Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures

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Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND THE ETHICS OF COMMUNITY
How do we achieve societal equity?

Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures is an academic center combining hospitality, environmental design, and health policy and management into a broad–based platform in support of social equity and healthy futures. This is the question facing individuals, communities, and organizations throughout the country. The ongoing oppression of people of color has gained global attention, galvanizing the fight for social justice, and shedding positive light on grass roots organizations like the Black Lives Matter movement, among others. At CIHF the ethics of community will continue to guide our mission; we are unwavering in our resolve to make a meaningful contribution to the principle that ALL must be treated with dignity and respect. Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FOR THE ITHACA CAMPUS
Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' (the Cayuga Nation). The Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an alliance of six sovereign Nations with a historic and contemporary presence on this land. The Confederacy precedes the establishment of Cornell University, New York state, and the United States of America. We acknowledge the painful history of Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' dispossession, and honor the ongoing connection of Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' people, past and present, to these lands and waters.

03/28/2025

Dr. Saleh Kalantari, Associate Professor in the Department of Human Centered Design at Cornell University, was a speaker at this Spring’s Health, Hospitality, and Design Seminar!

Dr. Kalantari leads the Design and Augmented Intelligence Lab (DAIL), where his research focuses on developing digital tools to better understand the impacts of both virtual and built environments on human behavior. Drawing from advances in complementary disciplines such as the behavioral sciences, neuroscience, and computational modeling, Dr. Kalantari promotes a human-centered approach grounded in empirical testing to better evaluate how design choices impact outcomes such as psychological stress and navigation behavior for diverse populations. His team integrates these findings into tools that design practitioners can use to apply evidence-based predictive models of human responses for pre-construction design evaluation.

Much of his research is directed toward analyzing human-building interactions during spatial navigation in large facilities such as hospitals. The outcomes of his research in this area have ranged from a novel VR-testing platform for evaluating wayfinding design, to a cognitive agent simulation tool for wayfinding design optimization, to VR tools for enhancing users’ spatial learning. His research agenda has been supported by the prestigious NSF CAREER Award.
The impact of Dr. Kalantari's translational research in design practice has been recognized through a Touchstone Gold Medal Award from the Center for Health Design and a nomination for the National Design Award by Cooper Hewitt. His research has also been supported by the NIH (R01), the NSF (Human-Centered Computing), the Foundation for Health Environment Research, and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). Prior to joining Cornell, Dr. Kalantari taught at the University of Houston and Washington State University. He also worked as a design researcher at Parkin Architects Ltd. He holds a Ph.D. in Architecture from Texas A&M University.

Thank you, Dr. Kalantari! Our students appreciated hearing your one-of-a-kind perspective on the impact of digital design tools. Read more here: https://www.dail.human.cornell.edu/

03/26/2025

This Spring, the Health, Hospitality, and Design Seminar welcomed Ian Shea, Founder & CEO of I M Human, as a featured speaker!

“Emotional wellbeing is something that is very important to me, it is at the center of my life. It is something that I understand and can relate to and believe it is something that cannot be achieved alone. We all need guidance and support. Especially organizations, especially now.
Hi, I’m Ian Shea. I have over 30 years of experience building businesses, as a leader and an entrepreneur. I am currently the Founder & CEO of I M Human. I M Human is a Wellbeing Strategic Advisory Firm partnering with organizations to design, develop and enhance World Class Wellbeing Strategies.
Sample partners include LinkedIn, HSBC, O'Melveny & Myers (recipient of the #1 Wellbeing Program in the Legal Industry & the One Mind Salus Award for Workplace Mental Health based on our work), New York Police Department, Nixon Peabody, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, American Psychiatric Association (APA), National Alliance of Mental Health (NAMI), Cornell University, University of California at Berkeley and The Montessori Schools.

Prior to I M Human, I founded Maestro Market, a marketplace for experts. Before that, I ran ReplayTV, a successful brand of DVR systems which I sold to DirecTV.
I began my career on Wall Street in the Investment Banking divisions of Prudential Securities and Patricof & Co.

I earned an MBA from Columbia University & UC Berkeley’s HAAS School of Business, where I taught entrepreneurship upon graduation. I earned a BS in Economics from Cornell University.

