Lionel Joseph T. Sanchez, PhD, PIID, IDEC
Assistant Professor 5

Dr. Lionel Sanchez is an Interior Designer and educator who has led his firm, Sanchez Design Studio, Inc., since 2007. With over a decade of professional practice, he has developed a deep understanding of the complexities and nuances of interior design, reflected in both his scholarly and professional work. In 2021, he earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Interior Design, where his dissertation, The Christian Paradigm in Interior Design, explored the intersection of faith and the built environment. He also holds a Master of Architecture, majoring in Interior Architecture, from the University of San Carlos, where his thesis examined The Profile and Professional Remuneration of Interior Designers in Cebu.

Lionel graduated Magna Cum Laude in Interior Design from the University of San Carlos and completed the Architectural Imagination certificate program at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. Alongside his professional practice, he teaches design theory, professional practice, and supervises thesis projects. His research interests include inclusive design, interiority, queer theory, social and community design, and systems design approaches to organizational studies, as reflected in his latest work on Strategic Talent Development and its Role in Enhancing Organizational Competitiveness.

He is an active member of the design community, having served as an Executive Member of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts under the National Committee on Architecture and the Allied Arts. Since 2008, he has been a founding and corporate member of the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers – Cebu Chapter, where he also advocates for the recognition of sign-and-seal rights for interior designers in Cebu City. Outside of academia and practice, Lionel enjoys working out, balancing his professional life with personal wellness.