Máille Faughnan, Ph.D.

Máille Faughnan is a Professor of Practice and Associate Director for Social Innovation. Dr. Faughnan teaches and researches human-centered design and social innovation with diverse audiences, including educators, non-profit professionals, and undergraduate and graduate students. Faughnan facilitates the application of these methodologies with campus and community partners through tailored workshop pedagogy, assessment, and outreach.

In her previous role as a SISE instructor and Research Fellow , Dr. Faughnan served as the curriculum lead for the biannual Fast 48, a weekend-long bootcamp where professionals and graduate students learn human-centered design while addressing a real challenge facing a community organization. She has taught core SISE courses, including Introduction to Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (SISE 2010), and the SISE Senior Seminar (SISE 4050) and previously included Design Thinking for Social Impact (SISE 3010). She oversees Taylor Student Fellowships, supporting a cohort of 7 undergraduates and mentoring 4 design thinking fellows. She also supports the development of Taylor’s scholarship arm through original research, writing, and applied evaluation.

Faughnan’s scholarly work is interdisciplinary, integrating qualitative, ethnographic methods and case study approaches to understand the cultural dimensions of global development institutions and innovation processes. Her field research in urban and rural areas of New Orleans, Central America, and East Africa spans topics such as gender and social entrepreneurship, cultural development programs, design thinking for reproductive health, and the diffusion of design thinking through capacity-building.

Faughnan holds an MS in international development from Tulane University and doctorate from the Payson Graduate Program for Global Development, specializing in social innovation and human-centered design in international development practice.

Courses:

SISE 2010 Introduction to Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship

SISE 4050 Senior Seminar