Three finalists selected for campus interviews for dean of the College of Architecture and Urban Studies

Three finalists have been selected for campus interviews in the search for the next dean of the College of Architecture and Urban Studies.

The search committee was appointed last fall, following the announcement that Jack Davis would step down as dean in the summer of 2017.

As part of the interview and selection process for the next dean, Executive Vice President and Provost Thanassis Rikakis invites all members of the campus community to meet the candidates selected for campus interviews. University and community members are invited to attend each candidate’s open forum presentation on “Future Trends: Visionary Opportunities for the Virginia Tech College of Architecture and Urban Studies.”

The open forum presentations will also be broadcast live online for remote participants, and recordings of the sessions will be available online following each. Candidate CVs and survey links to provide feedback will be posted on the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost website in advance of each visit date. The search committee encourages all campus and community members to submit feedback via the online surveys.

March 21-23 – Richard Blythe

Richard Blythe is professor in Architecture and dean of Architecture + Design at RMIT University in Australia and a visiting research professor at Queen’s University in Belfast.

He has received significant funding for several years in support of multi-university collaborative projects including the Design and Architecture Practice research grant, the establishment of the RMIT Practice-based Research Ph.D. program in Europe and Asia, and ADAPT-r (a collaboration between RMIT and six European Universities). In addition to nearly 20 years of experience in higher education, he has served in many professional service and leadership roles, and his work has been recognized with numerous design awards.

He holds a master of architecture (research) degree in the history of 20th century Australian architecture from the University of Melbourne and a Ph.D. in design/practice-based Research from RMIT University.

Open Forum Presentation: March 22, 2017, 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center, Latham Ballroom A

• Reception to follow, 4:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.

March 28-30 – Thomas Schroepfer

Thomas Schroepfer is professor and associate head of pillar in architecture and sustainable design at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), where he was instrumental in building the architecture program in partnership with Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also serves as the co-director of the Industrial Infrastructure Innovation Centre, a partnership between SUTD and the Jurong Town Corporation, and director of the Advanced Architecture Laboratory.

Prior to his academic career, he spent roughly 10 years in the private sector as an architectural designer and project architect. He has received international recognition for his cross-disciplinary work in architecture and urban studies, with particular focus on future cities.

Schroepfer holds master of architecture and doctor of design degrees, both from Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

Open Forum Presentation: March 29, 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center, Latham Ballroom B

• Reception to follow, 4:30 – 5 p.m.

April 11-13 – Tsai Lu Liu

Tsai Lu Liu is professor and head of the Department of Graphic Design and Industrial Design in the College of Design at North Carolina State University.

Prior to beginning his academic career in 2004, he spent nearly 20 years in the industry, both as a designer and leader in the areas of design, marketing, product development, and product management. He has also served as president of two technology companies, one of which he also founded. An international keynote speaker in the areas of innovation, planning and design, and universal design, he has also built solid partnerships with a wide range of industry sponsors and collaborators on work spanning new product design and user experiences to collaborative workspaces, inclusive design, and construction safety and mobility.

He holds an MBA in marketing from Georgia State University and a master of industrial design from Auburn University.

Open Forum Presentation: April 12 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center, Solitude Room

• Reception to follow, 4:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.