I am an Interdisciplinary Artist and Sr. Lecturer in the Department of Human Centered Design at the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University. My teaching specialty is textile design and more specifically, knitwear design. I love process, creating conditions that  offer glimpses of what could be if you're open to capturing it. I work through investigative drawing and material exploration and through the years have amassed knowledge of color, surface design, ideation, and a strong interest in knit textile structure. Collaborating with others is a special interest of mine. Teaching to me is a form of collaboration with students and many of my students have been excellent collaborators on design research projects including exploring the potential of knit structure to harness sound and building a farm to fashion school pipeline. 

I was born in Beaufort, SC. My mom, Barbara Jones was a war widow. My father, Joseph Wester Jones III had been a fighter pilot in the Vietnam War. When I was 6 months old, my Mom married. Pat Conroy who became my father when he adopted my older sister and me. I learned that being an artist was a thing that could be done from him. I think the mystery and missing piece of my biological father has informed my work as an artist as well. The notion of weight and weightlessness, of something that is just out of reach, and the fragility of our bodies are common themes I recognize in my work.