Dr. Hessam Ghamari is an Associate Professor of Interior Design for the Department of Family & Consumer Sciences at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). Dr. Ghamari has more than 15+ years working as an architect and an interior designer in Iran and the United States. He has experience working on healthcare, hospitality, commercial, and residential projects. Prior to his appointment at CSUN, Dr. Ghamari taught at Appalachian State University for four years. He received his Ph.D. in Environmental Interior Design in 2014 from Texas Tech University. He has published articles in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences on environmental psychology, evidence-based design, and healthcare design. Dr. Ghamari’ s design philosophy revolves around providing healthy and humanistic environments that can positively impact its users–to improve the quality of life of people in different settings.
Nasrin Golshany is a PhD candidate at the Department of Architecture at the University of Oregon. She also serves as a graduate employee (research assistant) at the High-Performance Environments Lab (HiPE). Her research works focus on understanding the relationship between the built environment and health outcomes. She is interested in interdisciplinary approaches to improve health and well-being outcomes in healthcare environments. She holds a master degree in Landscape Architecture from Shahid Beheshti University. She is currently working on evidence-based healthcare design with a main focus on the role of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in enhancing and improving quality of life for elderly people in assisted living facilities (ALFs).
Carah Dorthalina is a newly graduated CSUN alum who works for an interior design firm in Westlake Village as a design assistant. She has experience in residential design work and has worked with a medical design firm to compile a research document based on human psychology with intentional and transformational design. She is eager to learn more and advance in the field to hopefully be able to provide more resources for learning about design. Her current passions when it comes to design involves residential projects, Scandinavian inspired spaces, and biophilic design!
Ashley Panella is currently an interior design Student at California State University, Northridge. Her passion toward design is shown through her attention to detail and ability to perform throughout her academic and occupational career. She seeks to combine education and design to create a community of individuals who desire to make a positive change. You can find Ashley at the tennis court or coordinating wedding events on the weekend.
