Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Affiliations
Certification
LANGUAGES
Interests
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS, LICENSURE & CREDENTIALS
RESEARCH, SCHOLARLY INTERESTS & FUTURE DIRECTIONS
PUBLICATIONS, EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES & MANUSCRIPTS
Portfolio
AWARDS, HONORS & RECOGNITION
Timeline
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Pedro Lima
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Pedro Lima

Wauwatosa,WI

Summary

Award-winning interior designer, educator, curriculum innovator, faculty mentor, interim chair, and academic leader with more than twenty years of professional practice and extensive experience in design education, program development, assessment, accreditation alignment, online learning, faculty development, student success, and professional advocacy. Current Assistant Professor and Interim Chair of Interior Architecture & Design at Mount Mary University, with prior faculty and leadership appointments at the New York School of Interior Design and The Art Institute of New York City.

Overview

1
1
Certification
2027
2027
years of professional experience

Work History

Assistant Professor & Interim Chair, Interior Architecture & Design

Mount Mary University
Milwaukee, WI
01.2024 - Current
  • Provide departmental leadership in curriculum development, assessment coordination, accreditation preparation, advising, faculty mentorship, industry partnership development, recruitment, scheduling, and student success initiatives.
  • Lead development of course maps, CIDA alignment matrices, curriculum crosswalks, rubrics, Canvas assessment structures, syllabi, assignment sequences, weekly schedules, and outcome tracking tools across multiple courses.
  • Advised students on academic pathways and career planning, fostering success.
  • Evaluated student performance through assessments, providing constructive feedback for improvement.
  • Evaluated student performance through comprehensive assessments, identifying areas of improvement and providing targeted feedback for growth.
  • Contributed to campus activities to promote positive university image.
  • Applied innovative teaching methods to encourage student learning objectives.
  • Revised course objectives, course materials, instructional and assessment strategies for [Type] courses.
  • Enhanced student research skills by supervising independent studies projects both inside and outside the classroom setting.
  • Enhanced cross-disciplinary collaboration through active participation in departmental meetings and workshops.
  • Facilitated a supportive learning environment with clear expectations, constructive criticism, and open communication between students and faculty members.
  • Developed innovative curriculum for interdisciplinary courses, fostering a broader understanding of various subjects for students.

Interim Chair Responsibilities

Mount Mary University
Milwaukee, WI
01.2025 - Current
  • Provided academic and operational leadership for the Interior Architecture & Design program during a period of institutional and departmental transition.
  • Conducted curriculum and pedagogy review informed by national benchmarking of leading interior design programs, identifying opportunities to elevate rigor, conceptual thinking, portfolio development, and professional readiness.
  • Repositioned the program around stronger design thinking, concept development, and human-centered problem solving, increasing expectations for critical inquiry, design communication, and professional presentation across the curriculum.
  • Redesigned project scaffolding across multiple courses to create greater continuity between first-year, sophomore, junior, and senior learning experiences.
  • Increased portfolio-ready assignments, summative projects, and professionally oriented deliverables to strengthen student preparedness for internships, employment, graduate study, and professional recognition.

Principal Designer

Pedro Lima Interiors LLC
New York, NY
2020 - Current
  • Founded and directs a full-service, award-winning interior design practice managing high-end residential, commercial, workplace, and institutional commissions across luxury residential and commercial sectors.
  • Exercises executive leadership over all phases of the project lifecycle, including corporate strategic planning, fiscal management, multi-disciplinary stakeholder coordination, construction administration, and technical oversight.
  • Translates professional design methodologies directly into academic frameworks, leveraging practice-based expertise to build industry-aligned curriculum maps, project safety matrices, and technical documentation standards.
  • Serves as an educational incubator and career accelerator, actively utilizing the practice to facilitate experiential learning, coordinate regional firm tours, and mentor students through portfolio curation and competitive internship placements.
  • Directs complex programming, zoning compliance, interior technical systems integration, building code alignment, custom architectural detailing, and comprehensive specification packages for high-value spatial environments.

