Mashinka Firunts

Mashinka Firunts serves as an Associate Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences at ArtCenter College of Design, teaching across graduate and undergraduate programs including Graduate Media Design Practices (GMDP), History of Humanities and Information Sciences (HHIS), and History of Society (HSOC).

Her research centers on critical interrogations of technology and design, with primary expertise in Science and Technology Studies (STS), Critical Media Studies, and AI Ethics. This manifests through courses examining historical and theoretical frameworks of media/technology, visual/material cultures, and critical worldviews—particularly focused on societal implications of artificial intelligence as seen in offerings like AI: Pasts + Futures and Designing AI-Driven Interfaces.

Professor Firunts' pedagogical approach integrates critical theory with practical design contexts, evidenced by her teaching load spanning foundational courses like Critical Practices and advanced seminars addressing emergent technological challenges. Her work bridges humanities scholarship with contemporary design practice within ArtCenter's interdisciplinary environment.