Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture doctoral candidate Alia Fadel was awarded the Ph.D. Program Best Dissertation Award, Spring 2018, for her doctoral research titled “Transitional Cultured-Nature: A Comprehensive Framework of Biophilic Analysis Investigating On-Campus Restorative Intervals for Student Stress Mitigation.”

Considering the growing concerns underlying psychological and emotional health in academic environments, Fadel’s research focuses on both macro and micro scales of stress-alleviating opportunities that result when students interact with on-campus nature and mediums of nature-simulation. Since student stress and associated problematic consequences are part of collegiate life, it is important to address the role of planning and designing academic campuses in providing interval moments of biophilic restoration. These biophilic moments are capable of mitigating stress, supporting students’ health, and prompting productivity. Accordingly, Fadel’s research introduces a concentric growth approach to observation-based methodology for designing and employing a Comprehensive Framework of Biophilic Analysis. It aims at investigating the potentials of on-campus mediums of “Transitional Cultured-Nature” (Fadel 2016) to provide restorative intervals for student stress mitigation.