A Sense of Home in Topaz

“A Sense of Home in Topaz: Placemaking in a Japanese-American Internment Camp ”

Tuesday, January 28, 2014 | 12:30-1:30 p.m. 
Whitewater Room, Idaho Commons

Presenter:
Shauna Corry - Professor of Architecture & Interior Design



Abstract
Topaz Camp, sited in the west-central desert of Utah, was one of ten relocation centers for Japanese-Americans during World War II. Although thousands of lives were negatively affected in terms of economic and cultural implications, how the internees adapted to and controlled elements of their immediate surroundings in an effort to increase the quality of their lives is of interest to scholars in the design disciplines. This presentation focuses on a qualitative analysis of the interior environment, and highlights elements of placemaking as it relates to personal and national identity, and the ability of the human spirit to adapt to challenging living conditions.

Biography
Dr. Shauna Corry graduated from Utah State University in 1984 with a B.S. in Household Economics and Management with an Emphasis in Housing and interiors. She continued her education at Washington State University, earning an M.A. in Home Economics with an Emphasis Interior Design in 1990 and an Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Environment and Behavior in 2002. Dr. Corry received the University of Idaho’s Hoffman Teaching Award in 2007 and has been honored with nine Alumni Awards of Excellence for mentoring UI students. She has taught at the university level for 24 years, and along with her students, has completed countless volunteer hours in addressing the need for functional and supportive spaces in communities. Dr. Corry has taught at North Dakota State University where she served as coordinators of Interior Design and Facility Management, and at the University of Idaho since 2001. Dr. Corry currently serves as Interior Design Program Head in the College of Art and Architecture.