I truly live in two worlds. This "two world" concept once posed too much ambiguity for me, as I felt torn as to whom I was. In maturity I have come to find it the source of my power, as I can easily move between these two places and not feel that I have to be one or the other, that I am an Indian in this modern society.

–James Luna (Luiseño)

Mindy Magyar is an associate professor in the Industrial Design Program at Rochester Institute of Technology. Her critical studio practice explores the cultural narratives within our constructed landscape and is informed by her perspective as a Mi’kmaw artist and designer.

 Before joining RIT, Magyar was a Project and Design Manager at the Smithsonian Institution. There, she partnered with the Smithsonian museums to develop the Institution’s commercial activities. Her projects included Mitsitam Espresso at the National Museum of the American Indian, the Hirshhorn Museum Shop, and both the Sweet Home Café and Museum Shop at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Magyar began her career as an Applied Research Analyst at JP Morgan Investment Management. But after subsequent roles in venture capital and international bond sales, she left Wall Street to pursue her passion for design.

Magyar holds an MFA in 3D Design from Cranbrook Academy of Art, an MBA in Arts and Cultural Management and Entrepreneurship from the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania, and a BS in Chemical Engineering with minors in Bioengineering and American Indian Studies from Cornell University. She was a founding faculty member of the MBA/MA Design Leadership Program at the Maryland Institute College of Art. She has served on the boards of Creative Startups (Santa Fe, NM) and Friends of Ganondagan (Victor, NY), and is a member of the Art Committee of the Memorial Art Gallery (Rochester, NY).