Tara Pearson

As a Ph.D. student in the field of Design and Environmental Analysis in our College’s Department of Human Centered Design, Tara Pearson explores the possibilities of design to positively impact emotional experience and bolster wellbeing. Her research examines the role of visual aesthetics in eliciting emotions in our environment—most recently, experiences of positive surprise and delight. As a Teaching Assistant here, Pearson has supported design-thinking related courses including: Design Graphics and Visualization (DEA1150); Making a Difference by Design (DEA1110); and Design Computing (DEA1140). She will co-instruct DEA1140 during the summer of 2026. Pearson’s perspective draws on her education in both public health and architectural design. She earned a Master of Science degree in Biohazardous Threat Agents & Emerging Infectious Disease, from Georgetown University; and later, a Master of Architecture degree from Syracuse University. Pearson has taught architectural design studios, coursework in graphic design, and in 2022 delivered her original curriculum exploring disease-driven architectural innovation throughout history—including the COVID-19 pandemic—during her time at Syracuse University. As the 2025 College of Human Ecology Dean's Summer Archival Research Fellow, she followed this disease-related thread deep into the archives — exploring some of the college's earliest moments in community-engaged research and curriculum development between 1900 and 1920. Pearson enjoys pursuing this long-term interest in histories of human resilience and innovation in the face of pathogenic threats—and how these histories relate to modern day beliefs, policies, and practices.