University at Buffalo (UB)
Eberhard Research Fellowship
John Eberhard (1927-2020), the founding dean of the School of Architecture and Planning, was a critical and creative scholar, educator, and leader. Trained at MIT and later employed at the National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council, Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, and American Institute of Architects, among others, Eberhard held a deep interest in design thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration, design innovation, and applied, cutting-edge research. With the generous support of Peter Hourihan, former principal at CannonDesign and a member of the first cohort of architecture students at UB, the Eberhard Research Fellowship extends Eberhard’s ethos and legacy. Each year, the fellowship is awarded to an exceptional incoming M.Arch student motivated to carry out significant and impactful architectural research (through a master’s thesis and allied coursework).
Bikram is in his first year of the UB Master of Architecture program after earning his Bachelor of Science in Architecture here in 2025.
His interest in autism-centered design began during his undergraduate studies when he identified two significant challenges related to that subject matter: most accessible design research is related to physical conditions, not neurological; and almost all existing studies and design guidelines are developed for countries with significant resources. Through the support provided by the Eberhard Fellowship, Bikram will focus on the development of affordable, sustainable, and inclusive architectural solutions for children with autism spectrum disorder. That research will center around a simple but important question: Can thoughtful architecture improve their lives without relying on expensive solutions? Bikram plans take an interdisciplinary approach, collaborating with researchers across the university—particularly psychology, education, and engineering—as well as research centers within the School of Architecture and Planning to identify potential solutions.
Alli is in her first year of the UB Master of Architecture program after earning her Bachelor of Science in Architecture in 2025.
With the support of the Eberhard Fellowship, Presutti investigated design as a solution for student security and well-being in an age of gun violence. Using her own high school – Webster Thomas High School in Webster, N.Y. – as a case study, Presutti focuses her research on the most prevalent school building type today: the postwar school building. As these schools age and adapt to today’s educational environment, differing – and sometimes opposing – design strategies are often employed for security enhancements and ongoing renovation, leading to inadequate solutions for student well-being. “Reframing security as a supportive spatial condition has the potential to shift how the design disciplines participate in making students not only more secure in a crisis, but also more supported in their everyday lives and educational pursuits,” Presutti says. Her research refers to architectural design guidelines such as Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, which uses territorial reinforcement, access control, natural surveillance, and maintenance to deter crime, and trauma-informed design, which applies the principles of trauma-informed care into the built environment to create safe and empowering spaces that foster healing, community, and dignity.
Previous recipients
Katarina is in her second and final year of the UB Master of Architecture program, after earning her Bachelor of Science in Architecture with a minor in Environmental Design and spending two summers studying abroad in Europe.
Katarina is interested in the history and legacy of architecture, pertaining to its permanence, social impact, and creative possibilities. Through the directed research and thesis program, and the support of the Eberhard Fellowship, she plans to pursue “temporary” or “false” architecture. This can range from examining World’s Fairs, which lead to innovative progressions in architecture that change the world, or momentary displays of style that are destroyed as soon as the event ends. Or, film and TV sets that create false worlds or impersonate real ones, to convey story and emotion. Even the architecture of theme parks can demonstrate careful engineering of experience and complex design under layers of fantasy. She would like to explore how these topics can impact design today and what we can learn from impermanent or imaginative architecture.
2023-24 Eberhard Research Fellow: Peter Fillion - M.Arch '24
Peter has been doing sound engineering for nearly a decade and has a deep passion for sound. He has distinguished himself in every arena of life, as a student, employee, and soldier. As a soldier, Peter is a member of the NY Army National Guard and has distinguished himself as the National Soldier of the Year. He has been activated in response to national disasters in his local community. As an employee, he has earned the respect and confidence of his employers. As a student, he has won design awards and multiple scholarships, made the dean's list, been published in Intersight, and won the Eberhard Research Fellowship. Because of this fellowship, Peter can explore his passion for sound. He hopes to explore the impacts of artificial and physical acoustics.
Thesis Title:
Euphoric Eden: Designing for Intimate and Enveloping Acoustics
Thesis Committee:
Mark Shephard
Nick Bruscia
2022-23 Eberhard Research Fellow: Julia Wade - M.Arch '24
Julia was the inaugural recipient of the Eberhard Fellowship, which supported her research and fostered her academic and professional growth. Throughout her studies, Julia earned Dean's List honors and was inducted into the Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society in Architecture and Allied Arts.
Julia is passionate about exploring the multisensory relationship between the body and space, focusing on how material elements activate sensory responses that shape our perception and movement through environments. As a researcher and designer, she seeks to deepen our understanding of space as a dynamic, interconnected system that influences how we experience and inhabit the world around us.
Her research and design are inspired by the ordinary, everyday moments often overlooked, finding valuable insights in these simple experiences to inform thoughtful, impactful design. With experience in both retail design and housing, Julia continues to incorporate these sentiments into her design decisions, always striving to create intentional, people-centered spaces.
Thesis Title:
Unraveling Sensory Dimensions
Thesis Committee:
Beth Tauke
Randy Fernando