Inspire Volume 8 Issue 2

VOLUME 8 | ISSUE 2 FALL 2018

STATE FAIR EXHIBIT IM_RU2 pavilion highlights power of design collaboration, diversity and technology PAGE 2

C O V ER S TO R Y

IM _ RU2 PAV I L I O N

By Heather Sauer

State fair exhibit encourages Iowans to ‘think outside the square’

Left: Senior associate dean Cameron Campbell (BArch 1997 / MArch 2003 Architecture) interacts with visitors to the college’s IM_RU2 pavilion at the Iowa State Fair. Above: Carl McMichael, 10, left, and his brother, Elliot, 8, of Truro check out a 3D printer at the state fair exhibit. All photos by Christopher Gannon.

3,200 3D-printed joints. 800 hours to print (15 minutes per joint). 800 galvanized steel wire boxes. 400 acrylic mirrors. 400 LEDs (200 cardinal and 200 gold). Five days to construct. Put it all together and you have one impressive 300-square-foot pavilion.

were there specifically to engage visitors with the pavilion). “Ninety percent of the people who heard it was produced by the College of Design were surprised. Our presence at the fair expanded visitors’ understanding of Iowa State to include the contributions of art and design.”

Even more impressive: That IM_RU2 pavilion was the centerpiece of Iowa State University’s 1,800-square-foot exhibit at the 2018 Iowa State Fair in Des Moines.

Over 11 days in August, more than 500,000 visitors to the exhibit — one of the largest in the Varied Industries Building — had a chance to experience the pavilion and interact with volunteers who shared the story behind its creation.

“Of parallel impact was the emphasis on diversity, inclusion and collaboration, and how working together we can solve complex problems in innovative ways,” he said.

“A primary benefit was the visibility of the College of Design and the Department of Architecture,” said dean Luis RicoGutierrez, one of more than 130 faculty, staff, student and alumni volunteers who staffed the overall exhibit (44 of whom 2

The exhibit’s theme, “Think Outside the Square: Design That’s Shaping Iowa’s Future,” highlighted the creative ideas, products and processes Iowa State design students and faculty develop and share with Iowa, the nation and the world.

In addition to the pavilion, the exhibit included four Dremel 3D40 printers to show visitors how structures like IM_RU2 and other 3D-printed models are made.

The printers ran continuously throughout

the fair, printing copies of the same plantbased plastic joints used in the pavilion.

“Through partnerships with campus units such as the College of Design, we have established the Iowa State exhibit as a fair destination for visitors who tell us they always have it on their must-see list of attractions,” said Carole Custer, university marketing director.

“Our exhibit always communicates an underlying message that Iowa State is a major contributor to the state in various ways, and the IM_RU2 pavilion encouraged a better understanding of the college’s impact on the architecture, design and building industries as well as the broader culture.”

Multiple perspectives IM_RU2 was a redesign of a pavilion first conceived and constructed for Iowa City’s 2017 Flyover Fashion Festival by students in an interdisciplinary design-

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build and digital fabrication studio taught by assistant professor Shelby Doyle, the Daniel J. Huberty Faculty Fellow in Architecture. Both pavilions were produced in the architecture department’s Computation and Construction Lab (CCL), which works to share knowledge beyond campus by leveraging design and construction as tools of public engagement with nonprofits and small towns in Iowa.

IM_RU2 is a play on the phrase “I am [blank]; are you, too?”, allowing the viewer to insert any word or phrase in the blank. The intent of the title and the mirrors was to help people gain a different perspective of themselves and others, said Erin Hunt (BArch 2017 Architecture), who helped design and build the first pavilion as a senior in Doyle’s studio and led the redesign and assembly for the state fair as an associate with the CCL. “The original IM_RU conveyed the fashion festival’s message of inclusivity of all people, shapes and sizes by fragmenting your self-image,” she said.

“You can’t see yourself fully in any of the mirrors; you see pieces of yourself and others reflected, and you can start to think about the value in our differences as well as what makes us similar, because you’re

seeing each other in a different way.”

