Jeffery Kasper

Jeffery Kasper is an Assistant Professor and Undergraduate Program Director in the Department of Art at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He holds an MFA in Social Practice from Queens College CUNY and is pursuing advanced studies in trauma-sensitive strategies.

Research Focus: Interdisciplinary art projects merging graphic design, participatory learning, and disability advocacy. Key areas include social sustainability, inclusive pedagogy, and accessibility in art/design education. Recent work explores relational health, proximity, and safety through public installations like Soft Spots and Boundary Objects.

Recognition: Awards include the Public Interest Technology Fellowship (2023), Creative Communities Fellowship (National Arts Strategies), and multiple grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. Serves on advisory boards for More Art and Paperbark Literary Magazine.

Teaching: Courses span foundational studio practices, design thinking for social innovation, and public art production. Recent courses include Art 490 (Public Art Topics), Art 795 (Graduate Critiques Seminar), and Design Projects & Production (Art 464).

Labs/Initiatives: Co-founded Civic Art Lab (2010), a public pedagogy platform. Active in strategic consulting for disability advocacy, artist services, and health equity initiatives through the UMass Institute for Diversity Sciences.