Bio

• Lauren McCarthy is a designer, artist, and programmer, and currently an MFA student in the UCLA Design | Media Arts program. She received a BS in Computer Science and a BS in Art and Design from MIT. Her work explores the structures and systems of social interactions, identity, and self-representation. She is interested in the slightly uncomfortable moments when patterns are shifted, expectations are broken, and participants become aware of the system. Her work takes any form necessary: video, performance, software, internet art, interactive objects and environments, and media installations.
  
  Lauren is currently working at Oblong Industries in Los Angeles, creating gestural interface systems. Prior to moving to the west coast, she worked at Small Design Firm on projects for the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, Thomas Jefferson's home at Monticello, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She has also worked at Continuum and the MIT Media Lab.

Education

• University of California, Los Angeles
  Master of Fine Arts (Design Media Arts), expected June 2011

  
  

  Coursework: Dynamic Media, Interactive Environments, Data and Media Arts, Media Art Theory, Personality, Metacognition, Neuropsychology of Film, Enlightenment




Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bachelor of Science in Art and Design, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering, June 2008




Visual Arts/Architecture Coursework: Sculpture, Photography, Video, Drawing, Modern Art and Mass Culture, History and Theory of Architecture, Architectural Design Studio, Building Technology, Building Technology Laboratory, Design Computing, Online Participatory Media, Advanced Visual Design




Computer Science Coursework: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, Computer Structures, Computer Systems Engineering, Software Engineering, Circuits and Electronics, Signals and Systems, Artificial Intelligence, Differential Equations, Mathematics for Computer Science, Algorithms

Experience

• Oblong Industries, Los Angeles, CA
  Intern, June 2010 - Present
  oblong.com

  
  

  UCLA Design | Media Arts Program, Los Angeles, CA
  Teaching Assistant, Interactivity (Prof. Casey Reas), 2009-10
  Teaching Assistant, Type in Motion (Rafael Macho), 2010
  Teaching Assistant, Video (Prof. Christian Moeller), 2010
  

  
  

  Small Design Firm, Cambridge MA
  Designer, June 2008 - August 2009
  Design and implementation of interactive installations for museums, galleries, and institutions.
  www.smalldesignfirm.com

  
  

  Freelance web and graphic design
  May 2007 - Present
  Design and build websites and print for various small businesses and organizations.

  
  

  MIT Visual Arts Program, Cambridge MA
  Zones of Emergency Blog Developer, 2008
  Worked on design and building of public facing blog (zonesofemergency.net) to publicize and document the MIT Visual Arts Program “Zones of Emergency” Lecture Series.

  
  

  Continuum, West Newton MA
  Brand Environments Intern, 2007
  Worked with team on research, concept generation and production of experience design projects.
  Organized and maintained materials library.
  Independently carried out internal concept project, redesigning music store experienc from research to design and final proposal presntation.
  www.dcontinuum.com

  
  

  MIT Media Lab, Cambridge MA
  Context Aware Computing Group Research Assistant, 2006
  Worked on PlaceMap Project to create a user-centered interactive map.
  Developed interactive visual display to introduce PlaceMap project to the public using Flash, Actionscript, C#, and HTML.

  
  

  MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Cambridge MA
  Research Assistant, 2005
  Worked with research team to investigate and implement a failure-oblivious strategy of computing.
  Categorized, classified, and analyzed patterns of software bugs to identify predictors of software failure.

Exhibitions/Awards

• 2010
  Dean's Scholarship, UCLA
  SIGGRAPH 2010 Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
  (Re)Mapping the Museum Workshop, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA (collaboration with Sara Wookey)
  Interaction10, IxDA Conference, SCAD, Savannah, GA
  NC State College of Design Biennial Graduate Symposium, Raleigh, NC
  GADGET OK!, Art | Sci Gallery, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
  

  
  

  2009
  

  Good News/Bad News, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
  Awesome Foundation Fellowship Grant
  1stfans Twitter Artist of the Month, Brooklyn Art Museum, Brooklyn, NY
  New England WHAT IF? 60x60x60 Project (online)
  Overhere, Gershwin Hotel, New York, NY (commissioned by a canary torsi)
  American Wing Interactive Displays and Wayshowing, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
  Monticello Visitor Center, Charlottesville, VA
  US Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC
  The Politics of Shoes, Mobius, Boston, MA
  Typos in the Writing on the Wall Edition 01 (online) Sarai Media Lab, New Delhi, India
  

  
  

  2008
  Zones of Emergency Show, MIT, Cambridge, MA
  Unfold: Advanced Visual Arts Show, MIT, Cambridge, MA
  NETWORKOUT: Senior Thesis Show (solo), MIT, Cambridge, MA
  

  
  

  2007
  Photography and the Brain Show, McGovern & Picower Institute, MIT, Cambridge, MA
  Placemap Project, Pixelspaces, Ars Electronica, Austria, Linz
  

  
  

Skills

• Proficient with Windows, Mac, and Unix operating systems. Software development, extensive experience with graphics and web programming, in a variety of languages including Java, C++, openFrameworks, Processing, Python, C#, Scheme, Matlab, HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP, MySQL, Flash, ActionScript. Web, print, experience, and interaction design knowledge. Proficient with design software including Adobe Creative Suite, Final Cut Pro, Dreamweaver, AutoCAD, Max 3DS, Lightscape. Electronics/physical computing experience. Fabrication skills, including metalworking, woodworking, casting.