Ruth Deibler

Ruth holds a BS in Interior Design from Radford University (‘04) and an MFA in Interior Design (‘21) from VCU.

Her design education philosophy is grounded in exposure: presenting possibility, tools, opportunity, and connection.

Ruth is a fierce advocate for equity in design, access to outdoor space for mental health/public safety, healthy aging, and walkable, multi-generational communities. She believes in the power of design to create social change and increase the quality of life of communities.

She is a commercial interior designer and construction manager with her practice, Space + Strategy Studio. She also manages marketing, branding, and operational initiatives for DeiblerCPA. Her design practice focuses primarily on the healthcare, healthy aging, and commercial real estate markets. She is a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers, an educator member of the International Interior Design Association, and an associate member of the Interior Designers Educator Council. She is CIDQ-certified and is a Certified Interior Designer in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Ruth is also a Certified Healthcare Constructor with the American Hospital Association. In her professional practice, Ruth spent 15 years as a healthcare designer and construction manager for Carilion Clinic, Riverside Health System, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and KSA Interiors.

Ruth is the President of the non-profit Newport News Green Foundation and a former member of the American Society of Interior Designer’s Advocacy by Design Council, a council focused on the further development of the interior design profession’s code of ethics, international code development, and life safety.

Ruth teaches as an adjunct at Virginia Commonwealth University and Kent State University. Her teaching focus is on design fundamentals, the philosophy of good design, and business practices for interior designers.

A mother of two, her goal is to help her students design their careers to live productive, healthy, and spirited lives through exposure to opportunities unbeknownst to them.