Our Team
MONA GHANDI
DIRECTOR OF MORPHOGENESIS LAB
Mona Ghandi is an architect, researcher, and educator graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. She is an assistant professor of architecture and director of Morphogenesis lab at Washington State University. She has extensive experience in emerging technologies and their role in advancing innovative design and alternative models of building delivery to improve the quality of life. Her research focuses on emotive and compassionate spaces which examine the role of AI, machine learning, and the smart environment in improving sustainability and well-being in our buildings.
She has taught a wide range of studios and lecture courses focusing on advanced computational technologies, data-driven design, simulation, robotics, digital fabrication, virtual | augmented reality, and responsive and adaptive architecture both at the graduate and undergraduate levels at WSU, UC Berkeley, and Ohio University. She has more than twelve years of professional experience ranging over residential, commercial, industrial, urban, and landscape projects working with NADAAA, Emerging Objects, VAV Studio, and MEM Architecture.
MOHAMED ISMAIL
HEAD OF ARCHITECTURE TEAM | RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Mo joined the Morphogenesis Lab with the intent of further exploring the interdisciplinary applications of architecture and design in an experimental environment. His experience working in the Morphogenesis Lab has highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of our field and has encouraged him to question the role of architecture and its innate potential to enhance the quality of our daily lives.
SAL BAGAVEYEV
HEAD OF COMPUTER SCIENCE TEAM | RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Sal joined the Morphogenesis lab in 2018. His interests include powerful mechanical systems and associated machine learning-based control software. Sal received his Master Degree in Computer Science degree with his thesis focusing on active learning from WSU. He is currently continuing on with his PhD studies.
MARCUS BLAISDELL
RESEARCH ASSISTANT | COMPUTER SCIENCE
Marcus is a Computer Science major that has been with the lab since January of 2019. He joined the lab as his senior design project working on Mona's project to use wearable bio-metric sensors and machine learning to predict a users emotional state and use that to affect the built environment. His senior design team developed a tool that allows a user to wear a wristband and get their emotional state determined and presented to them on an iPhone app.
MATTHEW CHAN
RESEARCH ASSISTANT | ARCHITECTURE
Matthew is a Master of Architecture student currently finished his Graduate School in 2021. Once Matt started working in the lab he began expanding his knowledge in the emerging ideas of kinetic systems and the way that Designers can use these new ideas to better improve the lives of those around us.
SHANLE LIN
RESEARCH ASSISTANT | ARCHITECTURE
Shanle is Master of Architecture student currently finished his Graduate project in 2020. Shanle began to work with the lab with a pure goal, to explore the impact between machine or intelligent and human behavior within the architectural context. Thanks to the lab, he has noticed the importance of advanced computational technologies help improving or designing good quality of the future environment.
ANISSA CHAK
RESEARCH ASSISTANT | ARCHITECTURE
Anissa is a fourth year student pursuing a Bachelors in Architecture at Washington State University. She began to work with the lab by the goal to explore the impact between human behavior and intelligent within the architectural context; and she is excited to participate in more projects.
LUMING XIAO
RESEARCH ASSISTANT | ARCHITECTURE
Luming is an architecture graduate student who graduated in 2020. He had eight years of architectural design experience and won several awards before coming to the United States. He believes that architectural practice and research are inseparable, and his research interests are the application and study of light in innovative sustainable building system.
Anne Speight
RESEARCH ASSISTANT | ARCHITECTURE
Anne is a fourth-year architecture student pursuing a Master’s degree in Architecture at Washington State University. Her purpose in joining the lab is to gain new experience in architectural research and discover how technology can be used in architecture to improve the lives of others.
NICOLE LIU
CINEMATOGRAPHY | ARCHITECTURE
Nicole is a fourth year student pursuing a Bachelors in Architecture at Washington State University. She was excited to participate in the video production of installations. While assisting in the lab, she gained valuable newfound knowledge of the details of lab work, experimentation, and fabrication. She is excited to participate in more projects.
TINGWEI
RESEARCH ASSISTANT | ARCHITECTURE
Tingwei is a Master of Architecture student who just graduated from Washington State University in 2021. His purpose in joining Morphogenesis Lab is to explore the possibility of the connection between artificial intelligence from machines and human behaviors in architectures. Under such a circumstance, he starts focusing on how computational technologies assist designers to improve and create a better environment in the future.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR UNDERGRADUATES
SUMMER 2021
Ahmed abdelgalil
jared kelnhofer
SUMMER 2020
Joshua Okamoto
Sena Atay (UNC Charlotte)
Zakiya Pruitt (WSU Vancouver)
SUMMER 2019
Alexander Trevithick (Williams college)
Reece Keller (University of Washington)
SUMMER 2018
Lucia Martisovitsova(UC Berkeley
Yang Zhang (Computer Science)
Hamidreza Esmaeillou (Architecture)
Ashley Nunn (Architecture)
SENIOR DESIGN STUDENTS
SPRING/FALL 2020
Micah Priddis
Andrew Vaniderstine
John Ye
Joshua Green
SPRING/FALL 2019
Marcus Blaisdell
Ngoc Duong
Katherine Freund
Samra Memon
SPRING/FALL 2018
Daniel Koberstein
Humberto Mejia
Shaurya Thakar
Jacob Sadoian
Joshua Carver
ALUMNI
YANG ZHANG
RESEARCH ASSISTANT | COMPUTER SCIENCE
HAMIDREZA ESMAEILLOU
RESEARCH ASSISTANT | ARCHITECTURE
ASHLEY NUNN
RESEARCH ASSISTANT | ARCHITECTURE
JESSIE LU
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT | ARCHITECTURE
Jessie is a fourth year student currently finishing her final semester of her undergraduate in Architectural Studies. Since working in the lab, she has had the opportunity to experience new ideas relating to technology and architecture from her mentors and fellow creatives. This opportunity has also enhanced her knowledge about fabrication techniques.
RURI ADAMS
RESEARCH ASSISTANT | ARCHITECTURE
Ruri is a fourth year Architecture student and has been working in the lab since September of 2019. Not only has her experience in the Morphogenesis Lab expanded her knowledge and curiosity about the design field, but it has also given her the opportunity to push myself and my capabilities as a student.
AISHA MARCOS
RESEARCH ASSISTANT | ARCHITECTURE
Aisha is a fourth year Architecture student finishing her final semester of her undergraduate degree in Architectural Studies. Aisha was excited to contribute to the research process firsthand. During her time working in the lab Aisha was able to grow and expand her knowledge and curiosity about the design field and what alternative opportunities present themselves to designers.
CHRISTOPHER KINNEY
RESEARCH ASSISTANT | ARCHITECTURE
Christopher Kinney is an Architecture Major with a Computer Science minor. Through the seven months spent working for the lab, he researched various ways to produce responsive architectural systems. Chris then learned about, experimented with, and applied 3D printed mechanical systems, and simulated different projects and iterations of them using Grasshopper.
MARTIN TREJO
RESEARCH ASSISTANT | ARCHITECTURE
Martin graduated with his Bachelors of Science in Architectural Studies from Washington State University in May 2020 and is pursuing his Masters of Architecture from Washington State University. He joined the Morphogenesis lab in order to experience professional design research firsthand. While assisting in the lab, he gained and exercised valuable research skills regarding documentation, experimentation, and fabrication.