Adjunct Faculty, Interior Architecture & Design

Mount Mary University
Milwaukee, WI
01.2022 - 01.2024
  • Taught sketching/rendering, lighting, textiles/materials, history, drafting, residential studio, furniture design, professional development, and internship courses.

Adjunct Faculty, Interior Design

Gateway Technical College
Kenosha, WI
01.2020 - 01.2023
  • Taught Portfolio and Professional Practice, Textiles/Materials, and Finishes.

Education

Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) Candidate - Architecture

Boston Architectural College
Online
06.2026 - Current

Master of Fine Arts - Interior Architecture & Design

Academy of Art University
San Francisco, CA

Bachelor of Fine Arts - Interior Design

Brigham Young University
Provo, UT

Skills

  • AutoCAD
  • Revit
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe InDesign
  • AI-assisted Visualization and Presentation Tools
  • Sketchup Pro and Layout
  • Bluebeam
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • ArchiCAD
  • 3d studio max

Affiliations

  • President | ASID Wisconsin Chapter | Wisconsin | 2022-Present: Led chapter activities, professional engagement, member development, advocacy, and student/professional connections.
  • National Board Member / Member-at-Large | American Society of Interior Designers | Washington, DC | 2014: Served as elected national board member.
  • Founding Member | ASID Emerging Professionals Advisory Council | National | 2010-2013: Participated in strategic planning and implementation of national initiatives for emerging professionals, including GoPRO programming.
  • President | ASID New York Metro Chapter | New York, NY | 2009-2010: Served as member-elected president for 1,800+ members; led strategic planning, volunteer development, design events, member visibility, and media initiatives.
  • Faculty Advisor | ASID Student Chapter, New York School of Interior Design | New York, NY | 2012-2014: Supported student chapter leadership, events, and membership growth.
  • Faculty Advisor | ASID Student Chapter, The Art Institute of New York City | New York, NY | 2007-2010: Supported student leadership and competitions, including multiple first-place chapter-level wins.
  • Certification Committee Chair | ASID New York Metro Chapter | New York, NY | 2007-2009: Led NCIDQ and certification workshops and organized certification summit events.

Certification

  • NCIDQ Certificate Holder, Certificate No. 020347, since 2004.
  • Wisconsin Registered Interior Designer (WRID), since 2019.

LANGUAGES

English - native fluency.
Spanish - fluent speaking, reading, and writing.

Interests

Bel Canto Chorus, Milwaukee, WI, 2019-Present; semi-professional performances and ongoing vocal training, Background in vocal performance, modern/contemporary dance, music, and theater, informing an interdisciplinary understanding of performance, space, movement, storytelling, and human experience

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS, LICENSURE & CREDENTIALS

  • NCIDQ Certificate Holder, Certificate No. 020347, since 2004.
  • Wisconsin Registered Interior Designer (WRID), since 2019.
  • Professional Educator Member, American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), member since 1998.
  • Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC).
  • American Institute of Building Design (AIBD).
  • Former NY State Certified Interior Designer, 2005-2014.
  • Former Associate AIA, 2007-2010.
  • Former NEWH and IIDA professional memberships.

