Instructor Bios
Early, Cordelia (Coco)
Coco Dugan Early is an interior design instructor. She joined the Interior Design Advisory Board in 2000 and served until 2007. An adjunct faculty member starting in 2004, she became a full-time faculty member in 2007.
Coco earned a Bachelor of Science degree in home economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1986. Three years later, she earned her bachelor's in interior design from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.
Starting in 1989, she worked for several firms in the Twin Cities as an interior designer with a focus on commercial properties. She worked for Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle
Architects from 1997 until 2007.
Her accomplishments include work on the Urban Outfitters Corporate Headquarters in Philadelphia. In 2007, she received the National Preservation Honor Award and the Urban Land Institute Award of Excellence.
Her interior design work has been featured in a number of magazine articles, including "Reimaging Philly's Navy Yard," Metropolis Magazine, May 2007; "Restoring A Gem," Philadelphia Enquirer, March 2006; "Historic Character," Architecture Minnesota, Sept. 2002; "Andersen Finds New Use for Old Kmart," Minnesota Real Estate Journal, Dec. 2000; "Bakken Library," Architecture Minnesota, Sept. 1999.
Regarding her teaching philosophy, Coco says, "Teach by example and guide the unfolding of learning as a discovery process."
The best part of her job as a DCTC instructor is experiencing the unlimited creativity students bring to the classroom and their work.
Exploring color and its implications on interior environments and products stands out as her particular area of interest in design.
Contact Information
- Coco Early
coco.early@dctc.edu
651-423-8261
