Dr. Gayle Nicoll, Dean of the Faculty of Design, an architect, and environmental researcher has focused her teaching and research on human behaviour related to spatial typologies, building features and technology, human behavior and design practices related to healthy environments. Her research examining the physical environmental features that promote physically active lifestyles has provided an important foundation for building and urban design initiatives that promote health and combat chronic disease related to sedentary lifestyles and obesity, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and colon cancer. Dr. Nicoll is a co-author of the Active Design Guidelines (ADG) which has over 15,000 copies distributed in 80 countries and has been recognized with multiple awards.