Patricia Olynyk

Patricia Olynyk is the Florence and Frank Bush Professor of Art at Washington University in St. Louis, leading the Graduate School of Art within the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. She holds courtesy appointments in the School of Medicine, Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies, and Performing Arts programs, with fellowships at the Institute for Public Health and Living Earth Collaborative. Her work bridges art, science, and technology through interdisciplinary collaborations with scientists, engineers, and humanists.

Educated at the California College of the Arts (MFA) and supported by Japanese research scholarships, her research explores how institutional structures shape societal understanding. Awards include the R. D. Richards Memorial Faculty Award for teaching and the Francis C. Wood Fellowship. She co-chairs Leonardo/ISAST LASER Talks, promoting cross-disciplinary dialogue, and served as the first non-scientist at the University of Michigan’s Life Sciences Institute.

Her exhibitions, such as Sensing Terrains at the National Academy of Sciences and Dark Skies at UCLA, reflect her focus on human-environment interfaces. Current projects address gender-affirming surgery and medical humanities through immersive installations.