Prof. Chu signs contract with MIT Press

Prof. Hsiao-Yun Chu has signed a book contract with MIT press for a manuscript on early woman industrial designers in the United States, mostly focusing on the eastern seaboard, from about 1850-1914. "Women designers have been around since the start of this profession, but their contributions have been obscured by decades of history that favor white, male protagonists," says Chu. "My research illustrates how women were active in design education and design practice decades earlier than has been previously recognized. This is critical in better understanding and representing the history of design in America." Chu acknowledges generous funding from the New York Public Library, the Library Company of Philadelphia, and San Francisco State in pursuing this research.