Shireen Kanakri, M.Arch., Ph.D., is a tenured associate professor in the Interior Design Program and affiliate faculty with the Autism Center at Ball State University. Kanakri completed her doctorate in architecture from Texas A&M University / Center for Health Systems and Design in May 2014.

Kanakri's interest includes effects of environmental factors like acoustics and lighting on children with autism, and the psychology of design, architecture, and behavior. She continues her research on the effects of noise on children with autism. Her research has guided potential design solutions to learning and living environments that benefits the developmental growth of children with autism. Kanakri has more than ten publications in refereed journals on the topic of autism. She leads the Health Environmental Design Research Lab (HEDR) located in the Applied Technology building. HEDR exists to find effective and individualized interior environmental solutions for children and youth. It is equipped to simulate different acoustical and lighting environments to allow Kanakri to observe the child and determine their environmental needs.

Achieving Academic Excellence

Children with autism can be especially sensitive to their surroundings. Professor Shireen Kanakri’s life mission is to find out how we can use color, lighting, sound, and more to make kids on the spectrum comfortable. Read more.