In Fall 2024, a group of Farmingdale State College students joined a creative archival research project led by Dr. Roshanak Keyghobadi, Assistant Professor of Visual Communications. Developed through the Research Aligned Mentorship (RAM) Program, the project invited students to dive into the college’s visual history and uncover the untold stories hidden in design. 

Dr. Roshanak envisioned a research experience that would do more than teach archival skills. “This project was designed to immerse students in the historical analysis of visual culture while fostering archival research skills,” she said. The idea sparked after a campus event in 2023, where the Director of the Greenley Library, Ms. Karen Gelles, showcased the depth of the college’s archival collections. “My attention was particularly drawn to the evolving design of The Rambler’s nameplate, a typographic and visual element that changed over time in response to shifts in style, culture, and printing technology.” 

That detail became a point of inspiration. Over the semester, students explored The Rambler, a student newspaper first published in 1916, along with other student-led publications. They flipped through pages of campus history, analyzing how design mirrored the mood, movements, and messages of each decade. 

Gabriel Aguilar, a Visual Communications major, and Yiria Lledias-Saca, a Science, Technology, and Society major, were the lead researchers. Together, they examined, annotated, and digitized over 90 issues of The Rambler and related newsletters. Their work culminated in a digital collection published on the People’s Graphic Design Archive (PGDA), an open-access, crowd-sourced platform that redefines what belongs in the history of design. 

The PGDA highlights everything from high-end commercial graphics to grassroots creations. Dr. Roshanak saw it as the perfect home for Farmingdale’s visual contributions. “PGDA is committed to an inclusive and expansive view of graphic design history,” she explained. “Its aim is to preserve and recognize graphic design’s diverse cultural contributions across time and place.” 
Beyond the digital uploads, the team also created a visual analysis titled The Rambler: Evolution of a Nameplate. The essay follows the changing typographic style of the newspaper’s masthead, tracing how shifts in fonts, layout, and design reflected changes in student identity, technology, and culture. 

Gabriel described the project as eye-opening. “This project aimed to uncover the cultural, social, and artistic narratives embedded in these materials. It was fascinating to see how design trends mirrored broader societal changes, especially events that predate my own experience.” 

For Yiria, the experience expanded her perspective on what design could do. “Professor Keyghobadi’s research project illuminated how expansive and enduring design can be. By studying historical examples and recognizing visual patterns, I’ve developed a keener ability to analyze and apply these principles in both design and interdisciplinary contexts.” 
The project didn’t just generate data. It told stories. It built skills in historical analysis and visual communication. And it helped students realize that design history isn’t something locked away in books. It’s living in campus archives, waiting to be explored and shared. 

Moving forward, Dr. Roshanak plans to continue this work with future student researchers. “Archives are not merely preservers of memory. They are dynamic spaces that foster inquiry, inspire creativity, and promote meaningful social engagement.” 

This project is a celebration of that philosophy where design meets history, students become storytellers, and the past is brought to life, one page at a time.