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This panel discussion will open the door to conversations about what it means to be neurodivergent, the connection between neurodiversity and space, and how to create equitable design for neurodiversity. It is a highly interactive and participatory panel discussion from three guest speakers with personal and professional neurodiversity experiences, group chat discussions, and scenario chat discussions to encourage active learning and engagement. Our panelists include Marcus Adrian, Principal at Mackey Mitchell, Jennifer Carpenter, Principal at Verona Carpenter Architects, and Elena Sabinson, a PhD candidate in Human Behavior and Design at Cornell University. The panel will be moderated by Sue Harken-Houser, Applied Research Consultant at Steelcase Inc. This hybrid event will take place on September 28th, 2023, on Zoom and at the T-Rex Center located in St Louis. | MODERATOR: | 
Sue Harken-Houser
Steelcase | Sue Harken-Houser, NCIDQ, LEED AP, CDT is an Applied Research Consultant at Steelcase with expertise in design thinking and a user centered approach to workplace strategy. With over 20 years in the industry, Sue specializes in an integrated approach using quantitative and qualitative data synthesis to create environments that support innovation, agile, and digital transformation. She uses her expertise to lead executive facilitation of corporate vision, user observation and interactive workshops with major corporations. Her client industry experience includes professional services, pharmaceutical, consumer product, non-profit, biotech, consulting, financial, healthcare, and educational institutions. Currently based in Denver, Sue is a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner, a certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ), a LEED Accredited Professional and holds a CDT (CSI) accreditation. She holds a degree in Interior Design from Iowa State University and has served as an adjunct faculty member and advisory board member for the interior design program at Maryville University in Saint Louis. | | PANELISTS: | 
Marcus Adrian, AIA
Mackey Mitchell Architects
| Marcus Adrian, AIA is Principal in Charge at Mackey Mitchell Architects and is a Learning Spaces Design Specialist. Marcus has dedicated years of his career to mastering the design of learning spaces to maximize human potential, including building a national reputation for pioneering strategies to improve visual and acoustical design for students of all ages. He has worked with Washington University's Teaching Center for nearly a decade to inform and update classroom design standards and has designed more than 1,000 seats of new classroom space on their campus. Marcus has presented widely at industry conferences, advocated for public policy in
support of children with special needs, and delivered a US Congressional briefing on Capitol Hill in support of the 21st Century High-Performing Schools Act. | 
Jennifer Carpenter, AIA
Verona Carpenter Architects
| Jennifer Carpenter is a founding principal of Verona Carpenter Architects in New York. Together with partner Irina Verona she leads a firm that designs for humanity and resilience, focusing on inclusion. She lectures widely on the topic of design and neurodiversity, most recently at the 2023 World Congress of Architects in Copenhagen where she presented a peer-reviewed paper on neurodiversity and social sustainability. In 2022 Verona Carpenter Architects was announced as one of only five small firms chosen by the New York City Department of Design and Construction to design important public projects. Jennifer serves as a New York City Mentor for Minority and Women Owned Business, selected for this role by the NYC Department of Small Business. She is a LEED Accredited Professional, is active in the Social Sciences and Architecture Committee of the NYC AIA, and served for six years on the Board of Directors for the Quad Preparatory School, a school for neurodivergent learners. Jennifer lives in Manhattan with her family, including her autistic adult son. | 
Elena Sabinson
Cornell University
| Elena Sabinson is a late-diagnosed AuDHD (Autistic and ADHD) designer and researcher who studies how emerging technologies embedded in the built environment can support human wellbeing. Elena has a master’s in Interior Architecture & Design from Drexel University and a PhD in Human Behavior & Design from Cornell University. Their doctoral research was completed in the Architectural Robotics Lab, working to develop therapeutic soft robotic surfaces aimed at supporting mental health. Informed by current research on emotion and cognition, Elena developed soft robotic surfaces that provide biofeedback through a spatial representation of physiological data to increase emotional awareness. The robotic surfaces also lead body-mind activities, such as guided breathing exercises, to help people regulate their emotions and cope with stress. Their research has been published and presented internationally at ACM and IEEE conferences. This fall, Elena starts a new role as Assistant Professor of Environmental Design at the University of Colorado Boulder where they will be leading a design-research lab focused on neurodiversity and design. Elena believes that environmental psychology can help people flourish in the environment across the full spectrum of human experiences. |
Schedule: Networking - 5:30 - 6:00 PM Program - 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Location:
In-person at TREX Center, located at 911 Washington Ave., 5th Floor, St. Louis, MO 63101 Virtually over ZOOM (virtual attendees should sign on at 6:00 PM) Credit: 2.00 LU|HSW Sponsored by:
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