The world today presents us with unprecedented challenges, incredible complexities, and a rate of change that is continually increasing. These challenges are sometimes presented by social, economic or political constructs. Sometimes the challenges are due to demographic and generational shifts with implications for the life of our rural (and urban) communities as well as the quality of life and contribution of our aging citizens. And often these challenges affect our health and wellness.
Design and planning education today must prepare global citizens who foster synergy, embrace successful collaboration, and recognize interconnectedness, with an awareness of the responsibility of individual and collective actions in personal, social, and environmental arenas; this positions graduates with the critical collaborative leadership skills to serve them throughout their careers.
The College of Architecture prepares emerging professionals who are poised to recognize and address challenges in innovative ways; embrace change and are change agents; are nimble and collaborative; are leaders infused with both the confidence that comes from embedded and discovered knowledge as well as, the wisdom to apply it. Our graduates are prepared and fluent in both traditional and digital processes and are passionate proponents of the impact of design and planning.
We are united by a commitment to the transformative power of planning and design. One discipline cannot solve the challenges we are faced with – it will take the concerted and collaborative investments of multiple disciplines across the breadth of the university and beyond. This College has a strong tradition in cultivating design and planning leaders; we will build upon that tradition as we not only develop leaders in design and planning professions, but also leaders in innovation and collaboration.
I invite you to join us in this preparation – as a student, you will enjoy the camaraderie of others preparing to enter the noble professions we represent – prepared not only to explore solutions, but also to enhance the beauty of the world where we live, work, heal, and play – and make a positive contribution!
Kind Regards,
Katherine S. Ankerson
Dean of the College of Architecture
