Kendra Locklear Ordia earned a Master of Interior Design from the School of Architecture at The University of Texas Austin where she focused on biophilic interior design guidelines for healthcare environments. Her undergraduate degree is in Interior Design from the College of Architecture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is a registered interior designer in the State of Texas, holds an NCIDQ certification and is a LEED BD+C accredited professional. Before UNL, Ordia held academic positions in the Interior Architecture and Product Design Department at Kansas State University as well as in the Interior Design Program at Texas State University. Her professional work at renowned firms like Perkins & Will, Gensler, and CallisonRTKL allowed her exposure to projects ranging from large-scale healthcare to workplace design with a focus on environmental and occupant wellbeing. Her research explores nature-integration in interior environments through theory, narrative, and designed solutions for increased wellbeing, equity, and delight. Her approach to the topic spans student inquiry, focused research, and designed solutions. Her writings have been featured in publications including Interiors: Design/Architecture/Culture. Her creative, biophilic-inspired work has been exhibited at several national and international exhibitions including Public Interiority, DesignLAB Next Nest Exhibition and at Curtains: The Center for American Architecture and Design Symposium.In 2020, she was recognized as one of eight American Society of Interior Design (ASID) Ones to Watch scholars. In 2023 she was awarded the IDEC Teaching Excellence Award and in 2024 received the ASID Educator of the Year award. She serves on the ASID National Board of Directors (2024 – 2027) and the Interior Design Educator Council (IDEC) Foundation board (2019 – 2025) and is a member of the IIDA Equity Council and Education Subcommittee. Her passion for resilient design and material health was reinforced in her role as a research team lead around the topic of Promoting Holistic Health for the ASID Committee on Climate, Health, and Equity in 2023. As an NCIDQ-certified designer