Psychology Meets Design

INTERIOR DESIGN IS ABOUT SPACE PLANNING, LIGHTING, ARCHITECTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT. BUT ULTIMATELY, DR. JUNGHWA SUH LIKES TO TELL HER STUDENTS, IT’S ABOUT PEOPLE — HOW PEOPLE LIVE, WORK AND PLAY.

And this year, the associate professor of Environmental + Interior Design (E+ID) at Chaminade took that lesson to new lengths with an innovative collaboration that weaved in key principles of psychology.

For the project, Suh partnered with Dr. Blendine Hawkins, assistant professor of psychology.

Together, they tasked PSY 321: Psychology of Personality students and EID 200: Fundamentals of Interior Design students with working side by side to analyze the character and personality traits of their clients to envision a truly personcentered home—complete with a unique design feature.

And the project had a fun twist: the so-called “clients” were actually characters from “The Office.”

So one group of psychology and E+ID students designed a home for Angela Martin (played by Angela Kinsley), head of accounting on the show and known for more than a few eccentricities, including treating her four cats like her children.

Another designed a living space for Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell), the boss of the paper distribution branch featured in the show who—rather oddly—fancies himself a skilled performer.

The two professors came up with the idea for the project while Suh was visiting Hawkins’ class for a peer teaching observation. Afterwards, the two were chatting and Suh mentioned just how relevant psychology is to the field of interior design, especially when thinking about living spaces.

“Together we came up with the idea that it would be interesting to have psychology and design students collaborate,” Hawkins said, “by bringing the learning from their respective field into a culminating project” and having students from each field serve as experts to their peer counterparts.

The professors launched the project in the fall, both classes coming together frequently to build a foundation of knowledge in psychology and interior design, then to apply what they’d learned and finally to present

their final projects—those client-centered living spaces—at the end of the term.

The psychology students were tasked with “developing a deep understanding” of their “Office” character and communicating that analysis to their design colleagues. The design students then used the analysis from their peers to develop a living space that truly incorporates their character’s traits.

The professors said the project was a hit with students, who appreciated the chance to learn about another field of study, apply it to their own—and, of course, watch some episodes of “The Office.”

Environmental Science student Noah Lorenzo ‘21 was among the psychology students and said he enjoyed working closely with students from different majors and applying the theories he learned in a concrete way—to a home designed for a client. “My biggest takeaway from this project is seeing that it is possible for two different majors to collaborate on a single project,” Lorenzo said.

He added he’d love to see more interdisciplinary collaboration in other classes.

“It was interesting because I took the class to learn why people act a certain way,” Lorenzo said. “This project was fun because we did just that and applied it to a realistic setting.”

Suh said the interdisciplinary project had its challenges, especially as students sought to better understand their counterparts’ fields of study and incorporate them into their own. “We were able to witness the benefits of this collaboration,” she said, adding that she and Hawkins also learned a lot along the way— and are already thinking about how to bring their students together again.

Recognized in Their Field and Awarded Scholarships:

CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND CRIMINOLOGY

TWO CHAMINADE STUDENTS WERE RECOGNIZED RECENTLY AT THE “TOP COP” LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SECURITY AWARDS, AN ANNUAL EVENT AIMED AT CELEBRATING THOSE WHO WORK TO MAKE THEIR COMMUNITIES SAFER.

Jesus Moreno, a Chaminade graduate student, was awarded the Anton Financial Scholarship after outlining his studies in criminal justice and detailing what he plans to do after graduation.

Undergraduate student Andres Victoria, meanwhile, took home the ASIS Hawai'i Chapter award. Victoria is seeking his bachelor’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Chaminade online.

Both students received $1,000 cash scholarships.

The “Top Cop” awards banquet was held last October at the Ala Moana Hotel. The event is held annually to “promote, encourage and recognize excellence in the field of law enforcement and security in Hawai'i.”

To be selected for the scholarships, Moreno and Victoria also had to submit letters of recommendation and be actively enrolled in a criminal justice program.

Worth noting: Chaminade’s Criminology and Criminal Justice program is the largest and oldest in Hawai'i, and the university offers several degree options for those interested in pursuing careers in the field.

In addition to on-campus programs, students can seek Criminology and Criminal Justice undergraduate and graduate degrees entirely online.

Whether on campus or online, the degree programs prepare students to pursue careers in law enforcement, public safety, criminal justice or graduate studies in law or criminology research.