The message seemed equally relevant amid today’s social and political fragmentation, Doyle said. “Design should generate conversations, and IM_RU2 did that very well. At this contentious time in our world, it allowed people from different backgrounds and perspectives to talk to each other. We were able to celebrate our diversity and find connections with each other.”

Development assistant Betsy Edler shares the pavilion’s message of inclusion and collaboration.

Design in public space After the fair, the pavilion was dismantled for return to campus.

The galvanized steel wires and acrylic mirrors — already recycled from the fashion festival to the state fair — will be reused for another project as yet to be determined. The plastic joints will be melted down and recycled. The computer algorithms used to generate the pavilion models can be reconfigured almost infinitely for future uses.

“Our presence at the state fair provided an opportunity for the College of Design and Department of Architecture to present our values and the potential of design in public space,” Doyle said. “It demonstrated the power of design at Iowa State and highlighted the possibilities of what a design education might offer.”

Did you “Think Outside the Square” at the Iowa State Fair?

Share your photos of the exhibit and let us know what you liked best: email inspire@iastate.edu Instagram @isucollegeofdesign

The IM_RU2 pavilion demonstrated the power of design for thousands of state fair visitors.

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A LU M N I P R O F I L E

DOUG SMITH

Landscape architect advances responsible land use

Left: Smith is president of EDSA, a landscape architecture, planning and urban design firm with offices in Baltimore; Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida; New York and Shanghai.

Above: One of Smith’s first projects, the Florida Nature and Culture Center, is a Buddhist cultural and religious retreat facility. All photos courtesy of EDSA.

As president and principal of EDSA in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Doug Smith (BS 1987 Landscape Architecture) is responsible for the leadership, management and strategic growth of the 140-person design firm as well as for running his own studio team.

Smith, who joined EDSA immediately after graduation from Iowa State, has been integral to expanding the firm’s global reach while also advancing the role of landscape architects as leaders in responsible land use.

Over his 31-year career, Smith has worked throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia, Eastern Europe and the US. He is an active member of the Urban Land Institute, the American Society of Landscape Architects, the CEO Roundtable for Landscape Architecture and the ISU Department of Landscape Architecture Professional Advisory Council, and a life member of the ISU Alumni Association (ISUAA).

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Smith will receive the College of Design’s 2018 Christian Petersen Design Award, which recognizes distinguished work that advances the art and design professions, at the ISUAA’s 87th Honors and Awards Ceremony in October. Inspire editor Heather Sauer spoke with Smith by phone recently.

What first interested you in landscape architecture?

I went off to college with no clue what I wanted to major in. I took business classes at the University of Northern Iowa, but by my second year I still hadn’t found anything I was passionate about. I credit my parents with pushing me to visit Ames and look at the College of Design.

That’s where I first learned about landscape architecture. It seemed to combine many interests — architecture, technology, engineering, land use and art. I transferred to ISU at the start of my

junior year and never looked back.

It was the perfect fit for me.

How has landscape architecture evolved in the past 30 years?

If you look to places like Asia — especially China, where we have an office — landscape architecture is growing as a curriculum and a profession, whereas 20 years ago or so it really didn’t exist on an international level.

More people now are tuned into the global environment and the challenges of living on a planet in peril. More people understand the value of green infrastructure. Our work as landscape architects is becoming even more important, integrated into an overall thought process about our relationship to the earth and its development or preservation. We play a role in both ends of that spectrum.

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Much more attention is devoted to how we measure the performance of the design work that we do — not waiting until a project is finished to measure outcomes but setting goals for ourselves up front, determining the ways we’re going to meet those goals through our work and tracking that through the whole lifecycle of the project.

What are your most memorable projects?

One of my most memorable projects took place early in my career — the Florida Nature and Culture Center in Broward County, where our home office is. Working within a design team to envision and create the whole thing was a huge learning experience for me.

