Jenna Frye

Jenna Frye is a Professor and Assistant Department Chair of First Year Experience at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). She founded MICA's first freshman student makerspace, the Make Cool Stuff Lab, and pioneered the 'Epic Fail' course, emphasizing experimental learning through uncharted challenges. Her work bridges art and science, notably designing a toy for National Zoo elephants to foster social interaction among Asian elephants. She is an artist-in-residence at Johns Hopkins University's Hopkins Extreme Materials Institute (HEMI), exploring visual patterns in materials under extreme conditions to create educational tools.

Her research focuses on problem-forming pedagogy, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the intersection of art, science, and design. She emphasizes creativity and intellectual curiosity in education, advocating for risk-taking environments where failure drives innovation. Her current residency at HEMI merges her design expertise with materials science to develop embodied learning experiences.

• Key affiliations: MICA (since 2005), HEMI (upcoming residency)
• Labs: Make Cool Stuff Lab
• Teaching: Graphic Design, First Year Experience courses