MEET OUR FACULTY
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Dr. Thelma
Lazo FloresDean of Interior Design
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Jose
E. RodriguezInterior Design Professor
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Man
Hum ChanInterior Design Professor
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Gustavo
GilInterior Design Professor
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Peck
SukphisitInterior Design Professor
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Ricardo
GarciaInterior Design Professor
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Andrea
FernandezInterior Design Professor
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Michelle
PitterInterior Design Professor
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Mariam
EliasInterior Design Professor
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Elizabeth
GlennInterior Design Professor
Dr. Thelma
Lazo Flores
Dr. Lazo-Flores has been in the creative industry and higher education for over thirty years. She has been a design educator in both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels of interior architecture, landscape architecture, furniture design, product and interface design, industrial design, and studio art programs in the US, Singapore, Japan, and the Philippines. She has professionally practiced for over ten years, covering luxury residential design, commercial offices, hospitality spaces, trade shows, and military buildings in various parts of the world. She received her Ph.D. in Design Science and Planning from Chiba University, Japan, with a scholarship from the Japanese Ministry of Education.
Jose
E. Rodriguez
An architect from the Universidad de Los Andes, Venezuela, Jose started his career among local top architects while developing a 5-year tutoring experience in design disciplines. He pursued an MA in Design and Media Management at the Miami International University of Art and Design, which provided him with invaluable insights into the interior design business in the US. His current experience focuses on upscale residential and hospitality projects. Jose covers Design Studio, Interior Graphic Standards, and Advanced Visual Presentation Techniques, among many others.
Man
Hum Chan
A meticulous interior designer focused on developing interiors within the hospitality design industry, he is also an electronica enthusiast, a passionate educator, and a lover of all things design. He earned his BFA in Interior Architectural Design at California State University—Long Beach. He teaches Design Studio and AutoCAD for the Intensive Interior Design Program.
Gustavo
Gil
A professional lighting designer with a broad design practice in Chicago with dbHMS, in New York with G2J Design, and in Miami with ISP Design, all with multiple interior spaces. At ISP Design, he was on the team designing various Apple flagship store designs for national and international branches. Currently, he is a design consultant and teaches lighting courses at multiple institutions in Miami. Gustavo holds an MA in Lighting Design from Parsons New School of Design and a BFA in Interior Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Peck
Sukphisit
After graduating from Texas A&M University with an architecture degree, Mr. Sukphisit held positions such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) / CAD manager, project manager, on-site BIM trainer, and college-level instructor of Revit and AutoCAD software. Mr. Sukphisit is a Revit Certified Professional. His interests have been in new skills development (including BIM implementations, COBie deliverables, and laser scanning) and bringing those skills to his current position as Project Manager for Broward County and Adjunct Faculty at Istituto Marangoni Miami. Over his 20 years of architecture, engineering, and construction experience, Mr. Sukphisit has prepared many contract deliverables, which he strongly shares with students in his coursework.
Ricardo
Garcia
Ricardo Garcia is a talented graphic designer with an MA in Design and Media Management from Miami International University of Art and Design. His design expertise is multidisciplinary, and he excellently provides layout and design direction in diverse projects. He has worked on end-to-end brand creative, brand systems, social-digital experiences, brand campaigns, launches, and events for high-tech and digital brands.
Andrea
Fernandez
Andrea is an architect and project manager with over fourteen years of experience in interior design and furnishings, especially in the kitchen and bath area. She is a training specialist for one of the world’s largest kitchen manufacturers. Andrea received her Bachelor of Architecture from Universidad Rafael Urdaneta in Venezuela. She teaches AutoCAD for the Intensive Interior Design Program.
Michelle
Pitter
Michelle is a dedicated and results-oriented professional with over 11 years of broad-based experience in higher education – excelling in various teaching methods to encourage creativity and higher-order thinking among students. On top of her expertise in increasing student performance, syllabus development, and course planning, she has diverse and extensive experience in fashion education, branding, graphic design, and business. She has served in senior design management positions in the fashion and beauty industries. Her lesson planning and class organization expertise extends to her teaching of Business in Interior Design and Business of Luxury. She holds an MBA from Florida International University and a BA in Marketing from Barry University.
Mariam
Elias
Ms. Mariam Elias is an educator, designer, and writer. In the last five years, she has served in various academic institutions locally and internationally, such as Florida International University, Istituto Marangoni Miami, Miami International University of Art and Design in Miami, and Coventry University in Cairo, Egypt. She has taught in graduate programs such as the MA in Design & Media Management and MFA in Visual Arts. She has also covered courses in disciplines such as Advertising, Graphic Design, and Interior Design.
Elizabeth
Glenn
With degrees in Architecture & Historic Preservation from Tulane University in New Orleans, Elizabeth Glenn has worked as an industry professional in South Florida since 1999, specializing in high-end residential and luxury hospitality projects and mixed-use, commercial, and medical facilities. Since 2008, she began teaching at the collegiate level in several local schools. Elizabeth has over 60 different courses developed and taught within the creative fields of interior design, architecture, and industrial design. Ms. Glenn is a Project Manager at Steven L. Cohen and Associates in Boca Raton. Other major interests include design history, furniture design and origami.
July 2, 2026
