Nichole Kain, PhD
Hi, I’m Nichole. My background in occupational therapy, environmental gerontology, and home modifications for healthy aging guide my interest in regional and residential climate adaptation strategies for medically vulnerable populations. Specifically, I am passionate about age-friendly housing design for areas experiencing extreme weather events.
Education
PhD Environmental Studies, Sustainable Community Planning (2024)
Antioch University New England
Graduate Certificate Community Planning (2019)
Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
Research projects included: legal and ethical implications of age-restricted communities, elder migration trends in Colorado, history of residential post-occupancy evaluations, age-friendly housing policy
MA Gerontology with emphasis in Health, Wellness, and Aging (2010)
San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA
Thesis: Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities, mapping trends and predicting patterns of aging in America
BSc. Occupational Therapy (2005)
Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL, USA
Additional training
2021 Reframing Aging training. FrameWorks Institute.
2020 EcoDistricts AP
2019 NCI System Certified Trainer, National Charrette Institute. Brooklyn, NY.
2018 Design Psychology Workshop, housing interior emphasis. Toby Israel Consulting, Inc. Online.
2018 Certification in Older Adult Mental Health First Aid. Mental Health First Aid USA. Longmont, CO.
2017 Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS). National Association of Home Builders. Denver, CO.
Community Engagement
Nichole presents guest lectures and and hosts workshops to groups as large as a handful or hundreds.
Some of her popular topics include:
Climate-adaptive Housing
Climate Change and Aging
Environments for Aging
Accessible Tiny Homes
Environmental Autobiographies
Residential Universal Design
AARP HomeFit