Mary and David Martin/MADWORKSHOP sponsors an annual program with ArtCenter College of Design, offering one Transportation Department faculty member an opportunity to study abroad. The eight-week Affiliated Fellow program is based at the American Academy in Rome, with tuition, travel, and living expenses furnished by the Foundation.

The fellowship allows the recipient to explore intersections between transportation design, urban planning, architecture, and the environment—by using Rome and the surrounding area as an historic and current case study, accessing the region’s many resources. Actively joining with the community of fellows to share meals and dialogue is key to the success of the program. It’s also encouraged that the fellow arrive in Rome with some conversational knowledge of Italian, in order to communicate more effectively with the broader community.

While in Rome, the Affiliated Fellow interacts remotely with ArtCenter classes in session, sharing research findings and other experiences that benefit the students and faculty of the college.