Dr. Heather Braun ALDE Instructor | Assistant Director of Integrated Learning and Life Design

Prior to joining the Life Design Team at Johns Hopkins, Heather Braun received a Ph.D. in English at Boston College, was awarded tenure at two universities, and taught literature, writing, and experiential learning courses for over a decade. Her interest in human-centered design began at Stanford’s d. school as a research fellow, where she applied design thinking principles to tackle complex problems such as building an escape room for a tenth grade English class; investigating social isolation alongside colleagues in Palo Alto and Trinidad; and assisting doctoral students to foster supportive communities and creativity in their research. Upon returning to the University of Akron, she created and led learning experiences for populations on and off campus, from  “Design Your Life” courses for underclassmen to a pilot program for incoming freshmen to design thinking workshops for local women leaders, graduate students, and Brazilian business professionals.