ISoA Student Nisha Patil Awarded HDR Health Planning Scholar Program!

"HDR’s Health Planning Scholar Program is a one-year immersive program for recent graduates who are passionate about bettering the health and wellness of the people they design for. This program is open to candidates who are finishing graduate studies in architecture and health-related programs. The scholars will work with HDR's expert planners and designers on projects around the globe with travel opportunities. The position’s location will be matched to the interest of the candidate with an HDR office that offers the strongest mentoring opportunity. As the leader in healthcare architecture, HDR is committed to fostering the growth and development of the next generation of health architects and planners. The selected candidates will be granted full-time employment, attendance to a healthcare architecture conference, and the opportunity to continue their career at HDR after the program’s term."

Source

Nisha Patil, a current graduate student here at the University of Illinois School of Architecture, was awarded the HDR Health Planning Scholar! Her position will be "HDR Health Planning Scholar/Design Coordinator."

Nisha:

“Starting my journey with HDR as a Health Planning Scholar/Design Coordinator is a pivotal opportunity in my path toward becoming a healthcare planner. This role offers a rare chance to contribute to high-impact healthcare projects worldwide while gaining exposure to advanced design strategies, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams, and learning directly from leading experts across HDR’s national network. This opportunity not only fast-tracks my career growth and visibility but also allows me to build a lasting and meaningful future in healthcare design—within a firm that shares my passion for transforming care through architecture.

Looking back, what helped me reach this milestone was the ability to shape my own direction in design and research through the Health and Well-being concentration at the Illinois School of Architecture. That freedom, combined with consistent faculty guidance, allowed me to dive deeper into human-centered design—all of which helped me craft an application that truly reflected both my values and vision.”

Congratulations Nisha!