Herminia Machry

Herminia Machry is an internationally-licensed architect with a Mater’s in Architecture from USP (Brazil) and a PhD in Planning, Design and the Built Environment from Clemson University. Her experience spans work in architecture firms, universities, and research centers. In the past 18 years, she worked as a design practitioner on several healthcare facility projects; as an adjunct professor at three universities; and as a researcher specialized on healthcare and evidence-based design studies. Her research mainly focuses on improving design for safety, engagement and cognition outcomes within healthcare environments. More specifically, her studies aimed at understanding how the layout and interior design of settings such as ICUs and operating rooms can impact flow disruptions, risky behaviors, social interactions, environmental mastery and ergonomics. Herminia’s most valuable contributions to evidence-based design and healthcare design have been related to the design of operating rooms, Neonatal ICUs (NICUs), and, more recently, the design of doffing spaces at ICUs treating COVID-19 patients. Herminia is joining the University of Kansas this Fall as a tenure-track Assistant Professor, in the Interior Architecture program, where she continues her research and educational practices on human-centered and evidence-based design.