RESEARCH, SCHOLARLY INTERESTS & FUTURE DIRECTIONS

  • Human Experience in the Built Environment; Experiential Design; Environmental Psychology; Design Education Innovation; Design Leadership & Professional Identity.
  • Emerging Technologies & Artificial Intelligence; Interdisciplinary Design Practice; Branded Environments & Spatial Experience; Curriculum Development & Assessment; Studio Culture & Student Success.
  • Future scholarship explores interior design as a discipline centered on human experience, strategy, and experiential outcomes, with emphasis on educating designers as researchers, creators, innovators, strategists, and integrators.
  • Long-term academic interests include new educational models integrating research, expression, technology, design leadership, environmental psychology, and interdisciplinary practice.
  • The Brand of You professional development seminar, Mount Mary University Interior Architecture & Design students.
  • Professional guest lectures and industry presentations on design practice, materials, lighting, portfolio development, career identity, and professional growth.
  • ASID National, Panelist Speaker, Trends for Emerging Professionals, NeoCon, Chicago, 2014.
  • Panelist Speaker, Trends in Rug Designs, New York International Rug Show, 2012.
  • Panelist Speaker, Product Design Specialist, GoPRO ASID National Event, New York City, 2011.
  • Presenter, Innovative Bathroom Design Seminar, Design Within Reach, New York City, 2011.
  • Panelist Speaker, New York State Certification Summit, joint IDA/ASID/IDLNY summit, 2009.
  • Professional Showcase, The Art Institute of New York City.

PUBLICATIONS, EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES & MANUSCRIPTS

  • How Designers Think: Finding Voice, Structure, and Agency Through Design - manuscript in development centered on the Design Concept Ladder, student agency, and design reasoning.
  • The Portfolio Survival Guide - Student-Facing Guide for Portfolio Development, Professional Identity, Curation, and Design Communication.
  • Interior Architecture & Design Studio Manifesto - program culture framework connecting competence, community, compassion, and commitment.
  • Design Concept Framework and Concept Brief process - curriculum resource aligning design intent, strategy, implementation, and outcomes.
  • Curriculum crosswalks, CIDA matrices, course maps, rubrics, assessment frameworks, and outcome-tracking tools for multiple courses.
  • Residential Interior Construction Documents - online course authored for John Wiley / Westwood College Online, approximately 500 pages of original instructional content.
  • Commercial Interior Construction Documents - online course authored for John Wiley / Westwood College Online, approximately 500 pages of original instructional content.

Portfolio

Featured Picture
Portfolio

AWARDS, HONORS & RECOGNITION

ASID Wisconsin Design Excellence Awards: Gold Award, Residential Bath Design, Pedro Lima Interiors LLC, 2022 awards cycle / announced 2023., ASID Wisconsin Design Excellence Awards: Silver Award, Residential Bath Design, Pedro Lima Interiors LLC, 2022 awards cycle / announced 2023., ASID Wisconsin Design Excellence Awards: Gold Award, Residential Outdoor Living Space, Pedro Lima Interiors LLC, 2022 awards cycle / announced 2023., ASID Wisconsin Design Excellence Awards: Silver Award, Additional / Unique Category, Pedro Lima Interiors LLC, 2022 awards cycle / announced 2023., ASID Wisconsin Design Excellence Award: Silver Award, Professional Design Excellence Awards, 2025-2026 academic year., Featured Contributor, The Brand of You, Second Edition; selected as one of ten interior designers profiled for professional leadership, career development, and industry impact., Quoted in Milwaukee Magazine regarding creativity, leadership, music, and community engagement through Bel Canto., Mentored students receiving recognition through ASID Wisconsin student competitions, including Student Portfolio of the Year and additional project-based honors. Student work recognized through these awards originated from courses redesigned to strengthen concept development, portfolio quality, design communication, and professional presentation., Honored Faculty of the Year Award, The Art Institute of New York City, 2013.

Timeline

Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) Candidate - Architecture

Boston Architectural College
06.2026 - Current

Interim Chair Responsibilities

Mount Mary University
01.2025 - Current

Assistant Professor & Interim Chair, Interior Architecture & Design

Mount Mary University
01.2024 - Current

Adjunct Faculty, Interior Architecture & Design

Mount Mary University
01.2022 - 01.2024

Adjunct Faculty, Interior Design

Gateway Technical College
01.2020 - 01.2023

Principal Designer

Pedro Lima Interiors LLC
2020 - Current

Master of Fine Arts - Interior Architecture & Design

Academy of Art University

Bachelor of Fine Arts - Interior Design

Brigham Young University
Pedro Lima