Jim Determan

For over 35 years, Jim has designed K-12 and higher education facilities with emphasis on how design of the space enhances learning and the student experience. He is a passionate advocate for school design and has impacted public policy by providing testimony at local school boards, Baltimore City Council, Maryland General Assembly, and the United States House of Representatives.

Jim collaborates with educators and neuroscientists to produce peer-reviewed learning space research, publishing a study in 2015 confirming that the design of active learning classrooms improves learning outcomes for ethnically diverse students at Morgan State University. In 2019, the research team, joined by the Salk Institute and Terrapin Bright Green, completed a study that associates biophilic design with reduced student stress and improved learning outcomes for middle school students in a Baltimore City charter school. His design and research have been presented throughout the country, published by international journals and cited by numerous teams of researchers.