Rana Sagha Zadeh
Rana Zadeh, M.Arch., Ph.D., EDAC, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human-Centered Design, College of Human Ecology, and a Field Member in Systems Engineering, School of Engineering. Dr Zadeh is a member of the Internal Advisory Committee for Cornell Public Health (CPH), and the Einhorn Center for Community Engagement, and an Affiliate Faculty Fellow for Cornell Health Policy Center (CHPC) and Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability.
Dr. Zadeh directs the Health Design
- Dec 1, 2023
- Social Impact + Justice, Alumni
The architect who shattered the glass ceiling in India
When she was 16, Ponni Mukundan Concessao, M.S. ’89 walked into one of India’s premier technical colleges and demanded a seat in the undergraduate architecture program. The Principal said they didn’t accept girls, citing security concerns. She quoted the Indian Constitution, which guarantees gender equality and went on to pursue legal action. “For me, it was that or an arranged marriage,” she recalled.
She became the first woman undergraduate at the National Institute of Technology’s
Marianella Casasola
Marianella Casasola earned her undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Spanish Literature from the University of California, Berkeley. She earned her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. Her expertise is in infant cognitive development and early word learning with a particular interest in the interaction between language and thought during the first years of development. Along with her students, she examines various aspects of early cognitive and linguistic development, but is especially interested
- Aug 4, 2026
- by Marisa LaFalce
- Alumni
Curiosity drives research analyst Jhovanna Perez, M.S. ’23
Jhovanna Perez is a research analyst at FutureBrand, part of McCann Worldgroup. She explores how changing consumer behaviors shape the future of experience design. She helps organizations uncover opportunities for design innovation by exploring questions such as how younger generations shop for beauty care products, what they expect from next-generation retail environments, how the candy shopping experience can be reimagined, and how the home buying journey can feel more human. Her research informs experience strategies