Prof. Ken Harper

Ken Harper is an award-winning designer, photojournalist, and educator who serves as an Associate Professor at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. He is also the founding director of the Newhouse Center for Global Engagement, established in 2014. Harper specializes in teaching graphic design, photography, user experience (UX), user interface (UI), immersive design, and development communications. His work often intersects media and global issues, emphasizing the role of visual communication in addressing complex socioeconomic challenges. Harper has led numerous international collaborations, including projects in Liberia, South Africa, Israel, and Palestine. Notable initiatives include One Land One Love, a multimedia project on Israeli and Palestinian farmers; EbolainLiberia.org, a visualization of the Ebola outbreak; and partnerships with South African organizations such as Inkululeko and The Black Power Station. These efforts have culminated in symposia like Race Space and the Media and creative projects such as Window to the World: Syracuse to South Africa1. Before joining Syracuse University in 2008, Harper worked as a multimedia designer and producer for MSNBC.com, The Rocky Mountain News, and organizations like the United Nations and USAID. His expertise spans storytelling, experiential learning, and fostering global engagement through design.