Interior Design faculty members Natalie Ellis and Mia Kile, along with colleagues at OU-Tulsa, the OU Health Sciences Center, and Johns Hopkins University, were recently awarded $8,500 to pursue research related to “Infant-toddler teachers’ physical and psychological well-being.” The project is funded by the Early Childhood Education Institute at OU-Tulsa.
Ellis commented, “Mia [Kile] and I are very proud of this developing work and the opportunity to engage with this multidisciplinary, multi-college, and multi-university research team.”
According to Ellis, the proposal has three primary goals:
The principal investigator is Kyong-Ah Kwon, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum, Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education.
Co-Principal Investigators are Lieny Jeon, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Education; Mia Kile, ASID, IIDA, IDEC, LEED Green Associate, Associate Professor, Interior Design Division, College of Architecture, University of Oklahoma; Natalie Ellis, Ph.D., IIDA, LEED BD+C, Assistant Professor, Division of Interior Design, The University of Oklahoma; Ken Randall, PT, Ph.D., MHR, Associate Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Allied Health, OU-HSC, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Community Engagement, Co-Director of Office of Community Engagement at OU-Tulsa.
For more information, please reach out to Natalie Ellis (natalie.d.ellis-1@ou.edu) or Mia Kile (mkile@ou.edu).
Featured photo: The Early Childhood Education Institute, OU-Tulsa.
During the Spring 2026 semester, students in Interior Design Studio IV and Graduate Studio IV gained hands-on experience in educational facility design through a semester-long partnership with MA+ Architecture.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture congratulates Dr. Tammy McCuen, Robert E. Busch Professor of Construction Science, on beginning her term as president of the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC), an international organization dedicated to advancing construction education through teaching, research and service.
Following years of contributions to the College’s research and strategic initiatives, Gibbs College shares that Associate Dean for Research and External Engagement Angela M. Person, PhD, will step down from her position at Gibbs College as she moves to Tucson with her family, effective June 30, 2026.