I am the author of the Wellbeing ChroniclesTM, a newsletter covering the mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing space, co-host of the podcast How We Deal and a frequent speaker on topics related to building a culture of emotional wellbeing.
If I can be of any support to your organization in designing a World Class Wellbeing Strategy, please let me know. Warm regards, Ian.”

Thank you, Ian, for your fresh insights on organizational culture and wellbeing. Learn more here: http://www.i-m-human.com/

03/24/2025

Amanda Al-Masri, Vice President of Wellness, Hilton, and CIHF Industry Scholar presented at this Spring’s Health, Hospitality, and Design Seminar!

Amanda Al-Masri is the vice president of wellness at Hilton. In this role, she serves as a wellness strategist across Hilton’s global portfolio of 18 world-class brands, enhancing Hilton’s current offerings and programs while developing innovative new, scalable solutions to meet rapidly evolving consumer expectations.

A seasoned wellness leader, Amanda brings 20 years of experience to Hilton. Prior to joining Hilton, she assisted with the launch of Equinox Hotels and drove the overall strategy and ex*****on of more than 90 Club Spas. She also served as Global Director of Spa Development & Operations for Starwood Hotels & Resorts, responsible for the company’s spa brands, partners and a global portfolio of more than 450 spas. She offers a deep understanding of how travel and access to wellness experiences have always served as critical points of intersection for consumers.

Amanda graduated with a master’s in hospitality management from Cornell University, as well as from Connecticut College with a degree in French.

Thank you, Amanda! Our students greatly appreciated your input on the changing wellness industry. Learn more here: https://ihf.cornell.edu/people/amanda-al-masri/

03/21/2025

Dr. Chethan Sarabu, MD, FAMIA, FAAP and Director of Clinical Innovation, Health Tech Hub, Cornell Tech spoke during the Health, Hospitality, and Design Seminar this Spring!

Chethan Sarabu, MD ‘09 trained in landscape architecture, pediatrics, and clinical informatics
builds anastomoses across these fields to design healthier environments and systems. He is the Inaugural Director of Clinical Innovation for the Health Tech Hub at Cornell Tech. Over the past 6 years he has been a clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford Medicine and has
worked in the health tech industry, as head of product, director of clinical informatics, and medical director at ai and then Sharecare.

He works with the OpenNotes Lab as an AI & Informatics Strategist and is a board member of The Light Collective. Across these roles, he works on designing and implementing a wide array of innovations ranging from patient portals, EHR transformation, virtual clinical trials, A.I. driven digital biomarkers, documentation, to health information policy initiatives all through a lens of health equity and patient centeredness. He co-founded CHILL, the Climate Health Innovation & Learning Lab to connect dots between climate, health, and the tech innovation community. As a
shaper of the emergent field of climate health informatics, he has given multiple presentations on the topic at grand rounds, informatics symposia, and is the Vice-Chair of the AMIA Climate, Health, Informatics Working group.

This journey all began as an undergraduate at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences which provided a fertile soil for interdisciplinary thought and action. He looks forward to the next chapters of the Cornell story in catalyzing the New York
Health Tech ecosystem and beyond.

Thank you so much for your unique insights into the evolving world of medicine and care. For more information, see Dr. Chethan Sarabu’s LinkedIn here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chethan-sarabu-md/

03/19/2025

Taft Cleveland, AICP, Assoc. AIA, NOMA and Associate and Health Care Planner for the SmithGroup spoke during the Health, Hospitality, and Design Seminar.

Taft Cleveland is a highly skilled healthcare design professional with expertise in functional and space programming, research, strategic facilities planning, and clinical transitioning services. His projects include hospitals, ambulatory care facilities, and educational institutions. Taft’s medical planning experience spans inpatient nursing units, ICU, diagnostic imaging, and surgery design. Recognized for his creative thinking, health equity leadership, and problem-solving abilities, he excels in developing collaborative relationships with clients and stakeholders. Actively involved in social justice and inclusion, Taft serves as co-chair of SmithGroup’s global Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (J.E.D.I.) national committee, promoting equity and design justice within the firm.

Thank you, Mr. Cleveland, for sharing your expertise with students on how to design for justice and equity. For more information, please visit Taft Cleveland’s Linkedin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taft-cleveland-aicp-assoc-aia-noma-122b914/

03/17/2025

Dr. Robert Corona, Chief Executive Officer of Upstate Medical University Hospital and Community Hospital, spoke to students during the Health, Hospitality, and Design Industry Seminar.

