Migette Kaup

Dr. Migette Kaup is an internationally recognized scholar, educator, and leader whose work advances the intersection of design, health, and aging through research, education, and professional service. As a Professor in the Department of Interior Architecture & Industrial Design at Kansas State University and Director of Research within the Center on Aging, she has built a career dedicated to improving quality of life through human-centered, evidence-based design, particularly for older adults and individuals in supportive care environments. Her scholarship has advanced the field through the development of environmental assessment frameworks that connect design attributes to measurable health and well-being outcomes. Widely disseminated in leading peer-reviewed journals, her work informs both design practice and policy. She also serves as co-Principal Investigator on the PEAK Program, a statewide pay-for-performance initiative administered by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services that incentivizes the implementation of person-directed care in nursing homes across Kansas. Dr. Kaup's teaching and mentorship are distinguished by her ability to engage students in design as inquiry, preparing them to approach complex societal challenges through research-informed practice. Through this approach, she cultivates critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, and a strong foundation in evidence-based design, equipping students to translate research into meaningful and impactful solutions. Her broader leadership is reflected in sustained contributions to national organizations, standards development, and interdisciplinary networks that shape the future of the field. She is a Fellow of both the Interior Design Educators Council (FIDEC) and the Gerontological Society of America (FGSA), distinctions that recognize her significant contributions to design education and environmental gerontology. She is also an active member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), and the Society for the Advancement of Gerontological Environments (SAGE). Her leadership roles include service on the Facilities Guidelines Institute (FGI) Health Guidelines Revisions Committee and facilitation of the Center for Health Design's Resilient Aging Environments Network.