I am writing this letter to indicate my interest in the open Dean position at University of Maryland College of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. The role is closely aligned to the work I have been engaged in through several years of university administration and participating in national leadership positions; and I believe I am a strong fit for the institution. I am excited to have an opportunity to enter into the conversation.
Academic / Practice Preparation
One of the reasons I believe I am perfectly suited for the role of Dean at University of Maryland is because I am a seasoned faculty member and emerging administrator that has also engaged in practice to an unusually high degree. In my experience working with other national leaders in architectural education, the most successful Deans have had substantial experiences in both academia and practice. I believe my composite experience positions me to lead the academic units, strategically develop and manage resources, and continue to strengthen the visibility and reputation of UMD and the College. Allow me to take some space to describe why a transition from my current role as professor and former department chair / interim division chair makes me a competitive candidate for your open Dean position. …show more content…
First, the sheer amount of energy and dedication to launch a new program in architecture in a small private college, with no experience with architecture as a discipline, was massive. I have helped build the program from the second year of the program onwards, and helped establish just about every policy and practice we currently operate under. When I wasn't in leadership, I served the interests of the leaders before me, realizing policy development and helping to establish the relevance of the program in the wider academic world. Second, I was centrally involved in the development of two structures to house the program. The first was a temporary facility, the second, a $25M facility that I served the university as competition committee chair and later building committee chair. The process resulted in a singular work of architecture by internationally renowned Cambridge University professor and architect C. Alan Short. The mixed mode naturally ventilated building is still without peers in the upper United States. The building has produced numerous academic papers and journal articles related to sustainable design and high performance building technology. It is an outstanding learning laboratory for architecture and conservation. Third, I have never left the design studio, and remain one of the most committed faculty members with a career dedicated to teaching design thinking and learning. I continue teaching design methods that are architecture-centric, with increasing influences of ecological literacy and resource conservation. These examples are relevant to your search because it is an indication of the depth of my commitment to design education, sustainable design, and practice. The nature of my practice has been a long-term consulting role with the Chicago architecture office of Serena Sturm. I have lead efforts in energy strategies in buildings that are primarily private institutions. A particular project that is relevant to both design education as well as critical practice is a private Catholic high school in the Chicago area. The project included a mix of uses between science labs/classrooms and a learning center library. We developed a solution that conserved 50% of the energy based on pEUI, and developed a very flexible lab furnishings strategy that allows for multiple classroom configurations. My role was lead designer, including the design of multiple energy efficiency strategies that included daylighting, passive solar, automated and manual exterior window control, and
Academic / Practice Preparation
One of the reasons I believe I am perfectly suited for the role of Dean at University of Maryland is because I am a seasoned faculty member and emerging administrator that has also engaged in practice to an unusually high degree. In my experience working with other national leaders in architectural education, the most successful Deans have had substantial experiences in both academia and practice. I believe my composite experience positions me to lead the academic units, strategically develop and manage resources, and continue to strengthen the visibility and reputation of UMD and the College. Allow me to take some space to describe why a transition from my current role as professor and former department chair / interim division chair makes me a competitive candidate for your open Dean position. …show more content…
First, the sheer amount of energy and dedication to launch a new program in architecture in a small private college, with no experience with architecture as a discipline, was massive. I have helped build the program from the second year of the program onwards, and helped establish just about every policy and practice we currently operate under. When I wasn't in leadership, I served the interests of the leaders before me, realizing policy development and helping to establish the relevance of the program in the wider academic world. Second, I was centrally involved in the development of two structures to house the program. The first was a temporary facility, the second, a $25M facility that I served the university as competition committee chair and later building committee chair. The process resulted in a singular work of architecture by internationally renowned Cambridge University professor and architect C. Alan Short. The mixed mode naturally ventilated building is still without peers in the upper United States. The building has produced numerous academic papers and journal articles related to sustainable design and high performance building technology. It is an outstanding learning laboratory for architecture and conservation. Third, I have never left the design studio, and remain one of the most committed faculty members with a career dedicated to teaching design thinking and learning. I continue teaching design methods that are architecture-centric, with increasing influences of ecological literacy and resource conservation. These examples are relevant to your search because it is an indication of the depth of my commitment to design education, sustainable design, and practice. The nature of my practice has been a long-term consulting role with the Chicago architecture office of Serena Sturm. I have lead efforts in energy strategies in buildings that are primarily private institutions. A particular project that is relevant to both design education as well as critical practice is a private Catholic high school in the Chicago area. The project included a mix of uses between science labs/classrooms and a learning center library. We developed a solution that conserved 50% of the energy based on pEUI, and developed a very flexible lab furnishings strategy that allows for multiple classroom configurations. My role was lead designer, including the design of multiple energy efficiency strategies that included daylighting, passive solar, automated and manual exterior window control, and