LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR The LSU School of Architecture continues to strive for new heights despite the threat of ongoing and potentially debilitating budget cuts. The most significant loss for the School over the last two years has been the inability to replace faculty who have retired or left for other institutions. Rather than bemoaning each loss, however, our approach is to face each change as an opportunity to make the School even better and stronger. For instance, the diminished fulltime faculty ranks have allowed us to rethink our studio composition and how we staff our program. In the fall of 2010, we embarked on an experiment with Landscape Architecture in which faculty members from both departments joined to teach a collaborative studio for first-year graduate students. Faculty from both departments applauded the results and we are working on institutionalizing this approach. There have been plenty of other positive
We are also incredibly proud of our
when they co-hosted the Spring South
developments over the past year. We
students and student organizations.
Quad in both Baton Rouge and Lafayette.
hired two new, young faculty members—
This year they have truly embraced the
As LSU anticipates continued shifts
Meredith Sattler and Frank Melendez,
spirit of collaboration and cooperation
in revenue streams and resource levels,
both graduates of the Yale University
through their efforts in working with
we must remain mindful of our primary
School of Architecture with Master of
each other, other disciplines, and other
mission—to educate students in the
Architecture degrees. Sattler also holds
schools of architecture in reaching to
discipline and profession of architec-
a Master of Environmental Science from
accomplish their goals. Last fall, our
ture. But we must go beyond that as we
the Yale University School of Forestry
chapter of the National Organization
seek to contribute new knowledge and
and Environmental Studies, where her
of Minority Architecture Students was
innovation, engage with our communi-
studies focused on urban ecology and
named Student Chapter of the Year by
ties and respond to global conditions
environmental design. These two shin-
the National Organization of Minority
in the environment and economy. With
ing stars have already made significant
Architects. Another of our student
the continued and increasing support
contributions over the past year, as they
organizations, the American Institute
of our alumni and friends, we hope to
have helped revise the School’s approach
of Architecture Students, joined forces
build a future for the School that turns
to digital design education as well as
with the University of Louisiana-
some short-term losses into long-term
our approach to sustainability. We look
Lafayette Chapter throughout the year
gains for the School, the state and in
forward to many more contributions as
beginning with a shared travel experi-
the profession.
they become further integrated in the life
ence to Fall South Quad in Knoxville,
of the School.
TN. They extended their collaborations
Jori Erdman, Director
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