Maria-Claudia Smart-Rengifo
Doctoral Student
Maria-Claudia Smart-Rengifo is a doctoral student at Clemson University in the Design and Built Environment program with a focus on Architecture + Health. She holds a master’s degree in interior architecture from Kansas State University, where she worked with campus biomedical engineering groups to learn more about designing holistic medical environments that work with the development of medical devices to create more cohesive spaces for clinicians and patients. Her time working for the interior practice at HDR Architecture solidified her desire to converge practice with design research in her career, and she is excited to work with Dr. Anjali Joseph as a research assistant at The Center for Health Facilities Design and Testing (CHFDT).
Pranjib Paul
Doctoral Student
Pranjib Paul is a doctoral student at Clemson University in the Planning, Design, and Built Environment program with a focus on Architecture + Health. He holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), Bangladesh. Before starting his PhD, he had been working as a faculty member at the Department of Architecture, Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), Bangladesh. His research interest lies in developing automated inpatient areas by monitoring patients' behaviors and preferences so that they can recover faster. He works as a Graduate Research Assistant to Dr. Anjali Joseph for the Center for Health Facilities Design and Testing at Clemson University.
Tharun Chukka
Master's Student
Tharun Chukka is a master’s student in the Architecture + Health program at Clemson University in the School of Art, Architecture & Construction. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the School of Planning and Architecture, JNAFAU, India. He developed a strong interest in human-centered health and well-being design during his undergraduate studies. His thesis explored optimal healthy living design for apartment occupants, addressing the social context of the rising demand for gated communities in India. As a graduate student specializing in healthcare architecture, he now seeks to apply these strategies within healthcare settings, integrating sustainable approaches to create healing environments. Currently, he works with Dr. Anjali Joseph as a Graduate Research Assistant at The Center for Health Facilities Design and Testing (CHFDT) at Clemson University.
Sara Kennedy
Doctoral Student
Sara Kennedy is a doctoral student at Clemson University in the Planning, Design and Built Environment program with a focus on Architecture + Health. She holds a bachelor’s degree in interior design from Michigan State University, and is looking to expand her research in healthcare environments and the complex relationships between user and space. She works as a Graduate Research Assistant to Dr. Anjali Joseph for The Center for Health Facilities Design and Testing.
Yueci Jiang
Doctoral Student
Yueci Jiang is a doctoral student at Clemson University in the Planning, Design and Built Environment program with a focus on Architecture + Health. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Southeast University, China, and a Master of Architecture degree from the University of California, Berkeley. She worked on some hospital projects in China and research projects in applying biometric methods to healthcare research at XR Lab, Berkeley. Currently, she works as a Graduate Research Assistant to Dr. Anjali Joseph for The Center for Health Facilities Design and Testing.
