Tom Matano, director of the school’s Industrial Design Program, is responsible for choosing the automobiles to be part of the Auto show. 
The university’s Auto Museum is open to the public at the Van Ness location. Many students that complete the Industrial Design program have been known to join partnerships with BMW Design Works, GM, Mazda, Toyota, Fox racing, Black & Decker, Hasbro, Mattel, LG Electronics, Microsoft, Nike, Palm, Samsung, Tony, Sketchers, North Face and Timbuktu. The Art Deco Awards have been given to the Auto Club Collection in regards to its pure excellence that the collection displays.Stephens expresses her gratitude, “We are honored to receive this award and encourage the public to come visit the auto museum in San Francisco!” The Art Deco Society of California Awards cover the entire state and reflect a mix of public and private buildings, as well as individuals or businesses. Students who major in the Industrial Design degree program have been given the opportunity to design a yacht with the Chinese national teams 2016 America’s Cup entry. This fantastic announcement was made at a dinner to welcome the China Team to San Francisco. China and San Francisco have strong cultural and economic ties. All of San Francisco have expressed their gratitude about the merging. The mayor even had a few words, “We are excited to see what the students will create for the China Team.” Students have begun their preparation by exploring into the future of yacht design.
There have been endless hours of research, and understanding advancements in topics such as aerodynamics and fluid dynamics is just the tip of the iceberg. China Team representatives, in the America’s Cup World series reviewed the students’ initial design process and will select the one that they want the students to explore.
During that time, students will begin to develop a digital modem of the design which will be followed up with a physical design. Many events, works of art, and promising futures are led by the Academy of Art, all due to the vision that Elisa’s parents turned into a reality. That is what it is all about, changing lives, exploring in person and/or online, moving ahead and being proactive as a team.
As a humanitarian, Elisa is involved with the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP), Boys and Girls Club, The Red Cross, San Francisco Unified School District and The Rotary Club. “Its all about impact and results.” she boldly states. The ability to educate people for jobs will be a determining factor in the 21st century in reference to the world’s economic future. With Elisa’s background, current positive results, and giving back to other organizations, there is no sign of the Academy of Art going anywhere, but up!