Jonsara Ruth is co-founder and Design Director of Healthy Materials Lab (HML) at Parsons School of Design, where she is an Associate Professor and Founding Director of the MFA Interior Design program, which she cultivated into the highest ranked program in the US. At HML, Jonsara co-leads a team of dedicated researchers to chart pathways and transform design and material practices toward healthier, sustainable futures with the goal of improving the health of underserved communities. Drawing from over a decade of leading design teams in the furniture industry, Jonsara brings an understanding of manufacturing, supply chains, labor practices, and a penchant for democratic design to her roles at HML and Parsons. She is the recipient of multiple awards, including the 2022 Women in Architecture Innovation Award from Architectural Record with Alison Mears and, with HML and collaborators, a Fast Company Innovation award for a pilot biomaterial renovation of an affordable home in Northwest Pennsylvania.  She is regularly invited as an expert speaker to disseminate current Material Health thinking with academic and mainstream audiences. She co-edited the seminal publication “Material Health: Design Frontiers”, released in 2023. Jonsara serves on several advisory boards, including the Sustainable Furnishings Council, and holds a Master of Architecture from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a BFA in Industrial Design from Rhode Island School of Design.