Jan. 13, 2014

KNOXVILLE--Julie Beckman, the award-winning designer of the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial and the Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial, has been appointed director of student services for UT’s College of Architecture and Design.

As a practicing architect, she will translate her professional experiences into helping students with advising, career development, internships, and job placement upon graduation. Her appointment aligns UT’s goals for enhancing the student experience and its quest to be a Top 25 university.

“We are thrilled to have a designer of Julie’s caliber as our new director of student services,” said Scott Poole, dean of the college. “Julie will help our college continue to realize our goal of attracting the best and brightest students, fostering their success, and guiding their transition into professional lives.”

Beckman will present her research and design work as part of the UT Church Memorial Lecture Series at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, January 13, in McCarty Auditorium of the Art and Architecture Building, 1715 Volunteer Boulevard.

In her new role, Beckman will provide leadership for essential student academic services that align with national best practices. She will be charged with developing partnerships with various industries to facilitate opportunities for students to gain practical experience. Beckman also will teach lower-division courses as needed.

She is a founding partner of KBAS with husband, Keith Kaseman. The firm’s awards include the Project of the Year from McGraw Hill Construction Magazine, a National Honor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies and the Philament Award from the Illumination Engineering Society of North America, all in 2008. The firm also received a Design-Build Excellence Award from the Design-Build Institute of America in 2011 and a National Medal of Service from the American Institute of Architects in 2012.

Beckman earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Bryn Mawr College and Master of Architecture from Columbia University. She comes to UT from the University of Pennsylvania, where she was a lecturer in the Department of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.

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CONTACT:

Kiki Roeder (865-974-6713, kroeder@utk.edu)