Who's Where: RCA appoints Matteo Conti, Hannah Macmurray, Matthew Humphries and Cynthia Charwick to Vehicle Design faculty

Matteo Conti has been appointed senior tutor at the Royal College of Art in the latest of a series of new appointments.

Conti, who joins from Northumbria University, will take up his position on 1 May and be program manager for the first year course and be responsible for curriculum development and coordinating external projects. He will also contribute to the second year teaching and research activities.

"I'm looking forward to collaborating with the auto industry on a number of live projects," he explains. "My ambition and main objective has always been to successfully combine design practice with applied teaching in order to provide the best possible learning experience to students to increase their skills and employability."

He has been a senior lecturer in Transportation Design and an industrial placement tutor at Northumbria University for the past 12 years. He has also created various industrial partnerships with design houses such as Pininfarina, Bertone and the I.DE.A Institute over the years to carry out collaborative projects and arrange industrial placements.

Matteo joins Hannah Macmurray, appointed as the 'Urban Flow' pathway group tutor on the Vehicle Design programme. Macmurray is credited with founding the Green Car Design website and Milan-based Hidesignworks, where she worked from 2002 to 2006. Her first role in the industry came in 1997 when she became a designer at Honda Advanced Design's Tokyo studio before moving to take up a position as a designer at Mercedes-Benz in Yokohama, Japan, from 2000 to 2002.

Ex-Morgan chief designer Matthew Humphries is another new arrival at the school, joining as a Vehicle Design tutor. He is based at the College part-time while running Matthew Humphries Design, his bespoke design service that specializes in automotive, brand and product design.

"[Working at the RCA] is very enjoyable. The minds are fantastic – they're experienced in their thinking. They know it's not just about sketching cars and drawing, it's ‘where does the vehicle sit in the environment' and other factors," Humphries said. "They're constantly pushing me forwards and keeping on the pulse with the aim of leading the industry."

The RCA has also seen the arrival of former Ford and Volvo senior interior designer Cynthia Charwick. Previously a lecturer at the college from September to December 2011, she has taken the position as the Vehicle Design programme's interior design tutor. With experience working at Ford, Volvo, Saab and Daewoo, Professor Dale Harrow, head of Vehicle Design says that her appointment will ensure that graduates will leave with a full portfolio.

He added, "This is an interesting time for the programme, we're expanding our numbers and looking to put together a team that know all the different aspects of car and vehicle design. They're specialists in their area. Hannah, for example, is a specialist in sustainable design.

"We're also working more closely with the college's other departments to really expand what we want to achieve here. We're confident that with their skill sets when the students graduate they will be ready for key leadership roles."

The new appointees will join the existing Vehicle Design faculty, which includes Car Design News' associate editor Joe Simpson and former editorial director Sam Livingstone.

By Rufus Thompson