Heather Bosko
What do you do in your current job?
In my current role, I work closely with internal programs and stakeholders to develop proposals for clinical, support service, and administrative changes. I assess workloads, processes, and standards to create plans that meet program needs. My job involves space planning, equipment coordination, and developing functional programs that inform capital plans. I assist in preparing capital project requirements, drawings, budgets, and proposals. I also participate in planning prioritization, aligning requests with overall system needs. I review project plans for alignment with delivery methods and timing, conduct post-occupancy evaluations to assess project outcomes, and coordinate with various teams to ensure successful project delivery. Additionally, I support capital proposals by providing pre-programming services and analyzing project delivery methods.
What are you doing right now that you are most excited about?
I am working on developing planning space planning and FF+E standards for Shared Health to assist in streamlining future projects and initiatives at a province wide scale.
What is your proudest achievement since graduation?
My two wonderful children!
What do you find to be the most challenging, and the most rewarding aspects of your career?
The most challenging and rewarding aspect of my career has been choosing from all of the opportunities available. There are so many different paths that you can choose after graduation that it has been difficult deciding where to take my skillset next.
What drew you to interior design? What do you love most about it?
What drew me to interior design was the pursuit to understand why I felt comfortable in some environments vs others. What I now love most about it is the problem solving required in each project and stage. I am always learning something new. I also love seeing a project come to fruition – walking through a space that you have developed from the pre-design/functional programming stage is one of the best feelings.
If you could turn back time to your MID years, what would you have done differently/ have taken advantage of as a student?
I loved my years as a MID student. It has been about 10 years since I have graduated and I still regard them as some of my most cherished years. The intellectual challenges, the satisfaction of sharing an interest/journey with my classmates; if I were to go back, I wouldn’t change a thing. Not one. I would just enjoy the experience all over again.
What was the best part about your experience in the graduate program at the UM?
The varied course load and knowledge available through the faculty and their research interests. It was such a unique blend of the different aspects of interior environments that exposed you to the many paths available within the field.
What motivated you to pursue a graduate degree at the UM?
From a young age, I knew I wanted to have a career related to design. Once I completed my undergraduate degree, I knew my journey wasn’t over. I wanted to continue to delve into the research and explore knowledge that impacted the human environment. Ultimately it was my curiosity to understand why space can have such a significant impact on the human psyche and overall wellbeing.