Dr. Corona is the John B Henry Endowed Professor of Experimental Pathology and Senior Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs. Dr. Corona is an emeritus member of the New York State Board for Medicine and past member of the NYS DOH Office of Professional Medical Conduct. Dr. Corona is board certified by the American Board of Pathology in neuropathology, clinical informatics, and anatomic pathology.

Dr. Corona served as Vice President of Medical and Scientific Affairs and Chief Medical Officer at Welch Allyn, Inc. for 16 years. Prior to joining Welch Allyn, he was Physician Director o fMedical Informatics, Laboratory Informatics and Telemedicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University. While at Upstate, he founded CareNet, a medical informatics and telemedicine program that was nominated for the Smithsonian Award for Innovation in Medicine. After graduating from Ithaca College in 1982, Dr. Corona received his medical degree from NYCOM/ NYIT (now known as NYITCOM) in Long Island, New York. He did a general medical internship at Southeastern Medical Center in Miami, Florida, and his residency and fellowship at SUNY Upstate Medical University. He did an additional fellowship at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, DC. Dr. Corona also served as Chief Resident at SUNY Upstate Medical and as Co‐Chairman of the Chief Resident’s Association. Dr. Corona completed his MBA at University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Thank you, Dr. Corona, for joining our students and sharing your expertise! To learn more: https://www.upstate.edu

03/13/2025

Today is Giving Day at Cornell! All donations to CIHF will support our students as they explore the intersection of health, hospitality, and design through design competitions, site visits, semester projects, and other hands-on opportunities. Thank you!

03/12/2025

This year's Giving Day donations will go to our Student Fund. Support hands-on design challenges, workshops, site visits, and make other opportunities at the intersection of health, hospitality, and design a reality for our students. Donate tomorrow, March 13 - we can't do this work without you!

https://givingday.cornell.edu/campaigns/cornell-institute-for-healthy-futures

03/12/2025

Introducing Dr. Shengnan Zhang, our new CIHF visiting scholar!

Dr. Shengnan Zhang, Ph.D., is a professor at College of Resource Environment and Tourism at Capital Normal University in Beijing (CNU), China. Previously, she served as the Head of the Department of Tourism Management at CNU and Ph.D. advisor at City University of Macau. Her current research primarily focuses on (1) creative tourism and the functional transformation of the tourism industry, (2) well-being of indigenous residents in cultural ancient towns.

As a principal investigator, she has led over ten major funded projects, including those supported by the National Social Science Fund of China and key planning projects of China National Tourism Administration. She has published over 30 academic papers, including Research on the Development Models and Operational Mechanisms of Creative Tourism, which was fully reprinted in Xinhua Digest. Additionally, she has authored eight academic monographs, including Research on Creative Tourism and Urban Development (Commercial Press). Her textbook, Travel Agency Etiquette, was recognized as a Twelfth Five-Year Plan textbook by the Ministry of Education of China in 2014.

Her main research interests include:
（1） Development models of creative tourism, particularly focusing on the social responsibility of boutique hotels and the construction of aesthetic equity.

（2） The inheritance of intangible cultural heritage in China’s historical and cultural towns, such as the relationship between etiquette and clothing culture within the framework of an intelligent creative platform and its international exchange.

（3） The role of Cornell University’s Hotel Administration in talent development models for Chinese higher education institutions.

Join us in welcoming Dr. Zhang to CIHF!

03/10/2025

Sabah Mohammed, Project Manager at Cactus, spoke this semester at the Health, Hospitality, and Design Industry Seminar.

Cactus is an innovation consultancy and design firm dedicated to creating transformative experiences, particularly in healthcare and wellness.

Thank you, Sabah, for generously sharing your insights and advice with students!

Learn more here: https://www.cactus.is

03/07/2025

This coming Monday, March 10 from 4:30 - 5:30 PM, students can meet with Emma Vacanti, Talent Acquisition Manager for Life Time, Inc in 196 Statler Hall. More details below.

Address

1413 MVR Hall
Ithaca, NY
14853

Telephone

+16072551542

Website

http://ihf.cornell.edu/

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The mission of the Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures is to provide a multi-disciplinary platform for integrating hospitality, health management/policy, and design to enhance service excellence in healthcare, wellness, senior living and related industries.

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