Bethesda Bound

LIKE MOST SOON-TO-BE COLLEGE GRADUATES, THE WORLD OUTSIDE OF CHAMINADE WAS A BIT INTIMIDATING FOR CHLOE TALANA. THE ASPIRING DOCTOR KNEW SHE WANTED TO GAIN MORE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE THROUGH A POST-BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM, BUT THEY CAN BE HARD TO COME BY.

She tried several times, unsuccessfully, to find the right research position and was beginning to feel uneasy. “You put so much into those applications,” says Talana. “And then if you end up not getting in ... to me that’s just not cool.”

Just as she was starting to come up with a backup plan, she got an email from the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

Led by Dr. Tony Fauci, NIAID has been thrust into the limelight lately as they diligently work to address the spread of COVID-19. Talana’s heart lies in finding a cure to another global pandemic, though—HIV. And it was the HIV vaccine lab that reached out.

“I was just so happy because at least someone noticed me,” beams Talana. “They noticed that I might be of help—and that, to me, is just so rewarding.”

One of Talana’s first research opportunities was through a summer program at Johns Hopkins University, where she studied blood samples from HIV-infected individuals to document how their immune cells function.

After her project, she was one of eight students selected out of a group of 103 to be awarded best poster presentation at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students. She also received the President Sue Wesselkamper Prize for being an outstanding student at Na Liko Na'auao, Chaminade’s annual undergraduate research conference.

“HIV is my favorite virus to study because it’s just so clever in tricking the body so it can use the important components it needs to stay alive,” says Talana. “HIV is just so fascinating to me.”

There’s currently no cure or vaccine for HIV. But the lab at NIAID is studying ways to stimulate a body’s natural ability to produce antibodies to combat HIV, known as broadly neutralizing antibodies. Given the rate at which HIV replicates and mutates, this type of treatment is widely considered to have the most potential.

When the email came that Talana had been offered the position at NIAID, her initial excitement was immediately followed by fear.

“At first, I actually didn’t want to accept it because my inner saboteur was telling me I wouldn’t be good enough,” confesses Talana.

“But with the help of the Chaminade faculty, I was able to clear my mind. They kept reminding me that the reason I had been accepted was because I could do this.”

For the Farrington High School graduate, this will be her first time living off-island for more than two months—though she knew an eventual move to the Mainland was inevitable with her career goals.

Talana has her eyes set on dual M.D. and Ph.D. degrees. Her time at Johns Hopkins opened her eyes to the powerful work that can be done when research and medicine go hand-in-hand. She got to shadow the principal investigator of her lab, and saw how he would bring blood samples from his patients straight back into the lab.

“I found it so amazing and eye-opening. I want to do that—I don’t want to just be able to care for my patients and treat their symptoms; I want to help them alleviate their pain and suffering by actually finding a cure.”

In between preparing for her move and researching her new home in Bethesda, Maryland, Chloe reminisces about her time at Chaminade.

With COVID-19, her time on campus came to an abrupt halt and her graduation ceremony was postponed to December. Now, she’s not sure when she’ll be able to see her professors again—who to her are more like mentors and friends—and she won’t be able to say goodbye in person.

“I’m grateful for everyone at Chaminade and for Chaminade itself,” shares Talana. “I’ve said this many times before, but without them, I would not have been able to get to where I am today and I’m very grateful for that.”

Recognized in Their Field and Awarded Scholarships:

ENVIRONMENTAL +INTERIOR DESIGN

HAWAI'I INTERIOR DESIGNERS—AND INTERIOR DESIGNERS-IN-TRAINING— GATHERED LAST FALL TO HONOR THOSE WHO ARE MAKING SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FIELD.

Among those recognized at the inaugural International Interior Design Association (IIDA)- Hawai'i Ho'ohuli Awards: Chaminade University student Jacqueline Harbin.

Harbin is in Chaminade’s Environmental + Interior Design program, the only accredited and degree-granting program of its kind in Hawai'i.

And at the event, she took home the Student Scholastic Award, which recognizes a design student who exhibits a strong work ethic, team leadership and is a strong advocate for the International Interior Design Association.

Harbin was awarded $2,000—and showered with no small amount of praise from her mentors.

To apply for the honor, Harbin wrote an essay about her craft. She also had to be nominated by a faculty member and underwent an interview with an awards committee.

Organizers from the IIDA Hawai'i Pacific Chapter say the awards gala, held at the Prince Waikiki, was an evening dedicated to celebrating “outstanding and original commercial interior design in Hawai'i.”