The Lustica Bay project in Montenegro in Eastern Europe is also very memorable. We [EDSA] were the master planners for the resort and did the detailed design work for the project, which created a mixed-use hillside village resembling the historic hillside villages of the region.

I helped orchestrate the vision and led the team that interacted with the client and other consultants. The project is the first certified eco-labeled development in that country.

For you, what makes a successful project?

A successful project is something that is well used for its intended purpose. Does it contribute to the future of the place in terms of environmental, cultural and economic sustainability?

Sometimes success is more about preserving something — not new and shiny, but equally important. We have done a lot of land-use studies to preserve large areas of natural habitat for the health of the environment and for future generations. Much of what we do involves helping private and public landowners understand what their assets are and how to manage them to the greatest benefit, whether that’s development or not.

Why is it important for you to stay connected to your home state & ISU? If you spend any amount of time in a place in your formative years, that place has special meaning to you. I spent a good 20 years growing up in Iowa. I have fond memories of the landscape and the people.

I’ve also enjoyed returning to the ISU landscape architecture program as a member of the Landscape Architecture Professional Advisory Council. This was the foundation of my career, and in this role I am able to give back to the department both individually and through my firm. We also participate in the college’s annual career fair.

What has kept you at EDSA? EDSA is a firm that nurtures people. I saw that in the leaders who were serving when I arrived, led by founder Ed Stone. He created a culture of treating people well and helping them grow.

EDSA does a lot of international work, and I have traveled around the globe and done things I never dreamed I would as a kid in Iowa. Now I’m looking at the next 15-20 years and how I will close my

career out here. I feel a deep responsibility to carry the firm’s legacy forward.

What do you consider your greatest professional accomplishment to date?

Probably learning how to be a leader.

While I do think there are natural-born leaders, most of us learn leadership through experience, and that only comes with time. It’s all about dealing with people, so that takes a certain disposition and patience, as well as an ability to handle sticky situations.

I never sat at my desk and said I want to be president of EDSA someday. I like the work, I like the people, and I appreciate the history of the firm and the leaders before me. I see it as my duty to build on the firm’s foundation, improve it and pass it on to another generation.

What opportunities do you see for landscape architects in the next 30 years?

When we talk about the challenges of climate change and the consumption of our natural resources, landscape architects will be at the forefront of solving those critical environmental issues. The training, skills, knowledge and vision that we bring to the design and development process have great value.

In the past 10 years or so the focus has been on net-zero development (what you leave has no negative impact) and now we’re moving into an era of netpositive development, where we create something that actually gives back to that environment and makes a positive impact.

Landscape architects will continue to play a pivotal role in these processes.

Smith led the EDSA team that planned the Lustica Bay Resort in Radovici, Montenegro, which won an Award of Excellence from the Florida ASLA.

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I N T ER N AT I O N A L S T U D I O

URBAN DESIGN GLOBAL STUDIO

By Heather Sauer

Lima, Peru: The Wicked Cost of a Place to Play

Left: Graduate student T aylor Danger interacts with children in the Alto Peru neighborhood of Lima’s Chorrillos district. Photo by Rachel Kehoe.

Above: Alto Peru consists of a gentrifying resort community with an informal shantytown constructed on the hillside behind it. Photo by Jaydevsinh Atodaria.

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environment with a focus on adolescents. “They’re often left out, which means urban design is not responding to the full population.”

Cities the world over face a common struggle to develop or revitalize urban areas in ways that benefit rather than displace current residents. This is especially true of informal settlements in rapidly expanding global cities: How can governments and other organizations provide needed infrastructure and improve quality of life for these communities? And how can such efforts address the needs of youth, who often are excluded from development decisions?

This past summer, graduate students in Shirtcliff’s Urban Design Global Studio worked with two youth-oriented groups in Alto Peru, a colonial-era resort and informal shantytown in the district of Chorrillos on the southern outskirts of Lima. Bordered by steep cliffs along the Pacific Ocean and the historic Morro Solar headland, this resort area for wealthy Peruvians now attracts migrants from other areas of Peru seeking a better life.

