Dr. Peterson is an assistant professor in the Department of Interior Design in the College of Engineering. She completed her PhD in 2008 from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. Her major area of study was History with an emphasis on cultural interaction and control in the built environment.
Dr. Peterson holds both her LEED AP ID+C as well as NCIDQ qualifications. She earned Bachelors and Masters Degrees majoring in Interior Design from Virginia Tech and Washington State University, respectively.
Through her widespread field work experience, Dr. Peterson has designed and supervised construction of many structures as vice president of Hacienda Development. Her research interests are varied and focus on interior design pedagogy, sustainable practices, as well as cultural control within the built environment.
Dr. Peterson has traveled extensively throughout Australia, Europe, Asia, Africa as well as the United States.
Doctor of Philosophy in History - Northern Arizona University, 2008. Completed degree with a 4.0 grade point average. Dissertation topic: Landscapes of Capital: Culture in an Industrial Western Company Town, Clarkdale, Arizona, 1914-1929.
Interior Design: Master of Arts in Home Economics- Washington State University, 1981. Major: Interior Design. Thesis topic: An Evaluation of Factors That May Influence Student’s Learning of Measured Perspective.
Interior Design: Bachelor of Science in Clothing, Textiles and Related Arts- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1978. Major: Interior Design.
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Dr. Helen Palmer Peterson, Dr. Shams Al Shamasi, Dr. Maryam Al Khateeb, "Analysis of Spatial Ability Testing Results and Interior Design Program Success for Female University Students in Saudi Arabia.", 5th International Conference on Recent Multidisciplinary Research (5th ICRMR-2019).
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“Clarkdale, Arizona: Built Environment, Social Order, and the City Beautiful Movement, 1913-1920.” Journal of Arizona History 49, no. 1 (Spring, 2008): 27-46.
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“The Killer Flu of 1918: How the Verde Valley Stared Down a Pandemic.” Verde Independent October 21, 2009: 1-3.
Allied Individual Member- American Institute of Architects
Educator Affiliate- Interior Design Educators Council
Education Associate Member- International Interior Design Association
Assistant Professor of Interior Design
College of Engineering
Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University (PMU), Al Khobar- Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, September 2012 –present.
Lecturer
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff , Arizona, 2004- 2012
Assistant Professor of Interior Design
Washington State University , Pullman Washington 1980-81
IDES 4425- Interior Design Studio VII- Healthcare Design
IDES 4337- Sustainable Design
ID 121- Interior Design Graphics, studio
ID 123- Interior Design Visualization, studio
ID 230- AutoCAD I, Two Dimensional, lecture/studio
ID 330- AutoCAD II, Three Dimensional/Visualization, lecture/studio
ID 235- Materials and Components, lecture
ID 100- Design Issues and Theory, lecture
ID 165- Visual Communication, studio
ID 221- Design Methodologies, lecture/studio
ID 246- History of Interior Architecture and Furniture I, lecture
ID 247- History of Interior Architecture and Furniture II, lecture
ID 240- Textiles for the Built Environment, lecture
ID 462- Studio IV- Large Commercial, studio
ID 490- Interior Design Capstone, studio
Cultural interaction and control in the built environment, sustainable practices, perspective drawing, spatial abilities and interior design learning