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I am an architectural designer and researcher whose primary interest is research-driven design approaches to fitting objects, spaces, and experiences to human needs, capabilities, and behaviors.

Before coming to Ithaca, I was a faculty member at the University of Houston, and an Architectural Designer III at Perkins + Will. Prior to joining Perkins + Will, I was a faculty member at the University of Idaho and practiced as an architectural designer at SmithGroup, an American

Dr. Renata M. Leitão is an assistant professor in the Department of Human Centered Design at Cornell University. She is a graphic designer and social design researcher with extensive experience in intercultural and participatory projects with Indigenous and local communities. 

At the helm of the Pluriversal Futures Design Lab (PluriFutures), Dr. Leitão focuses on ontological and communication design. The lab's mission is to foster societal transformation towards new, flourishing futures. PluriFutures tackles the pressing environmental

Sang Leigh is an Assistant Professor at Cornell University. Previous to joining Cornell, he was a Senior Principal Creative Technologist at Samsung Design Innovation Center and an assistant professor at Georgia Tech. He received his PhD from MIT Media Lab in 2018, before which, he was a software engineer at Samsung Electronics where he led the software development of eyeCan, an open-source DIY eye-mouse designed for people with motor disability.

The impact of his research

Larissa Shepherd, PhD., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Fiber Science & Apparel Design.

Dr. Shepherd earned her B.S. in Materials Science & Engineering at Alfred University. While earning her M.S. and  Ph.D. from Cornell University, she breifly worked in industry as a Market Development Intern for  Invista™, in addition to taking part in a Liquid Crystalline and Responsive Fibers International Research Experience for Students in Germany.

Dr. Jaleesa Reed is an assistant professor in the Department of Human Centered Design. Broadly, her research explores the processes of self-definition and consumption in relation to place-making and dress practices for marginalized groups. Through the lens of feminist theory and Black geographies, she studies the influence of racism and representation on Black American women’s conceptions of beauty and identity in retail spaces and cities. 

Daniel Casasanto is an Associate Professor of Human Development and Psychology at Cornell University and director of the Experience and Cognition Laboratory. He studies how the diversity of human experience is reflected in our brains and minds: how people with different physical and social experiences come to think, feel, and act differently, in fundamental ways. To study cognitive diversity across cultures, his lab conducts research on five continents, using methods that range from watching children