“We tend to design for children and for independent, mobile adults, but not for youth who are unable to drive,” said Ben Shirtcliff, an Iowa State assistant professor of landscape architecture and urban design, who studies issues of environmental justice and the built

Over time, intense urban development has isolated Chorrillos both from central Lima and from the coast, restricting access to education, recreation and employment. The community is home to a large population of street children and youth with limited prospects, leading to

problems with drug use and trafficking and petty theft.

The ISU urban design class partnered with Alto Peru — a nongovernmental organization focused on improving living conditions, particularly for youth, in the neighborhood of the same name — and Intuy Lab, a volunteer group of local design professionals, on a project to enhance connectivity within their community and with adjacent assets like the Morro and the ocean.

“We have been building a relationship with these organizations through other classes in Lima for years. This studio was a great way to continue that partnership,” said College of Design dean Luis RicoGutierrez, who co-taught the studio with Shirtcliff.

Connections became a key concept for the studio, not only “how we can reconnect Chorrillos to the beach,

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but in a more general sense how we can connect youth to economic, educational and social opportunities and also help them to be kids again and play,” he said.

Alumni connections The class traveled to Peru for two weeks in May and June to study how informal settlements like Alto Peru evolve, to meet with residents and observe the local site conditions and to examine historical and cultural precedents in Lima as well as Cuzco and Machu Picchu.

College of Design Advancement Council members Dennis Forsyth (BArch 1971 Architecture), retired managing principal of SRG Partnership in Seattle; Bryce Pearsall (BArch 1971 Architecture), chairman emeritus of DLR Group in Phoenix; and Dana Wilkinson (BA 1978 Interior Design), co-founder of Paragon Commercial Interiors in Davenport, and their spouses provided funding to make the optional trip more affordable and allow everyone to participate.

More than half of the students also received support from the Richard L. Rodine Community and Regional Planning Study Abroad Scholarship established by Advancement Council member Richard Rodine (BS 1973 Urban Planning), retired executive vice president of ISG in Dallas, and his wife, Sharon.

“I am a big fan of students doing international travel. Higher education shouldn’t be only about training students to do a job but also about engaging them in other places and cultures, teaching them to think critically and helping them understand the world much more broadly,” Forsyth said.

Forsyth and his wife, Elaine Spencer, and council member David Lingle (BA 1977 Architecture), a retired principal of alm2s in Fort Collins, Colorado, traveled to Peru with the class, providing another level of connection.

international students from Iran, India and Ghana, and American students from multiple cities was one of the more interesting discussions I’ve had about urban environments.”

Design interventions Students spent time interacting with residents, especially children, in Alto Peru and completed a workshop with Intuy Lab to brainstorm ways to improve the physical design of the community. They also visited more impoverished and more affluent areas of Lima to gather ideas for possible interventions.

trucks, sports activities, small business development, community gardens, public plazas and green spaces. Proposals focused on creating greater opportunities for interaction, economic activity and play. The students’ work will be shared with Alto Peru and Intuy Lab to explore opportunities for ongoing collaboration.

“Creativity is always central to design, and in order to be creative you have to have experience and diverse perspectives.

As we explore new environments, we’re able to challenge our notions of what we can achieve with design,” Shirtcliff said.

“This class helped expand perceptions of societal, ecological and urban problems and opportunities that couldn’t have happened by staying in the classroom.”

Taylor Danger (BArch 2016 Architecture), a landscape architecture graduate student from Jewell who wants to work in youth outreach for a nonprofit organization after graduation, proposed pedestrianizing the streets Visiting archaeological sites like Machu Picchu helped children and adolescents frequent students develop solutions to similar topographic conditions in Alto Peru. Photo courtesy of Jaydevsinh most to make them safe for travel Atodaria. on foot, bicycle or skateboard.

She also sought a way for them to create a sense of identity for the area through art.

“You’ll see a lot of street art in Lima, so I proposed having children paint their own street art to take ownership of the alleyways where they hang out.

