Personalized Learning, Personalized Space: Design Implications for Personalized Learning

Dr. Upali Nanda is Principal and Director of Research for global architectural firm HKS, where she spearheads research projects globally. She also serves as Executive Director for the non-profit Center for Advanced Design Research and Education and teaches as Associate Professor of Practice at the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at University of Michigan. She serves on the board of directors for HKS and the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture. Her doctoral work on “Sensthetics” has been published as a book available on Amazon.com. Her award-winning research has been widely published and cited in peer-reviewed journals and mainstream media. In 2015, Upali was recognized as one of the top 10 most influential people in Healthcare Design by Healthcare Design magazine. In 2018, she was honored by Architectural Record with the Women in Architecture Innovator Award.  In 2019, she was recognized as one of nine people shaping American design by Specify Magazine from Metropolis.

Dr. Giyoung Park currently serves as a Senior Design Researcher at HKS Architects. Dr. Park is an environmental psychologist and registered architect. She has earned an M.Arch. degree from the University of Michigan and an M.S. in Human-Environment Relations and a PhD in Human Behavior and Design degrees from Cornell University. Her research interests include environmental stress, social interaction, social capital, communication technologies and human wellbeing in relation to the built environment.

Angela Ramer  is design anthropologist at HKS Architects. She earned her M.S. in Applied Anthropology from The University of North and a B.A. in Anthropology from Elon University. Angela’s interests in business, technology and design relate to her current work in both organizational performance and design for corporate offices, educational environments, campus planning, sports and entertainment, and urban planning projects. Her user-centered, ethnographic perspective highlights for design team and clients alike the need to understand the breadth of human experience that occurs within and around built environments. 

Ashley Flores is the Education Strategist at HKS, a global architecture and design firm. She leverages her experience as teacher, district administrator, and planner to advance teaching and learning through the built environment. Prior to HKS, Ashley served as Director of Planning and Special Projects at the Dallas Independent School District and led the development and early implementation of the district's personalized learning initiative, a model for spurring innovation in a large urban district. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in the Business Honors Program and a Bachelor of Arts in the Plan II Honors Program at The University of Texas at Austin as well as a Master of Education in Education Policy and Management at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.