Online Master's in Integrated Marketing Communications
Scott Schmidt

Scott Schmidt is the founding Executive Director of Rural Design Project, an education-based nonprofit providing engagement, planning, and design services to economically disadvantaged communities.

His interest in public service grew from early experiences leading trail building projects in the Rocky Mountains, researching communities abroad in the barrios of Havana, Cuba, and writing speeches at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development during the global financial crisis.

Scott has lectured extensively on the role of human-centered design and evidence-based research in shaping public policy and the built environment. At Georgetown University, he serves as Academic Director of the Design Academy and oversees the Design Management Master’s program capstone, partnering students with clients to deliver research-driven solutions to real-world challenges. At Clemson University, he leads community-engaged studios focused on human-centered design, policy analysis, economic development, and data visualization. He has also held positions at Drexel University’s Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, Rochester Institute of Technology’s College of Art and Design, Lancaster University's ImaginationLancaster, and the University of Maryland’s Human-Computer Interaction Lab.

Previously, Scott served in senior advisory roles across the Federal government, leading digital transformation efforts to modernize public institutions, improve service delivery, and strengthen citizen engagement. He advised Members of the U.S. House of Representatives on emerging technologies and their ethical and policy implications, developed the Federal Reserve’s first system-wide charter for digital messaging and engagement, and served as Special Assistant at the U.S. Department of War for research and development and speechwriter at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development during the global financial crisis.

He holds a joint Bachelor's in Communication and Political Science from the State University of New York at Buffalo, Master's in Public Policy from George Mason University, Master's in Design from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and conducted coursework in urban planning at Universidad de La Habana.