Jamie Lynn Slenker, M.F.A.

Jamie Lynn Slenker Headshot
Chair, Department of Art and Design
Professor

Department of Art & Design
College of Arts and Sciences
Education

M.F.A., Interior Design, College of Building Arts
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
Artistic Honors Fellowship

B.S., Interior Design, College of Architecture and Urban Studies
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)

About Jamie Lynn

Jamie Lynn Slenker is a tenured Professor of Interior Design in the Department of Art and Design. She is committed to design as a tool for social change. Her fundamental values are rooted in experiential learning, multidisciplinary collaboration, human-centered design, and environmental responsibility.

As an educator, Jamie takes an inventive approach to developing a collaborative and progressive curriculum that responds to industry trends of the interior design profession. She is a leader in experiential education, guiding global study, community partnerships, professional internships, and industry collaborations.

Her university service has contributed to significant growth and recognition for the program and institution. Jamie played a key role in securing the University of New Haven’s first-time accreditations from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), advancing the visibility, rigor, and professional standing of interior design education at the University.

Jamie is also deeply committed to service beyond the university. She served as President of the Board of Directors for MakeHaven in New Haven, Connecticut, and as Set Design Director for the Little Theatre of Virginia Beach. She has also contributed pro bono design services to organizations including the Progressive Alliance for Non-Violence, Boulder Women’s Safehouse, and the Home Builders Foundation of Metro Denver.

Jamie's research is closely integrated with her teaching and professional practice, allowing emerging technologies and contemporary design issues to inform the classroom. Her recent scholarship explores virtual reality (VR) and generative artificial intelligence (AI) and their implications for design education and practice.

As a practitioner, Jamie’s work is informed by the social science of third-place theory and a particular focus on trauma-informed design. By merging these two areas, she explores how public and community spaces can be intentionally designed to heal, connect, and restore. Her residential work @oreandbosk has been featured by international brands.

Prior to joining the University of New Haven, Jamie practiced professionally with firms in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Boulder, Colorado. Her professional experience spans corporate and government facility planning, healthcare design, sustainable residential design, and mixed-use commercial projects. This broad practice background continues to inform her approach to teaching, research, and community engagement.

Across her roles as educator, researcher, practitioner, and community advocate, Jamie brings together design, technology, and social impact with the goal of creating environments that are more inclusive, resilient, sustainable, and human-centered.

Credentials
  • NCIDQ Certified Interior Designer, National Council for Interior Design Qualification
  • LEED-CI Accredited Professional, United States Green Building Council
  • Professional Member and Abstract Review Coordinator, Interior Design Educators Council
Selected Publications and Presentations
  • Slenker, J.L. (2024). Generative AI Pedagogy for History of Architecture and Interior Design. 2024 Innovative Teaching Ideas Collection, Interior Design Educators Council.
  • Slenker, J. L. (2024, October 31). Leveraging Generative AI for the Study of History of Architecture and Interior Design [Conference presentation]. Interior Design Educators Council Virtual Symposium
  • Slenker, J. L. (2024, March 7). Buchette del Vino: A Uniquely Tuscan Design Feature for Social Distancing from the Bubonic Plague to COVID-19 [Conference presentation]. Interior Design Educators Council International Conference, New York, NY
  • Slenker, J. L., Tribe, M., Newman, M., Munday, R. (2020, September 30). Redesigning Library Spaces for COVID-19 and Beyond [Keynote]. Connecticut Library Consortium, Virtual Expo
  • Slenker, J. and Dominguez, S. (2020, March 5). Savannah Dominguez (25) and her former professor Jamie Lynn Slenker (38) talk about their library design projects they have done with the New Haven Free Public Library. StoryCorps.
    Preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
  • Slenker, J. L. (2019, May 7). Design Thinking [Guest lecture]. Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership (MAOL) Program, The Graduate Institute at The District, New Haven, CT.
  • Slenker, J. L. (2018, March 9). Library design: Authenticity, Acceptance, and Advocacy [Conference presentation]. Interior Design Educators Council International Conference, Boston, MA
  • Slenker, J. L. (2018, February 10). Human-Centered Design and Systems Thinking [Guest lecture]. Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership (MAOL) Program, The Graduate Institute, Bethany, CT.
  • Slenker, J. L. (2017, May 4). Design Thinking and Innovation in Library Design [Conference presentation]. Connecticut Library Association Annual Conference, Groton, CT
  • Slenker, J. L. (2016, October 14). Library Design: Maintaining Relevance of a Building Typology in a Technology Revolution and An Exploration of User Observation Driving Empathy [Conference presentation]. Interior Design Educators Council East Regional Conference, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston, MA
  • Slenker, J. L. (2011, May 17). Faculty advisor [Keynote Address]. Decon ‘11 Poster Session, Building Materials Reuse Association International Conference, Yale University, New Haven, CT