Colorful crosswalks would call attention to traffic and help them feel connected to the neighborhood.”

As part of his intervention, Jaydevsinh Atodaria, Surat, India, offered a more radical option: A cable car system running through Chorrillos from the top of the Morro to the beach that could be operated by residents of Alto Peru and provide access not only for that neighborhood but also attract visitors from other parts of Lima.

“We had very successful practitioners working side by side with students as they were thinking about the problem and potential solutions. The conversation became very rich because of the difference in backgrounds and experience,” RicoGutierrez said.

“The cable cars could be free for kids to ride during certain hours of the day and could provide economic benefit through tourism,” said Atodaria, who is pursuing master’s degrees in urban design and community and regional planning at Iowa State.

“Being in the middle of the informal settlements in Peru with alumni,

Other proposed interventions involved waste recycling, food

Colorful street art proposal by Taylor Danger.

Cable car system intervention by Jaydevsinh Atodaria.

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I N T ER D I S C I P L I N A RY S T U D I O

F U L L ‘S T E A M ’ AHEAD

By Heather Sauer

Design studio tackles ag education and outreach project

Left: On a trip to ISU’s FEEL Farm, the class learned about the crop scouting process from entomologist Matt O’Neal. Above: Corn leaf aphids are one of the pests found through the process. Photos by Kaveh Abbasi-Hafshejani.

What do you think of when you hear the words “IPM” or “integrated pest management?”

If you’re a farmer or happen to be in an agriculture-related profession, you might know what it is, or sort of… . The practice uses multiple methods in concert to control pests (insects, animals, weeds, pathogens) as economically as possible and with the least possible hazard to people, property and the environment.

But hardly anyone seems to know about it, and even fewer practice it.

“IPM has been around for a long time, but it has low visibility among farmers and zero with consumers. It’s often seen as being really complex, but it’s much more efficient economically and more sustainable environmentally than traditional practices. You only spray [pesticides] when you absolutely need 8

to,” said Iowa State’s IPM coordinator, Daren Mueller, an associate professor of plant pathology and extension plant pathologist.

“It’s a proven system for reducing and preventing pesticide-resistant pests, and some people argue that it’s better than organic. But organic is known and has a market. We’ve really struggled to change the perception and adoption of IPM in Iowa.”

Creating a new model After multiple failed attempts at creating effective education and outreach materials for IPM, Mueller and colleagues approached College of Design faculty to develop an interdisciplinary collaboration.

“We didn’t know what we needed to do, but we knew we must do something differently,” Mueller said.

At the same time, the former vice president for extension and outreach sought strategic initiatives to change the way extension traditionally has operated, find ways to engage with non-extension teaching and research faculty and do a better job of sharing university research with Iowans.

Mueller, together with 4-H’s Jay Staker, art and visual culture assistant professor Austin Stewart and graphic design assistant professor Ryan Clifford, saw an opportunity to apply design thinking to the IPM challenge.

They successfully applied for a $271,000 strategic initiatives grant “to create a new model for development and deployment of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and STEAM (including art) outreach and educational materials for 4-H using IPM as the pilot,” Stewart said.

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Student-led studio Stewart and Clifford (who has since left ISU) taught an experimental studio class last fall with 10 students majoring in graphic design and integrated studio arts. Rather than prescribe a specific outcome, they tasked the class to research and analyze the challenges IPM faces, create a framing question for their design interventions and develop and prototype solutions. Students visited two farms where IPM is practiced, and a soil scientist visited the studio to help the class understand basic ag principles.

When the students began evaluating IPM, they immediately identified a lack of awareness as the most critical concern.

“If we didn’t fix that, the rest wouldn’t matter,” said Hannah Brus of Denison, now a senior in graphic design.

“We looked at projects unrelated to agriculture to discover what is being done to get people excited about something that may seem complex or uninteresting, like following the speed limit, and used those examples to find ways to spark interest in our own project,” she said.

