Rate My Professor Jennifer Lane

Dr Jennifer Lane serves as Associate Lecturer in the School of Design and the Built Environment within the Faculty of Humanities at Curtin University. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Science from Curtin University and a Doctor of Philosophy in Interior Architecture from the same institution, commenced in 2018. Her PhD thesis, entitled "Interior MARSitecture: Designing for Isolated and Confined Environments," centers on developing optimal interior design for Mars habitats to foster mental and emotional wellbeing among astronauts. The research addresses psychological stressors such as sensory deprivation, monotony, and confinement observed in extreme analog environments including Antarctic stations, the International Space Station, HI-SEAS Mars simulation in Hawaii, and Russia's Mars 500 project. Lane analyzes design parameters like lighting, colour, scale, materials, and volumetric qualities, drawing from established literature. Mentored by Mars One candidate Josh Richards, her work incorporates practical perspectives on Mars habitation, though differing views exist on elements like noise levels. For empirical insights, she joined Crew 215 (Expedition Boomerang) at the Mars Desert Research Station as Crew Researcher (Architecture), conducting site analyses for human-centric enhancements, behavioral studies on crew-environment interactions, and data collection through surveys and interviews with simulation veterans.

In addition to research, Lane contributes to teaching, delivering units such as GRDE1024 Design Theory in Practice (Semester 2, 2024) and URDE6006 Design and Built Environment Research Methods. She supervises Master of Design students, supporting exhibitions in the School of Design and the Built Environment. Lane extends her outreach via public engagements including the Future Science Talks at Perth Comedy Festival and a 2018 podcast "Ep #13: Making Mars Home." Her findings hold relevance for designing interiors in other confined settings like spaceships, lunar habitats, submarines, remote military bases, oil rigs, and fly-in-fly-out worker facilities, bridging interior architecture with engineering and psychology. Her expertise encompasses Mars exploration, habitat design, environmental psychology, and public speaking.