COURTNEY CUSHARD
2758 Accomac Street. St. Louis, MO 63104. p: 586-321-1587. e: courtney.cushard@gmail.com, courtney.cushard@wustl.edu cargocollective.com/courtneycushard
Education
Washington University in St. Louis
2011 | Master of Urban Design
Auburn University
2007 | Bachelor of Architecture & Bachelor of Interior Architecture
Competencies
Project Management & Higher Education Administration
• Excellent time management and oral and written communication skills
• Proven critical problem solving, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills
• Strong project management skills while being goal oriented and team-centric
• Highly personable and euthanistic individual who enjoys meeting new people and embracing new experiences
• Proficient in InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Microsoft Office Suite
• Managerial and team leading skills
• Consultant point of contact & meeting leader
• Scope management
• Budget management and VE
• Organization and administration
• Design direction and collaboration
• Design review and critique
• Final report writing & production
• Collaboration and communication with multiple constituencies
• Long-term strategic planning
• Serve on University commitees
• Collaboration with international partners, faculty, and administrators
• Empathetic connection with students and faculty to address personal needs during travel
Design, Drawing & Production
• Urban Design & Planning
• Sustainability Planning, Methodology, Theory, & Best Practices
• Streetscape & Public Space Design
• Architecture & Interior Architecture Design
• Bike & Pedestrian Planning, Events, Best Practices, & Advocacy
• Report writing, design, layout, & editing
• Presentation board preparation
• Project proposal writing & presentations
• Technical drawing & review
• Conceptual drawings & diagrams
• Illustrated plans & sections
• Aerial models & renderings
• Photorealistic renderings
• Web Design (basic)
• Code review
Experience
Washington University in St. Louis - Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts
Special Programs Manager, 2015 - present (samfoxschool.wustl.edu)
Software
• Windows and Mac OS
• Adobe Creative Suite: InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop
• 3D Modeling: SketchUp, Rhino
• AutoCAD
• GIS
• Microsoft Office
Public Engagement
• Meeting & presentation preparation
• Public speaking & presentations
• Facilitated group discussion
• Stakeholder interviews
• Event planning
• Public Life Surveys - a technique for studying public life used bto create cities that are more bike and ped friendly
I manage all graduate and undergraduate study abroad programs at the Sam Fox School, working collaboratively with chairs, directors, the dean, faculty, students, parents, and international colleagues to ensure successful semester and summer programs in Italy, Spain, and Thailand. I travel with students and faculty to Florence for the start of each term. My responsibilities include:
• Recruit students and faculty for study abroad programs
• Teach preparation seminar to prepare students and faculty to live and study abroad
• Schedule the full semester of classes and field trips while abroad
• Award financial support for study abroad students
• Manage semester budget and accounts
• Write and maintain MOU’s with international collaborators
• Advise School leadership on long term goals, objectives, and strategies for successful study abroad programs
• Work with Directors and Chairs to manage faculty, curriculum changes, and program pedagogy
• Communicate with parents during preparation and programs
• Develop marketing materials and presentations for abroad programs
• Collaborate with study abroad colleagues on University-wide responsibilities, tools, audits, safety protocols, and implementation of broad changes.
• Maintain annual reports with metrics on participation trends, program satisfaction, financial need, program budgets
• Plan and manage orientation week
I manage the pre-college summer programs Architecture Discovery and Portfolio Plus for nearly 100 students studying art and architecture. My responsibilities include:
• Hire, train, and manage 10 temporary staff
• Train new full time staff as co-leader
• Lead admissions process for the programs
• Review and award scholarships
• Hire faculty and program assistants
• Manage program budgets
• Plan and execute three weeks of courses, field trips, meals, and housing, for students, faculty, & program assistants
• Edit marketing materials and maintain website
• Serve as on-call supervisor for three weeks during program
Other job duties include:
• Administer Fox Fridays workshop series
• Plan and lead first year orientation
Washington University in St. Louis - Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts Interim Undergraduate Program Coordinator, 2022 (samfoxschool.wustl.edu)
I collaborated with the Undergraduate Chairs of Art and Architecture to administer undergraduate programs. Duties included:
• Plan special events, trips, and workshops for architecture students
• Order supplies
• Manage budgets for multiple departments, people, and programs
• Serve on Art Curriculum Committee
• Manage schedules for events and meeting series
• Advise student group leaders
• Host social events for Undergraduate students
• Coordinate space needs for Undergraduate students and faculty
• Organize art and architecture exhibitions
Trailnet
Planning Consultant, 2015 (https://trailnet.org/)
I consulted on various projects for bike and pedestrian planning; graphic design, and toolkit writing, development, and design. Projects included Des Peres Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan and Slow Your Streets: How to Guide for Pop-Up Traffic Calming.
