Faculty Profile – Sheila Bosch, assistant professor, Interior Design
Interior Design Assistant Professor Sheila Bosch was recently part of a multidisciplinary team that won a national Certificate of Research Excellence (CORE) for an investigation of mixed-use learning environments. The team included many members from our Department of Interior Design and additional UF faculty and graduate students.
What is your current role and what does it entail?
If I had a professional mission statement, it would be something like “to instill passion among designers, future designers and their clients for leveraging the physical environment to improve the quality of life for all.” I think of myself as a design ambassador. Officially, I am an assistant professor in the Department of Interior Design, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses and advancing research regarding the design of healthcare and learning environments.
How long have you been at DCP?
I’m in my 4th year.
What inspires you?
In my professional life, there are so many things that inspire me, like collaborating with my amazing colleagues or students who are excited about research. But, generally speaking, it is my faith and my family that keep me going. When I need a good dose of inspiration, I turn to uplifting Christian music and nature. I’m particularly fond of Florida west coast beaches, the Smokey Mountains and exploring new places, like Iceland, where we recently vacationed. I can tell you that relaxing on the beach singing “It is Well with My Soul” while watching dolphins play nearby would probably send me over the moon.
Who are the most influential people in your life?
That has changed over time and I have been blessed to have some of the kindest and most intelligent people on the planet pour into my life. While I can admire historical figures and their contributions to society, it is really the people I know on a much deeper level that have been life changers for me. There are simply too many to name. If I had to pick just one most influential person that would definitely be my mom…or maybe my son, who just influenced me to buy a Michael Kors handbag even though I tend to be somewhat of a cheapskate (wink).
What do you think is the most exciting trend in your field today?
I’m extremely excited about recent efforts by the National Academies of Medicine (NAM) recognizing the influence that interior design may have on the quality of healthcare delivery. For example, I was invited to serve as an advisor for the NAM Scientific Advisory Panel on the Evidence-Base for Patient & Family Engaged Care (PFEC) which informed a discussion paper, published by NAM describing the need to provide a “built environment that facilitates PFEC” (Frampton et al., 2017). Also, my colleagues and I have been invited to develop a manuscript for NAM’s Perspectives publication on the role that the physical environment may play in supporting clinician well-being, which we are developing with our collaborators at UF Health/Shands in the department of emergency medicine.