IDEC Board of Directors

Stephanie Sickler is an Assistant Professor and Foundations Coordinator in the Department of Interior Architecture and Design at Florida State University.    A primary focus in her classes is exposing design students to rich programming experiences through experiential learning and collaboration with community partners.  She teaches undergraduate interior design courses in design foundations, materials, and visual merchandising. Stephanie received her Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design from Florida State University where her graduate research focus was generational studies and interior design pedagogy.  Prior to returning to Florida State, Stephanie taught interior design at the University of Alabama for a number of years.  Her research interests include student engagement through service experiences, sustainable design education, and studies in community housing.  Stephanie has served IDEC through a variety of leadership roles including Regional Graduate Student Travel Scholarship Coordinator for the South Region and Service Collaborative Coordinator.

Rene King is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Design Department at Columbia College. She holds degrees in Interior Design and Architecture, is NCIDQ certified and a LEED AP.  King has over 20 years of professional experience and has worked for a number of award-winning architectural firms in the United States and France.  Her current research interests explore design, placemaking, and social justice in Chicago.  She has served on the IIDA Illinois Chapter Board of Directors for nearly six years as VP of Student Affairs, President-Elect, President, and currently, Past-President.

Sandra Reicis began working at Villa Maria College in 2002 where she was successfully promoted to professor in 2016. She holds a Master of Architecture degree from SUNY at Buffalo, and a Bachelor of Arts from York University in Canada. She has been actively engaged in IDEC serving as East Regional Chair, abstract reviewer and most recently 2019 East Regional Conference Host. Sandra also volunteers as a board member to New York Eleven Plus.

Steven Webber is an Associate Professor at FSU in the IA&D Department. He holds an M.Arch and B.S. Interior Architecture from Lawrence Technological University. With 12 years in practice, his areas of instruction include design studios, construction systems, and construction documents at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Research areas include emotional intelligence, empathy, systemizing, design process and pedagogy, and trends in practice.  His new book, Interior Design Fundamentals, is published by Fairchild.

Laura Cole, Ph.D, is an Assistant Professor in the Interior Architecture and Design Program at Colorado State University. Prior to completing her Ph.D., Laura worked as a professional, NCIDQ-certified interior designer for the world-class architectural firm Perkins+Will in the Chicago office. There, she worked on a variety of commercial design projects in workplace and hospitality sectors, including numerous LEED projects. Her combined Ph.D. at the University of Michigan was in Architecture and the Natural Resources & Environment. Her current research focuses on the social dimensions of green buildings, with a focus on how sustainable design can be environmentally educational for the public. She examines how school and museums buildings can be stages for formal and informal STEM education. Her interdisciplinary work has been published in notable peer-reviewed journals such as Environment & Behavior, The Journal of Interior Design, The International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, and Environmental Education Review. She is a member of, and presents regularly at the annual conferences for, the Interior Design Educator’s Council and the Environmental Design Research Association. She has developed and taught a range of courses at the undergraduate level including interior design studios, design business practices, architectural programming, and sustainable design.

Lisa M. Tucker, PhD is a Professor and Chair for Interior Design at Virginia Tech and teaches courses on sustainable design and upper level design studios.  She is a LEED BD + C and WELL accredited professional.  Dr. Tucker holds degrees in Architecture and Architectural History from the University of Virginia and a PhD from the University of Missouri—Columbia in Architectural Studies. Dr. Tucker, honored as the 2016 IIDA Educator of the Year, has been identified by Design Intelligence as a Most Admired Design Educators in 2010, 2017, and 2018. She has received the Nancy McClelland Award and is an ASID Educator Medalist.

Connie G.  Dyar is the Interior Design Program Coordinator at Illinois State University. She holds a master’s degree Interior and Environmental Design and worked in residential and commercial design for more than 15 years. Over the years Ms. Dyar has been affiliated with many professional organizations, including the American Society of Interior Designers, National Fire Protection Association, International Interior Design Association, Interior Design Educators Council, and the Illinois Interior Design Coalition. Professional appointments include Chair of the ASID Central Illinois Association, Board Member of the Illinois Chapter ASID Nominating Committee, and Vice President of the Illinois Interior Design Coalition. Through the Illinois Interior Design Coalition, she has devoted many hours to legislative activities that protect the professional practice of interior design. She has served as Administrator and Chair for the IDEC Academy for which she was awarded the Outstanding IDEC Service designation.   As Chair of the IDEC Academy organized and led the Academy in holding the first IDEC Teaching Symposium in March 2016. Her work related to building codes and standards has been presented at National Fire Protection Association international meetings and published in Fire Technology and the Journal of Architectural and Planning Research.  Ms. Dyar’s current research spans design practices in a global context, emerging technology and designing for special populations.  Her professional work has included office design for McKnight Publishing, Eastland Medical Plaza, tenant space development and restaurant design of the Winkler Building for Peoria River Front Development Project, Chuck Harley Davidson, and retail design concepts for Promenade Mall with Cullen Properties.