H3 Studio
Project Manager & Urban Designer, 2011 - 2015 (https://h3studio.squarespace.com/)
As project manager and urban designer, I collaborated with firm principles, interns, consultants, and clients to develop urban design plans in St. Louis and around the country.
Experience:
• Neighborhood design and development
• Sustainability planning
• Transit-oriented development
• Landscape architecture
• Form-based codes
• Public space & streetscape design
• Public life surveys
• Community engagement
Daily responsibilities:
• Build presentations
• Make diagrams
• Illustrate drawings
• Write final reports
• Manage interns
• Write project proposals
• Lead client meetings
• Lead public meetings
• Project management
• Website design & management
I served as the office specialist in sustainability planning and public life surveys. I regularly coordinated work for multiple interns and work closely with project managers and colleagues to meet project deadlines and deliver the highest quality work. I worked on numerous projects including:
• Forest Park Southeast Neighborhood Plan & Form-Based Code
• Wellston Choice Neighborhoods Transformation Plan
• Changing Course Competition: Future of Lower Mississippi River Delta (New Orleans, LA)
• Downtown St. Louis Public Life and Public Space Survey
• Parkview Gardens Neighborhood Sustainable Development Plan
• Skinker DeBaliviere Neighborhood Urban Design and Development Plan
• Delmar Loop Retail Study + Public Life Survey
• One STL: St. Louis Regional Plan for Sustainable Development
• Sustainable Neighborhood Toolkit for the City of St. Louis (Project Manager)
• City of St. Louis Sustainability Plan
• St. Louis TOD Station Area Plans
• Page Avenue Great Streets Initiative
• Joselyn Neighborhood Housing & Development Study (Omaha, NE)
• Thurman Underpass: BluLink (competition winner).
Washington University in St. Louis - Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts
Teaching Assistant, 2010 - 2012, 2014 (samfoxschool.wustl.edu)
Responsibilities included teaching a majority of the course, giving lectures, leading critiques, and assisting with grading.
Course: Public Space & City Life Seminar (2014) I served as the primary instructor for the course. I taught the history and theory of public space, the public life survey, and assisted the students in conducting a survey of Grand Center in St. Louis.
Course: Master of Urban Design Studio 2 (2012) This course focused on creating vibrant public life in Downtown Los Angeles. I coordinated final public life survey document which won a Missouri State APA Award for Outstanding Student Project.
Course: Contemporary Practices of Sustainable Urbanism Seminar (2013) I taught students contemporary sustainability planning techniques and methodologies, lead the final student charrette to create sustainability framework plans, and made the final report and presentation to neighborhood residents and community development leaders.
Course: History of Landscape Architecture (2011)
Gilbert McLaughlin Casella Architects
Intern Architect, 2008 - 2010 (gilmc.com)
I collaborated with firm principals, project managers, and consultants throughout the design process: programming, site studies, schematic design, design development, construction documents, details, code review, red lining, final shop drawings. As office sustainability coordinator, I established and maintained the USGBC membership, scheduled guest presenters, presented about sustainable products, and started the office recycling program. Selected projects are
• EMMA offices
• St. Henry School
• Vanderbilt Hawkins Field Expansion
• Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame
Awards & Recognition
2022-2024 Danforth Staff Council, Member & Chair of Events Commitee
2014 Missouri State APA Outstanding Program, Project, and Community Initiative Award: City of St. Louis Sustainable Neighborhood Initiative (Sustainable Neighborhood Toolkit, City Sustainability Plan)
2013 Missouri State APA Outstanding Student Project: Public Life Survey - Downtown Los Angeles (TA).
2013 Competition Winner: Thurman Underpass: BluLink (Botanical Heights/Shaw)
2011 Award for Exemplary Urban Design Student (Masters, Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, Washington University in St. Louis)
2007 Book Award for Exemplary Thesis Work (Auburn University)
2006 TVSA Clemson Fellowship for Foreign Study (Auburn University)
2003 Robert Lovett Memorial Book Award for Exemplary Work (Auburn University)