Jay Lemire is Director of the Production Labs at Pratt Institute School of Design, in addition to overseeing the Material Lab, where he leads a range of programming, mentorship, and professional development initiatives that revolve around material literacy and design research. Prior to joining Pratt, Jay served as Research Specialist at Robert A.M. Stern Architects, and before that managed research to support design and business development at Ralph Lauren, in New York. From 2007 to 2012, Jay worked at the Frick Collection, where he served as Reference Clerk in the Frick Art Research Library.

Jay has been a visiting instructor at Pratt Institute, and a teaching assistant at New York School of Interior Design. Jay holds a BA in English Literature from Marymount Manhattan College, where he founded the college's first Literary Society and served as President of Sigma Tau Delta (The International English Honor Society); he also holds an MA in Decorative Arts, Design History, and Material Culture from Bard Graduate Center. He is a recipient of the Winterthur Research Fellowship.

Jamie is a Masters of Industrial Design student in the School of Design at Pratt. Raised in Seattle, he received a BS in Society & Environment at the College of Natural Resources at UC Berkeley, with a minor in Journalism. After graduating, he has worked as an environmental educator, line cook, and illustrator.

With a background in visual arts and environmental studies, Jamie has come to Pratt with hopes to design with a well-developed social conscience and imaginative touch at the center of his work. Jamie served as the Project Lead and Student Curator of the 2026 Material Lab Prize.

Deeksha Saindane is a graduate student in Information Experience Design at Pratt Institute. Originally from India, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication Design. Her practice explores the space between graphic design and UX, with an interest in creating thoughtful, human-centered experiences across digital and physical spaces. She is drawn to visual storytelling, editorial design, and the ways design can make information more engaging and accessible.

Her experience spans packaging and digital product design, including work at Procter & Gamble and a UX internship at a health-tech startup. At Material Lab, she designed and built the online exhibition website for the 2026 Material Lab Prize and created accompanying exhibition graphics and social media content.

Saddqa Bahidrah is a Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch ’27) student minoring in Sustainability at Pratt Institute. Originally from Saudi Arabia, his work explores sustainable material innovation, culture, food, and community. He serves as President of the AIAS Pratt Chapter, Editor-in-Chief of Fig & Olive magazine, and Undergraduate Student Trustee on Pratt’s Board of Trustees, while also competing on Pratt’s NCAA Division III tennis team.

A trained chef and former national culinary competitor, Saddqa integrates food and design in projects like Farm to Fork and Root Cause, a biomaterial research initiative exhibited at Pratt’s Research Open House. His team earned Honorable Mention at the 2025 NOMA Barbara G. Laurie Competition. He is currently developing sustainable cladding materials from corn stalks and eggshells.

Tina is a Master’s student in Industrial Design at Pratt Institute. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Product and Interior Design from NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti in Milan.

Originally from Tbilisi, Georgia, her practice explores the intersection of contemporary design, material experimentation, cultural rituals and environmental responsibility. She is drawn to the physicality of design, the tactile act of making and the evolving relationship between people and the objects they use.

Tina has experience as a furniture designer at a local design and architecture studio in Georgia, where she managed projects from concept to production. During this time, she participated in several exhibitions, including Milan Design Week 2023, presenting an installation that explored natural light through a historic building’s skylight.