Rachel Cooper

Rachel Cooper OBE, Lady, is a distinguished academic and professional in design management and policy, currently serving as an Honorary Member at the UK Faculty of Public Health since June 2023. Rachel has been a Distinguished Professor of Design Management and Policy at Lancaster University since 2006, where also presides as Chair of the Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts and Director of ImaginationLancaster. Concurrently, Rachel serves as a Council Member at Norwich University of the Arts and as President of the Design Research Society since June 2018. Rachel's previous roles include Member of Council and Visiting Professor at the Royal College of Art and Co-director of the Liveable Cities project. Rachel has a PhD in Graphic Design from Manchester Metropolitan University and extensive experience leading initiatives in multidisciplinary city analysis and knowledge exchange in the arts and humanities.