Huili Wang is an assistant professor of interior design at the LSU School of Interior Design. She is an interdisciplinary researcher who investigates physical work environments, and designs learning environments. She was a key contributor in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funded Technical Assistance to Brownfields community visioning projects. She has certification in Designing Early Childhood Outdoor Environments from North Carolina State University and participated in Texas projects as a trained OLE designer.

What is your background?

I received a PhD and an MS in Interior and Environmental Design from Texas Tech University, and a B.S. in Environmental Design and a MA in Fine Art, from Yangzhou University, China. Prior to joining LSU, I gained teaching experience at South Dakota State University. As an interior designer, I participated in various design projects including hospitality, showhouses, sales offices, the development of new communities, and residential design.

What are your research interests?

My main research interest is physical work environments, including investigating flexible office design solutions that perform well for multi-generational workforces, and gaining in-depth views on workspaces in the future.

My dissertation was a mixed method research project that focuses on increasing understanding of how specific workplace design features affect millennial new hires’ transition outcomes, including job satisfaction, job stress, organizational commitment, and turnover intention. The mixed method research collected and analyzed data from two online focus groups and 252 online survey responses. The results indicate satisfaction with workplace design features significantly predicts millennial new employees’ transition outcomes.

My secondary research interest revolves around designing learning environments, including classroom design for autistic children and early childhood outdoor learning environments.

What is your teaching philosophy?

My experiences in education and industry have led me to believe that employability skills are keys for students successful at long-term jobs or careers. My current teaching philosophy has evolved around how to create a supportive learning environment where students can learn actively and be prepared to enter professional positions. My teaching practice is founded in three concepts to reinforce students’ employability skills: fostering collaborative learning, applied knowledge, and inclusion and empathy.

What is your first impression of LSU & Louisiana?

I really like Mike the Tiger. Every time I go to campus, I visit him and exchange greetings. Also, I enjoy the food in Louisiana and the warm smiles on people’s faces here.