Tilanka Chandrasekera

Dr. Tilanka Chandrasekera is Professor of Interior Design in the Department of Design and Merchandising at Oklahoma State University, where he serves as Associate Department Head, Program Coordinator for the Interior Design Program, and Director of the Mixed Reality Lab. He holds the distinguished Christine Salmon Endowed Professorship and leads pioneering, interdisciplinary research at the nexus of design, emerging technologies, and human experience.

A licensed architect from Sri Lanka, Dr. Chandrasekera earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Architecture from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, and a Ph.D. in Architectural Studies from the University of Missouri–Columbia, where his doctoral research advanced the use of tangible user interfaces in design education.

Before entering academia, he practiced architecture both independently and with leading firms in Sri Lanka, developing a diverse portfolio of work spanning high-rise developments, hotels, wildlife parks, zoological spaces, and custom housing. His dual background as a practitioner and scholar grounds his research in both theoretical rigor and real-world application.

Dr. Chandrasekera is internationally recognized for advancing the role of digital media in design research and education. His scholarship integrates Virtual and Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence, psychophysiological measurement, and computational methods to explore how design can foster creativity, cognition, and cultural sensitivity across contexts ranging from healthcare and education to workplace and community environments.

Research Interests

• Virtual and Augmented Reality in Design
• Artificial Intelligence in Design and Design Education
• Design Cognition and Computational Thinking
• Culturally Relevant and Inclusive Design Pedagogy