Dr. Sharmin Kader
<b>Department: </b>Architecture<br><b>Research Area: </b>healthcare environments, hospice, nursing home, environment for again, infection control, patient safety, construction safety, health & wellness
Department: Construction Management and Interior Design
Research Focus: healthcare environments, hospice, nursing home, environment for again, infection control,
patient safety, construction safety, health & wellness
Potential Student Project(s):
Students may explore how the built environment affects people's health, safety, and well-being. Projects will introduce first- and second-year students to research through practical topics connected to their homes, communities, healthcare settings, and everyday experiences.
Potential projects include:
- Designing a Healthy Home: Explore how daylight, fresh air, views of nature, noise,
room arrangement, materials, and furniture can support health and well-being.
- Designing a Home for an Older Adult: Evaluate a home and identify changes that
could help a grandparent or another older adult live safely, independently, and
comfortably.
- Accessibility and Inclusive Design: Examine a home, classroom, public building, or
outdoor space to identify barriers for people with different physical abilities and
recommend improvements.
- Healthcare and Senior-Care Environments: Explore how hospitals, clinics, hospice
facilities, or nursing homes can better support patients, families, and caregivers.
- Infection Prevention: Investigate how ventilation, room layout, handwashing
locations, surfaces, and cleaning can help reduce the spread of infection.
- Patient Safety: Examine how environmental features can reduce falls, injuries,
confusion, or other safety risks in healthcare settings.
- Construction Safety: Investigate a construction-related safety issue and explore how
site planning, equipment, signage, lighting, or other conditions can improve worker
safety.
- Health and Wellness: Explore how daylight, nature, lighting, noise, color, privacy, and
spatial design may influence physical and emotional well-being.
- Designing for Mental Well-Being: Investigate how interior environments can help
reduce stress and create comfortable, calming, and supportive spaces.
- Healthy Learning Environments: Examine how classrooms or study spaces could
better support comfort, concentration, collaboration, and student well-being.
- Evaluating an Existing Space: Observe and document a familiar space, identify health
or safety concerns, and develop evidence-based recommendations for improvement.
Projects may involve literature searches, observations, photographs, measurements,
interviews, surveys, case studies, and development of design recommendations.
Attributes/skills/background sought in undergraduate:
Students from Interior Design, Architecture, Construction Management, or related disciplines are encouraged to participate. Ideal students are curious, responsible, and interested in research, design, health, safety, and human well-being. Basic skills in observation, communication, and teamwork are preferred.
Mentoring Plan:
- Weeks 1-2: Project Orientation & Research Planning- 10 hours
- Define the research question, scope, goals, and expected outcomes
- Learn basic research methods and ethical considerations
- Begin literature search and review
- Weeks 3-5: Literature Review & Background Research - 15 hours
- Review and summarize relevant literature
- Identify precedents, case studies, and existing design solutions
- Develop data collection tools or research protocols
- Weeks 6-8: Data Collection / Fieldwork - 15 hours
- Conduct observations, measurements, interviews, surveys, or environmental assessments as appropriate.
- Attend client/community partner or research-team meetings.
- Participate in site visits when applicable
- Weeks 9-10: Data Analysis - 10 hours
- Organize and analyze collected data.
- Identify major findings, patterns, and design implications.
- Weeks 11-12: Design Development - 10 hours
- Translate research findings into evidence-based design recommendations.
- Develop drawings, diagrams, visualizations, or other research/design materials.
- Explore opportunities for submission to a student design competition.
- Weeks 13-14: Dissemination - 10 hours
- Prepare the final research report, poster, presentation, or manuscript.
- Explore submission to a peer-reviewed conference and/or journal.
- When appropiate and funding is available, participate in travel to conferences, project sites, design competitions, or professional events.
Total: 70 hours (5 hours/week for 14 weeks), including at least 1 hour of individual mentoring each week.
Contact: (765) 285-5642, (AT) 220