On March 1, 2026, the Faculty of Design at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts will have a new Dean's Office. Prof. Dr. Pamela C. Scorzin M.A. was elected Dean, Prof. Andreas Pawlitzki takes over the office of Vice Dean.
The election was made by the faculty council and confirmed by the university management. Prof. Dirk Gebhardt had previously headed the faculty for six years. He is now moving fully back into teaching.
Pamela C. Scorzin, an internationally networked theorist whose work ranges from classical art history to generative and immersive technology, will head the faculty in future. Having grown up in Vicenza, the city of Andrea Palladio - arguably the most important architect of the Renaissance in Northern Italy - she combines a keen sense of proportion and form with a clear view of digital visual worlds. In her teaching and research projects, she deals with visual culture, digital aesthetics, scenography and fashion and understands design as a precise formal language with social responsibility.
One focus of her work is the role of artificial intelligence in design. "Design begins where form takes responsibility," emphasizes Prof. Scorzin. She sees AI as a co-creative partner and critical collaborator in this process. "A sparring partner for a generation of designers who no longer have to choose between craftsmanship and high technology."
Prof. Andreas PawlitzkiWe don't just convey design - we convey attitude.
As Vice Dean, Prof. Andreas Pawlitzki brings a strongly practice-oriented perspective. He studied communication design at the Folkwang University of the Arts and worked for many years as a creative director in advertising communication at the beginning of his career, most recently as a photographer for international brand campaigns. Today, he teaches advertising photography and is responsible for projects in which strategic conception, precise visual language and professional implementation are closely combined.
In his teaching, Andreas Pawlitzki emphasizes conceptual strength, technical precision and a pronounced willingness to experiment. "We don't just teach design - we teach attitude," he explains. "We teach students to develop ideas strategically and implement them at a professional level - with a social relevance."
Raising profile and international visibility
In the coming years, the new dean's office wants to secure and systematically expand the high level of teaching that was established under Prof. Dirk Gebhardt and previously by Prof. Martin Middelhauve. "Our quality allows us to present ourselves confidently - both nationally and internationally," says Prof. Pawlitzki. Dortmund is a strong design location. This is also demonstrated by the numerous international competition awards and successes of UAS students and graduates.
Pamela C. Scorzin's advice to all prospective students as the new Dean: "Study design in Dortmund, because in a world in which AI generates everything 'average' in milliseconds, the only crisis-proof craft is radical subjectivity and your own critical attitude. With us, you don't just learn how to feed the AI, but how to provoke it with your own voice and force it to perform at its creative best so that it voluntarily works overtime for you."