Interior Design assistant professor, Dr. Yeji Yi, has been granted funding through OU’s Faculty Investment Program (FIP). This funding supports her project “Development of Interactive Virtual Reality Multi-Sensory Environments: Participatory Research.”
The project seeks to integrate Virtual Reality (VR) technology to analyze stakeholders’ needs and develop interactive VR Multi-Sensory Environments (VR MSEs). These environments are specifically designed to be usable for neurodivergent individuals. The project aims to enhance the sensory processing outcomes for these individuals, helping them manage non-preferred behaviors and ultimately improve their quality of life.
The Research Council and the Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships at OU reviewed Yi’s proposal and awarded her a $15,000 grant to support the research. This funding is part of the university’s ongoing efforts to support faculty in developing their research programs and encouraging further studies that could lead to external funding opportunities.
Yi’s project will conduct a detailed stakeholder needs analysis through a participatory design approach, ensuring that the developed VR MSEs are tailored to the specific requirements and challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals. This approach not only aims at immediate application but also at long-term benefits by enhancing the quality of life through tailored environmental designs.
Robert L. Wesley, a pioneering architect and beloved mentor, has died at age 88. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Wesley joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in 1964 and became the firm's first Black partner in 1984. Throughout his career, he contributed to significant architectural projects while maintaining a strong commitment to civic engagement and professional mentorship.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to celebrate a series of recent accomplishments by Dr. Jim Collard, Professor of Practice in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design, whose work continues to shape conversations around Indigenous economic development nationally and internationally.
University of Oklahoma Gibbs College of Architecture Dean Hans E. [PA1.1]Butzer returned to one of his most significant works on December 15, joining survivors and past and present board members for the groundbreaking of a $15.8 million expansion of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.
