June He

June He is an assistant professor of product design in the Westphal College of Media Arts and Design. She is a multifaceted designer, artist and author with extensive industry experience. He is an expert in product design, which includes eyewear design as well as design for the aging. She uses empathic design and participatory design methods to explore the opportunity at the intersection of gender, immigrant and cultural identity.

She is currently leading Aging and Design course series as well as research projects for cross-disciplinary students at Drexel and older adults in Philadelphia’s Asian communities. Her team laid the groundwork for creating a community-based aging-relevant design framework. They produced peer-reviewed publications and conference speeches including topics like Design Thinking in Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Transformative Learning Pedagogy, and Co-Design with Older Immigrants in Philadelphia. June He received Drexel University’s 2023 Provost Award for Pedagogical Innovation. Currently she is the lead editor of a book Community Based Learning for an Ageing World- Intergenerational & Inclusive Practices for a Humanities of Care.

June He is the founding director of Empathic CoDesign Lab, which initiates and supports design projects that celebrate diversity, equality, fairness and inclusion for community members. The lab aims to increase the awareness of the voices and needs of marginalized communities and create innovative solutions with them instead of for them. Her team collaborates with interdisciplinary faculty and researchers across the United States, local non-profit community partners and overseas universities.

Originally from China, June He holds a bachelor of engineering degree in industrial design from Jiangnan University and a master’s degree in fine arts in industrial design from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.