Saleh Kalantari

Saleh Kalantari is the Lois and Mel Tukman Assistant Professor in Cornell University’s Department of Human Centered Design, with graduate field faculty appointments in the Department of Information Science. He is the director of the Design and Augmented Intelligence Lab (DAIL) at Cornell, where his research group investigates human–technology partnerships in the design process with the goal of amplifying the effectiveness of design practice and expanding our knowledge about the outcomes of design. Dr. Kalantari’s work promotes the generative-design approach and the adoption of new design technologies to improve the relationship between people and their created environments. Drawing from behavioral and neurological research methods, he studies human spatial experiences in both virtual and real-world contexts.

Dr. Kalantari’s research has led to applications in the computational evaluation of design outcomes, including an evidence-based, cognitive-agent model for simulating diverse human behaviors in relation to prospective building designs. He also has developed virtual reality (VR) games tailored for enhancing spatial wayfinding skills in older adults. Dr. Kalantari’s research has been supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF)’s program in Human-centered Computing; by the National Institute of Health (NIH)’s National Institute on Aging; and by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). His work has been recognized through the Center for Health Design’s Touchstone Award. 

Prior to joining Cornell, Dr. Kalantari taught at the University of Houston and Washington State University. He previously worked as a design researcher at Parkin Architects Ltd., where his team won multiple recognitions, including an International Academy for Design and Health (IADH) Award for their work on the Southwest Regional Forensic Mental Health Centre. He holds a Ph.D. in Architecture from Texas A&M University.