Cynthia Adams Francis
Cynthia Adams Francis’ first job was as a junior designer in the corporate sector. She learned the basic skills for programming, space planning, design development and finish selections for tenant improvement projects.
She later accepted a senior design position for a St. Louis firm that worked in both the corporate and healthcare environments. This was her introduction to the healthcare market. She later worked for a large design build company that designed and built healthcare projects throughout the U.S. Her passion for these two business sectors allowed her to work on very large projects that have included all phases of design, creating stacking diagrams, programming, Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documents and Construction Administration, including FF&E (Furniture Fixture and Equipment) for projects as large as 1500 workstations. Her experience includes facilities management and move management for large projects. Her professional portfolio includes international work for a large engineering company. She is currently leading the interior design team for a national design build company that designs and builds healthcare facilities throughout the US.
Cynthia Adams Francis
Interior Design Director
Cynthia is a NCIDQ certified designer and has advanced in her profession to Interior Design Director. She is the 2017 recipient of the MU College of Human Environmental Sciences Citation of Merit Award.
What helped you from MU’s Architectural Studies?
“I was a lucky student. When I began my freshman year at MIZZOU, I knew my chosen profession was Interior Design. My high school art teacher praised the HES program and staff at MIZZOU and he was positively correct. The collaborative team atmosphere in the HES Department prepared me for the architectural / design firm team environment through interactive projects. It also prepared me with the skills, both technical and creative, that I needed to secure a lifelong successful career in both Corporate Interior Design and Healthcare Design.
MIZZOU has a very special place in my heart and I am so grateful for the wonderful education and direction the faculty provided. My professors were excellent role models. They gave of themselves and I saw the rewards and benefits of teaching with passion. I appreciated their knowledge and their love for design and the built environment. They were committed to creating an excellent program. Their personal design experience also enhanced their teaching ability. By understanding the creative design process along with the business of design, they had the ability to develop student talents while also teaching them the business aspects of the architectural and interior design business.
As a result, I love mentoring young designers in our profession so they can excel and prosper both professionally and personally, as I have. I now enjoy sharing my knowledge as an Advisory Board member as my way of “giving back” to MIZZOU’S Architectural Studies Department. It is with great pleasure that I participate in the “Day in the Life of a Designer” program, where students spend the day with a design professional to see how design firms function on a daily basis. I also enjoy participating in the student critiques to help them get their careers off to a wonderful start. Love those Tigers!!! “