“We also worked to identify who our audience really is. We decided to target a younger audience — college-age, high school and elementary students,” said Ryan Rasmussen (BFA 2018 Graphic Design), originally from West Des Moines, who moved to New York after graduation in May. “What are they interested in, what do they find funny, how do we get their attention and attract them to IPM? If we can start a conversation about farming and sustainable practices early, we might be more successful.”

Branding & communication At the end of the semester, the class presented several proposals to the IPM and 4-H partners, with each proposal addressing a unique challenge identified through the design process.

“Our audience has always been farmers and the people who serve them. Ninety percent of what the students presented had nothing to do with farmers or agribusinesses. But if we’re going to change the public perception of IPM, that’s the sort of approach we need,” Mueller said.

Staker agreed. “They came in without preconceptions, so they could look at it with fresh eyes,” he said. “They developed a whole branding and communication strategy, not just STEM materials.”

Based on feedback from Mueller, Staker and others, five students continued work on the strongest proposals this past spring. Workshops with several professional artists and designers helped students refine their ideas and develop better materials for their target audiences.

To the future through farming

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with recognition for adopters of IPM and other sustainable farming practices Cropaganda poster series targets different age groups with funny or thought-provoking slogans Website serves as a one-stop shop with case studies on getting started in IPM and offers Pest Patrol and Legacy Farm resources

“In and of themselves these outcomes are not earthshaking, but we never would have got there ourselves,” Mueller said.

“Getting the right people around you can push you forward.”

The students developed an aspirational initiative they called “75x25: To the For students, this was a unique future through farming,” with the goal opportunity to gain experience of having 75 percent of all Iowa farms comparable to working in a design firm. implement IPM practices by 2025. It “I’m graduating with a year of experience includes a branding system, a statewide working on a long-term project with a promotional campaign and a short video, real client and budget. The processes, which uses the skills and Walt Whitman techniques poem Pioneers!

I’ve learned Oh Pioneers! have made to encourage me a stronger farmers to designer take pride in and design “pioneering professional,” the future of Rasmussen said. agriculture through Finding holistic farming solutions The 75x25 initiative seeks to have 75 percent of practices.”

Iowa farms implement IPM practices by 2025.

Stewart, Staker and several They also developed others recently submitted a USDA grant several supporting components to proposal to fund a pilot program to increase awareness, support and adoption get more high school-aged women and of integrated pest management practices: minorities in rural Iowa engaged in science and agriculture. The proposal • Pest Patrol provides experiential seeks to include two design students in learning for children through an the College of Agriculture and Life after-school program, day camps Sciences’ six-week George and workshops Washington Carver • Mobile education Summer Research lab with data Internship Program. visualizations and hands-on activities “One of the outcomes demonstrating IPM of the IPM pilot practices can be project is that we’re driven to schools if starting to apply this students are unable model of using people to visit farms from the demographic • Legacy Farm we’re trying to target to certification honors build out the solutions farming heritage and that are relevant and Sample Pest Patrol badge, celebrates the next interesting for them,” similar to Boy Scout/Girl generation of farmers Stewart said.

Scout badges.

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O U T S TA N D I N G A LU M S

HOMECOMING AWAR DS College, university honor distinguished alumni DESIGN ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Established in 1988 to recognize outstanding creative and professional achievements of alumni in all of the college’s disciplines

Steve Foutch BA 1988 Architecture Weatherby Lake, Missouri After a successful career in architecture, Steve Foutch co-founded Foutch Brothers with his brother, Scott (’86 Farm Operations / Animal Science), in 2004, and serves as chief executive officer.

The Kansas City-based development and construction firm is now a recognized name in the historic renovation industry, having saved and repurposed nearly $300 million in historic buildings.

Most recently, the firm completed a $39 million renovation of the former Kemper Arena — now Hy-Vee Arena — into a multilevel 10,000-seat sports complex for amateur and professional teams with retail shops and restaurants. Other notable projects include the adaptive reuse of vacant schools and factories into loft housing, senior apartments, mixeduse residential and commercial facilities, and new business incubator spaces.

