Ikhlas Rabab'ah

Ikhlas O. Rabab'ah is a Jordanian architect and a third-year Ph.D. candidate in the Architecture and Design Research Program. Ikhlas earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Architecture and Architectural Engineering from Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) in 2018 and 2020, respectively, and another master's degree in Architecture from Virginia Tech in 2023. Her main research interests focus on sustainability, building performance, and human behavior. She works on developing the buildings' performance but at the same time focuses on the users and the buildings' impact on them. Ikhlas's Ph.D. research focuses on developing a prototypical biophilic localized natural airflow simulator (BLNAS) for a modular workstation to enhance users' health, wellness, and well-being in indoor environments. Her research resonated with the community and gained support from Steelcase company. Ikhlas is an outstanding student. In 2018, She was the first among her bachelor batch, and in 2023 she was honored by the prestigious ARCC King Student Medal as the best Ph.D. student and for her excellence in architectural and environmental design research. After she graduates from Virginia Tech, Ikhlas will return to Jordan and start working as an assistant professor at JUST.