Staff & Faculty News
College of Architecture Hosts Fall Kickoff
Faculty and staff gathered Friday, Aug. 22, for the Fall Kickoff, a tradition held before classes begin each semester. The event celebrated achievements and shared key updates for the year ahead.
Recognizing Excellence
The kickoff opened with a speech from Dean Ivy Hu, and then moved to awards and faculty recognitions: Elizabeth “Liz” Smith, a program director in the Department of Construction Science, received the Linda J. Todd Outstanding Support Staff Achievement Award.
Gary Boldt, a senior lecturer of construction science, received The Association of Former Students College-Level Teaching Award.
Five faculty members were named to endowed professorships and chairs:
- Dr. Michelle Meyer — Harold L. Adams ’61 Interdisciplinary Professorship in Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning
- Tim Early — Nicole and Kevin Youngblood Endowed Professorship in Residential Land Development
- Dr. Zachry Stewart — James M. Singleton ’66, FAIA, Educational Architecture Professorship
- Dr. David Jeong — Merry Raba ’84 and William Raba ’86 Professorship
- Dr. Weiling He — Rodney Hill Creativity Professorship
New Faculty Join the College of Architecture
Texas A&M’s College of Architecture welcomed more than 20 new faculty members on Friday, Aug. 15, during its New Faculty Orientation.
The day began with a meet-and-greet breakfast, where recent hires connected with current faculty and staff before moving on to the orientation.
Dean Ivy Hu opened the event with welcoming words to the incoming faculty. “Embrace Texas A&M,” Hu said. “Learn the culture, be engaged, get to know the students and get to know what the university can offer.”
She also encouraged faculty to participate in campus traditions and events to help them learn about Texas A&M’s community.
Recent hires represent a wide range of expertise in architecture, construction science, landscape architecture and urban planning. Some have arrived from across the country, while others relocated from abroad.
Throughout the day, faculty learned about the structure of the college, including its departments and research opportunities. They also attended breakout tours of department facilities to give them a firsthand look at their teaching and research spaces.
The College of Architecture proudly welcomes each new faculty member and looks forward to the future they will help “plan, design and build” for Aggies in the years to come.