Foutch received the Kansas City Business Journal’s Capstone Award in 2015 and 2017. He also has been honored by the Kansas Preservation Alliance and the Missouri Historic Preservation Program.

He and his wife, Mary Jane, received the ISU Foundation’s Order of the Knoll Emerging Philanthropist Award in 2016.

Foutch holds a Master of Architecture and a Master of Business Administration 10 10 10

with a concentration in real estate, both from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. Prior to founding Foutch Brothers, he was a partner with Gastinger Walker Harden Architects in Kansas City.

helped implement the 2012 Cultural Plan of Chicago — which received the Metropolitan Planning Council’s Burnham Award in 2013 — as well as the City Markets/Farmers Markets program.

Foutch is vice president of the Missouri Growth Association and serves on the board of directors of Christ Lutheran Church in Platte Woods, Missouri. He is an ISU Foundation governor, a member of the Order of the Knoll and the Cyclone Club, and a life member of the ISU Alumni Association.

Nielson previously was a planner for the city of Savage, Minnesota, and for Planning Resources, Inc., in Wheaton, Illinois. He also served as the zoning/ code enforcement planner for Winnetka, Illinois; economic development coordinator for the Chicago Department of Planning and Development; and senior project coordinator for the Habitat Company in Chicago.

Matt Nielson BS 1984 Community & Regional Planning Miami, Florida Since August 2017, Matt Nielson has served as the senior director of operations and campus planning for the National YoungArts Foundation, which identifies and nurtures the most accomplished young artists in the visual, literary, design, and performing arts and assists them at critical junctures in their educational and professional development. Nielson oversees operations and management of the organization’s Miami campus and provides support for its programs in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C. For nearly two decades, Nielson was the deputy commissioner for the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, where his responsibilities included the management and operation of the city’s municipal arts and cultural venues like the multiple award-winning Millennium Park, Chicago Cultural Center, and Historic Water Tower/ Water Works complex. Nielson also

Nielson is a member of the APA and its LGBTQ chapter; Beta Omicron Chapter of Sigma Chi Fraternity; Underline Facility Advisory Committee and Howard Brown Health External Affairs and Development Committee. He serves on the ISU Department of Community and Regional Planning’s Planning Advisory Council and is a life member of the ISU Alumni Association.

Dana (Willig) Wilkinson BA 1978 Interior Design Bettendorf, Iowa Dana Wilkinson is co-owner and chief executive officer of Paragon Commercial Interiors in Davenport, a firm she founded in 1983 with the goal of creating designs that influence how people live, think, and work, and make a lasting contribution to the community.

Paragon has completed significant local and global projects including corporate offices, healthcare facilities, banks, restaurants, libraries, senior-living

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environments and higher education facilities. Certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, the firm has been named one of the Best Places to Work by QC Magazine and honored for Excellence in Commerce by the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce.

Paragon regularly donates interior design services to area nonprofits, including United Way, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Gilda’s Club.

As executive director of the Museum of Art Foundation, Wilkinson led fundraising for the $47 million Figge Art Museum building project, completed in 2005. She received the 2008 DavenportOne Larry Reed Volunteer

of the Year Award and a 2009 Athena Women’s Business Award. She was named Outstanding Philanthropist by the Association of Funding Raising Philanthropists in 2015.

Wilkinson serves on the boards of directors of the Figge Art Museum, Downtown Davenport Partnership, John Deere Classic, Regional Development Authority, Scott County Family YMCA, Unity Point Trinity Hospital, and ISU Alumni Association.

She is a member of the International Interior Design Association and the ISU College of Design Advancement Council, and a life member of the ISU Alumni Association.

OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD The Iowa State University Alumni Association established this award in 1968 to recognize ISU alumni, age 40 and under, who have excelled in their professions and provided service to their communities. Up to three awards are granted annually.

Mindy Aust BA 2001 Architecture West Des Moines, Iowa Mindy Aust is one of Iowa’s most celebrated and accomplished architects, as well as one of very few women in the state serving in an architecture firm ownership role.

