Sharmin Kader PhD, AIA Associate

Sharmin Kader, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Interior Design at Ball State University. She has more than fifteen years of experience in the design and research of healthcare environments, with a focus on patient safety and healthcare outcomes. Dr. Kader earned her doctoral degree in Health & Wellness Design from The University of Kansas and her Master of Science in Architecture, with a Health Systems and Design Certificate, from Texas A&M University in 2008. She previously served as a Postdoctoral Research Scholar in the Healthcare Design Program at Kent State University. Dr. Kader’s research examines how the built environment influences the experiences and outcomes of patients, families, caregivers, and healthcare staff. She has developed expertise in conducting post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of healthcare facilities and applying evidence-based design principles to improve healthcare outcomes. Patient safety has been a central theme throughout her academic career. Her master’s thesis investigated patient evacuation from hospital facilities during emergency disaster scenarios, examining how healthcare environments can support safe and efficient evacuation processes. Since 2010, she has conducted research on hospice and palliative care environments and developed the "Hospice Environmental Assessment Protocol (HEAP)", a research-based tool for evaluating therapeutic environmental qualities in hospice settings. Dr. Kader is a Past Chair of the Board of Directors of the Environmental Design Research Association and currently serves as Co-Chair of a subcommittee of the Academy of Architecture for Health Webinar Committee. She was the recipient of the prestigious "2013–2014 AIA Arthur N. Tuttle, Jr. Graduate Fellowship in Health Facility Planning and Design". Continuing her commitment to mentoring future healthcare design leaders, her student, Juliet T. Oluyale, was selected as the recipient of the same fellowship for 2025–2026. Through her research, teaching, mentorship, and professional service, Dr. Kader is dedicated to advancing evidence-based healthcare environments that enhance patient safety, support caregivers, and improve the quality of care for diverse populations.