Kiana is an MFA candidate in Design for Responsible Innovation at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Her work focuses on UI/UX design and its intersection with pedagogy, particularly within digital learning environments like Canvas LMS. She explores how these platforms can be better tailored for both instructors and students, especially in art and design in-person studio-based courses where traditional teaching methods meet digital tools.
Professionally, Kiana has worked as a product design intern at a Silicon Valley startup and as a user experience designer at a design center on the University of Illinois campus. Currently, she serves as an instructor of record, teaching students ranging from freshmen to seniors. In addition to her teaching role, she has been a teaching assistant for six undergraduate graphic design courses at the university. Her teaching philosophy revolves around critical digital pedagogy, aiming to create inclusive and accessible learning experiences.