Rate My Professor Joan Kaufman

Joan Kaufman serves as Assistant Professor, Program Coordinator, and Interior Design Program Director in the Architecture and Interior Design Department at Judson University. She joined the institution as an adjunct professor of interior design in January 2016 and has since advanced to lead the Interior Design program as the primary professor. With extensive professional experience in commercial interior design, Kaufman previously worked for several commercial design firms and an office furniture dealership before founding Interior Planning & Design, Inc. (IPD), an award-winning firm in Naperville, Illinois, in 1991. Projects by her firm have been prominently featured in various publications, including the Chicago Tribune, Interiors and Sources, Architectural Lighting, Better Homes & Gardens, Remodeling Ideas, Window Fashions, and West Suburban Living, highlighting her impact in the field.

Kaufman's robust academic background includes a B.S. in Interior Design (Summa Cum Laude) and a B.F.A. in Art History (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, along with an M.B.A./M.P.H. in Administration/Process Improvement (Summa Cum Laude) from Benedictine University. She is pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Her professional qualifications encompass NCIDQ certification, LEED AP accreditation, licensure in Florida, registration in Illinois, membership in the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC), and status as an ASID Fellow, including roles as Past National CST Chair and Past Illinois Chapter President, as well as CID Ambassador. Kaufman chaired the Illinois State Board of Registered Interior Design Professionals for seven years and serves on the ASID National Education Qualifications and Professional Development Committee. Among her honors, she received the 2018 First-Place Design Excellence Award for Bath Design from the ASID Illinois Chapter. Additionally, IPD earned a 2015 Design Excellence Award for the Springbrook Animal Care Center project, along with awards for lighting design and the Chicago Wolves headquarters office.