In my professional career, I had an opportunity to work on the design of different building types, including healthcare facilities, K-12 schools, higher-education academic buildings, research labs, civic structures, and mixed-use buildings. Additionally I have written several books, Sustainable Facades: Design Methods for HighPerformance Building Envelopes (2013); Integrating Innovation in Architecture: Design, Methods and Technology for Progressive Practice and Research (2016) and Research Methods for the Architectural Profession (2021). It is difficult to single out specific architects and buildings as my favorite, but I admire architects and firms that take into consideration contextual aspects (site and location, environmental factors, history, culture, occupants’ needs and comfort), utilize research-based design processes, and create contextsensitive and beautiful buildings that improve people’s lives. What is your educational background (such as universities you have attended and degrees you have been awarded)? Please tell us a little about those experiences. I am a proud alumna of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), where I completed all my degrees. I obtained a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies degree with high honors, and then proceeded with the Master of Architecture program (design option). For my master’s thesis, I worked on sustainable, affordable housing and community development project. After completing the M.Arch degree and practicing for a while, I became interested in the research side of architecture. I realized I had more questions I wanted to answer and was trying to find ways to answer those questions. Therefore, I enrolled in a doctoral program and completed a Ph.D. in Architecture (technology and environment option). My doctoral work was very interdisciplinary, and I took many courses in engineering (civil and mechanical), computer science and material science. That experience was crucial for my future research work since I could look at architecture with a different lens and apply scientific principles to my research work. My dissertation research focused on the development of new computational tools (extension of Building Information Modeling) that can support design-decision making processes. I am very grateful to UIUC since its School of Architecture placed equal emphasis on design excellence, and technical and professional courses when I was a student. Have you had important mentors during your career so far? Who were they, and what was the most important lesson you learned from them? Interestingly, I never had a formal mentor during my career. Two individuals come to mind who profoundly impacted my career, but in a more informal way through collaborative projects and professional interactions. Things I learned from them shaped my perspectives and principles, most importantly relating to professional ethics, compassion and empathy, equity, and inclusion. What three recommendations would you have for someone if you were mentoring them? One, stay curious and never stop learning; two, be confident in your work but also humble, as actions speak more than words; and three, learn how to work collaboratively. Tell us about your current position as a Professor at the School of Architecture. I joined the University of Utah School of Architecture in 2021 and currently 21
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