She has led such high-profile projects as the restoration and recovery of the Cedar Rapids Federal Courthouse following the floods of 2008 and two recent major projects on the Iowa State University campus: the renovation of Marston Hall and the creation of ISU’s new campuswide Student Innovation Center. As a principal of Substance Architecture, she is a strong advocate for excellent design and its benefit to communities.

Armed with a passion for public architecture, coupled with a commitment to mentorship and community involvement, she has devoted her career to thoughtful design of public spaces, including multiple award-winning federal government, public library, and university campus projects. Her projects have

garnered honors from the AIA, Chicago Athenaeum, and the General Services Administration. In recognition of her significant contributions to the profession early in her career, Aust became just the seventh Iowan to receive the prestigious AIA National Young Architect Award.

Aust is one of the youngest and only the third female ever to be elected president of the AIA Iowa chapter in its 110-year history. She has consistently exemplified the values of citizenship and leadership, working passionately to promote healthy and sustainable communities, as well as a more diverse architectural workforce in Iowa. She has been active with the Iowa Architectural Foundation’s Architecture in the Schools Committee, West Des Moines Historical Society, and Iowa Women in Architecture—further demonstrating her passion for public architecture, community involvement, and mentorship.

inspire Inspire is published twice per year by the Iowa State University College of Design and is mailed to more than 16,850 alumni and friends.

Newsletter Staff Writer & Editor Heather Sauer Photographers Kaveh Abbasi-Hafshejani, Jaydevsinh Atodaria, Christopher Gannon, Rachel Kehoe, Alison Weidemann Graphic Designer Alison Weidemann Contact Us 146 College of Design 715 Bissell Road Iowa State University Ames, IA 50011-1066 inspire@iastate.edu design.iastate.edu facebook.com/CollegeofDesign Instagram: @isucollegeofdesign Alumni Updates Have you married, moved, changed jobs, published or exhibited your work or earned an award? Let us know at http://www.design.iastate.edu/ alumni/share-your-news/.

On the Cover Visitors to the Iowa State University exhibit at the 2018 Iowa State Fair marveled over the IM_RU2 pavilion’s design, construction and message of inclusion and collaboration. Photo by Christopher Gannon.

Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Veteran. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to Office of Equal Opportunity, 3410 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, Tel. 515 294-7612, Hotline 515-294-1222, email eooffice@iastate.edu

While attending ISU, Aust was active with the College of Design’s Design Council and the American Institute of Architecture Students. Today she is an annual member of the ISU Alumni Association.

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Office of the Dean 134 College of Design 715 Bissell Road Ames, IA 50011-1066

VOLUME 8 | ISSUE 2 | FALL 2018

Three College of Design programs rank in top 25 nationally Iowa State University’s programs in landscape architecture, interior design and architecture are ranked in the top 25 in the United States, according to the latest survey of practitioners by DesignIntelligence.

The survey ranked Iowa State’s undergraduate landscape architecture program eighth in the nation for 20182019. ISU’s undergraduate interior design program ranked 18th and the undergraduate architecture program 23rd. The graduate landscape architecture program ranked 21st.

DesignIntelligence Quarterly is a publication for leaders in design professions. The magazine’s annual report, “America’s TopRanked Architecture and Design Schools,”

is the only national college ranking survey that focuses exclusively on design.

The DesignIntelligence survey ranks programs from the perspective of leading practitioners who hire and supervise recent graduates in each of the design fields represented.

The publication received responses from more than 6,100 professionals who were asked about the schools they most admire, the ones they hire from the most and how recent graduates are performing in 12 key focus areas such as design theory and practice, design technologies and communication skills.

ISU’s BLA program ranked in the top 10 in all but one focus area, including fourth in engineering fundamentals and fifth in

project planning and management.

The MLA program ranked ninth in practice management.

The ISU graduate interior design program ranked ninth in sustainable built environments and 10th in both healthy built environments and interdisciplinary studies.