable models for creative talent development.