Paul Eshelman
Professor
2008
DEA

Web Bio Page

Current Activities

Current Research Activities
Many population segments differ from the majority in society due to stage in human development, injury, disease, congenital condition, or genetic abnormalities. These special populations can be relegated to low levels of functionality or can be made highly functional depending in part on the supportiveness of the settings in which these people live. Design is what can make the difference. I am interested in design, both interior and furniture, for special populations. My research seeks understanding of decision making in the process of designing supportive, aesthetically satisfying interiors and furniture for special populations.

My current research activity focuses on people with Alzheimer’s disease. In a study entitled, Interior design for stimulating recall of positive memories in people with Alzheimer’s disease, with Professor Franklin Becker as co-principal investigator, we have designed, had constructed and installed in a residential care facility, and have assessed the use of design interventions. These interventions comprise what we term the Family Visit Program and are intended to improve the quality of interactions between residents with Alzheimer’s and their loved ones. Findings to date confirm results of work by others, but go further. Two of the interventions, strategies for in-the-moment interaction and the use of photographs from family collections to foster positive conversation, do transform the family visit from an obligatory task to an enjoyable experience for all participants. Where the present study expands upon previous research is in relation to the role of the setting. Two additional interventions, a conversation corner designed to focus attention while comfortably supporting users at an intimate scale and a digital picture frame stand designed for convenient visual access to images, were found to enhance the quality of the visit experience. Study of the Family Visit Program is ongoing.


Current Extension Activities
The problem-solving nature of the interior design studio makes this type of class a natural vehicle for outreach and service to the community. During fall semesters, Professor Gary Evans and I focus on design for special populations and engage students in our respective courses, DEA 2500/6600, the Environment & Social Behavior, taught by Professor Evans, and DEA 3301, Intermediate Interior Design which I teach, in a collaborative service-learning project. This past fall the population addressed was the elderly. The assignment was interior design of fitness and physical therapy spaces in Kendal at Ithaca. Working in teams, the students designed and constructed full-scale models to convey their ideas for a) better use of existing space, b) construction of additional new space, and c) creative use of corridors, all for the purpose of improving the accommodation of fitness and PT functions within the facility. Designs were presented and made available to residents and local as well as corporate representatives of Kendal.

Biography

Biographical Statement
Professor Paul Eshelman was educated in the field of Industrial Design at Kent State University, B.S.,1970, and the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, M.F.A., 1972. After a period of professional design experience as Senior Designer for Amtrak and Designer and Research Associate for Herman Miller Research Corporation, he joined the faculty in the Department of Design and Environmental Analysis at Cornell University in 1978. At Cornell he teaches interior design and furniture design studios and applies his design expertise to his research focus, design for special populations including people with Alzheimer's disease. He has been recognized for his service to the field of Interior Design by being named a Fellow of the Interior Design Educators Council, an international organization. From 1990 to 1994 he served as the Editor of the Journal of Interior Design, the only refereed (peer-review) journal specific to the field of Interior Design. He continues to serve as a reviewer for JID.
 



Courses, Websites, Pubs

Courses Taught

Spring Semester 2008: DEA 1102, Design Studio II and DEA 4300, Furniture as a Social Art

Fall Semester 2008: DEA 3301, Design Studio V



Selected Publications
Eshelman, P. & Evans, G. W. (2002). Home Again:  Environmental Predictors of Place Attachment and Self-esteem for New Retirement Community Residents. Accepted for publication in the Journal of Interior Design.

Evans, G. W., Kantrowitz, E. & Eshelman, P. (2002). Housing Quality and Psychological Well Being among the Elderly. Accepted for publication in the Journal of Gerontology.