Jihyun Song

Bio

Jihyun Song is a LEED Accredited Professional with over 20 years of experience in design education through creative scholarship of teaching, research, and service. Professor Song has taught a variety of subjects, such as core interior design content, design communication and visualization, advanced color theory and application, design methods, professional development, seminars, and all levels of interior design studios including ideation, hospitality design, healthcare design, and residential design, plus guided senior and graduate thesis studies or design projects and research. Many interior design graduates have won prestigious national awards for projects they completed under her guidance. Song’s own work won awards from the IDEC (Interior Design Educators Council) and DCA (Design Communication Association), and she is a sought-after speaker and guest critic at interior design schools and professional conferences nationwide.

She is the recipient of awards for her teaching approach and her contributions to interdisciplinary healthcare design studios that bring practitioners, educators and students together. Examples are an interdisciplinary healthcare design studio that she developed and was sponsored by the HDR Architecture, Inc. in Omaha, a health and well-being graduate practice studio at Marymount University sponsored by Waldon Studio Architects, plus a healthcare design graduate studio at George Washington University sponsored by Perkins & Will in Washington, D.C.

Current Research

Professor Song uses her own research and creative work to inform her teaching. Her major research interests include wayfinding design principles in architectural interior spaces and practice in healthcare design. She also studies evidence-based design methods, design communication and visualization featuring environmental color, and creative approaches to design scholarship. Her works have been internationally and nationally recognized from peer-reviewed publications, award competitions and exhibitions at international, national, and regional levels.

Education

• M.S. Design Studies in Interior Design, University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Human Ecology
• M.F.A. Design Studies in Interior Design, Ewha Woman’s University, College of Art and Design, Seoul, Korea
• B.F.A. Design Studies in Interior Environmental Design, Ewha Woman’s University, College of Art and Design, Seoul, Korea

Selected Distinctions

Prior to joining GW in 2025, Song was awarded Best Studio Professor of the Year from the College of Design at Iowa State University, as well as exemplary Faculty Mentor award from the Office of the Provost. Her professional achievement includes: 

• Global Engagement Fund Award, Department of Architecture, Design & Urbanism, Drexel University (2024): “Integrating Educational Missions: Global Partnership in Design Education” 
• Faculty Professional Development Award (2020): Office of the Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs, Marymount University 
• Faculty Professional Development Award (2017): Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost, Iowa State University Exemplary 
• Faculty Mentor Award (2015): Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost, Iowa State University 
• The Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) Grant for a Global Study of Interior Design Education (2012): “Value and Receptivity: A Mixed Methods Study of Global Attitudes Toward Interior Design Accreditation” 
• Polster Teaching Award (2010): College of Design Best Studio Professor o

Professional Organizations

• IDEC (Interior Design Educators Council), Professional Member
• IDECF (Interior Design Educators Council Foundation), Board of Directors