RESEARCH IN THE ROTUNDA

Undergraduate research Jessica Van Dyck (BSAS ’22) and Isabella Cosentino (BSAS ’23) were able to voice the urgency in the ideas that the Phase III Design research team practices at the UW system-wide Research in the Rotunda. Under the advisement of assistant professor Trudy Watt, the students shared their project “Movement Towards Compassion in Architecture” with legislators, state leaders, UW alumni, and other supporters as they advocate for the continued support of research at UWM.

Students Work With Beloit

In the fall of 2021 the Rural Futures Studio, under the direction of Associate Professor Kyle Talbott , collaborated with the Town of Beloit in Rock County, Wisconsin, to develop a 30-year vision study for a new town center. The town center will give this conventional suburb a main street and a town square, which can strengthen its place identity. In July 2021, the town board voted to adopt the vision study as its official master plan. They are excited to move forward with the implementation of infrastructure for the main street.

Madame Architect Nextgens

Danya Almoghrabi (BSAS ’22) and Alexis Meyer (M.Arch ’22) were both highlighted in Madame Architect’s NextGen Series. Founder and editor Julia Gamolina, as a Now What?! speaker, spoke with Danya as she reflected on her architecture journey and discussed her future career goals and creating spaces to thrive. Alexis shared her passion for mental health in architecture, her career goals and what is most important to her in the field of design. Both Danya and Alexis are excellent role models in the SARUP community and for future generations of female architects.

Jack Dangermond Fellow

Urban Planning alumna Miranda McCall (MUP ‘22) was selected as a Dengermond Fellow at the National Audubon Society and Environmental Systems Research Institute. This opportunity gives Miranda a chance to work for the Audobon Society with the guidance, support and mentoring from Jack Dengermond and Environmental Systems Research Institute staff. Miranda has an interest in environmental efforts that make the world more sustainable and livable for all species.

Sarup News

Innovative and Relevant

Familiar Faces New Roles

You may already know that Professor Zell has assumed Interim Dean duties with the retirement of Associate Professor Nancy Frank. There are lots of new faces around the building including Professor Schneider taking over as Chair of the Urban Planning Department and Associate Professor Wallick reprising his role as Associate Dean. These shifts are in anticipation of SARUP moving into the Peck School of the Arts.

What is going on with the School of Architecture and Urban Planning? Rumors about the demise of SARUP have been greatly exaggerated. As part of the university’s 2030 reorganization, SARUP will be joining the Peck School of the Arts in a new College of Arts and Architecture! Details are still being worked out for this exciting new partnership that will enhance SARUP’s continuing commitment to our fundamental mission of teaching students how to create beautiful, inclusive, sustainable places and spaces.

New Degrees

There are two new degrees being offered at SARUP. The Masters in Urban Design (MUD) is a one-year program launched a couple of years ago. Graduates of the program will have knowledge and skills to create sustainable, equitable and prosperous urban spaces for present and future generations in rapidly changing urban environments. They will have the skills for preparing design guidelines for public agencies; designing urban neighborhoods and public spaces; planning infrastructure such as streets, pedestrian and bicycle networks and public transit facilities; and addressing environmental concerns through ecological design.

Scheduled to be offered in the Fall of 2023, the BARCH (Bachelors of Architecture) is a five-year accredited undergraduate degree. Currently, to get an accredited degree (that is recognized nationally for professional licensure), UWM architecture students must earn a four year undergraduate degree followed by another two years of graduate school. With the BARCH, students can graduate in five-years instead of six. Current SARUP BSAS students will be able to streamline directly into this program, and SARUP alumni who already graduated with a BSAS degree can earn a BARCH with just one additional year of studies. Special thanks go to students Isabella Cosentino, Noel Flores Delgado, Max Hunt, Liam Kolstad, Roe Draus, Taylor Lovick and Courtney Hoffeller for their efforts in developing this exciting new program.

Sarup Bids Farwell

Dr. Nancy Frank retired this summer after serving UWM as well as other professional and community organizations for 40 years. She was Interim Dean of SARUP for the last three years, helping to coordinate multiple initiatives, including furthering SARUP’s strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion by raising additional funds to support students identifying as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Dr. Frank previously served in other leadership roles within SARUP, including as Chair of the Department of Urban Planning from 1998 to 2010 and from 2015 to 2018. In addition to warmly welcoming many students to the Master of Urban Planning program, she taught the core Planning Theory and Practice and Applied Planning Workshop courses and offered electives on water resources planning, sustainability and smart growth. Always caring deeply for students, Dr. Frank connected hundreds of students with professionals through her client-based projects, support for internships, and personal introductions. We appreciate Dr. Frank’s decades of leadership in SARUP and the Department of Urban Planning.

After working at UWM for twelve years, Dr. Lingqian (Ivy) Hu moved to the University of Florida this summer. Between 2018 and 2022, Dr. Hu served as the Chair of the UWM Department of Urban Planning, overseeing steady growth in enrollments and guiding the department through unprecedented changes produced by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a faculty member, Dr. Hu taught courses on data analysis methods, urban development theory, GIS and transportation, and transportation and land use planning. While at UWM she published more than 35 peer-reviewed papers and advised more than a dozen students on masters and doctoral theses. Dr. Hu is an international expert in transportation and land use planning, and she was awarded a prestigious $1 million National Science Foundation grant to study the development and impacts of a new, on-demand micro-transit service in the Milwaukee region.

Professor Mark Keane announced that he is retiring after teaching more than thirty years at SARUP. Perhaps most famous for his on-the-fly perspective sketching technique on the streets of Paris where he has been leading study abroad trips for decades, Professor Keane has left an indelible stamp at SARUP. While lately he has been leading successful student entries for the Solar Decathlon , he is also familiar to generations of SARUP students from teaching the Making Architecture freshman courses, leading the production of Historic American Building Survey drawings for Taliesin East, and his elective courses on watercolor and sketching. While he is turning off the overhead projector at SARUP for the last time, he will be keeping busy with his nonprofit, NEXT, by lecturing and creating online architecture course content for K-12 budding architects

Trudy Watt departed for UW Madison after teaching core design studios, elective seminars and making an impact with the Living Well Initiative that sought to create a transdisciplinary ecosystem of academic researchers, community members and industry leaders who leverage emerging technology, compassionate collaboration and healthy learning to envision wellness futures.

Matt Mabee left SARUP to officially become a Badger this year. Committed to a culture of making, Matt worked with faculty, staff, and SARUP administration to transform the digital fabrication capabilities of the school from a chronically broken down 3D printer in a dusty corner of the shop to a full-fledged rapid prototyping showcase with three laser printers, a dozen 3D plastic printers and three CNC machines.

Sharadha Natraj shared 20 years at SARUP in several roles from Associate Special Librarian to Executive Assistant to the Dean. She can still be found around UWM over at Chapman Hall where she is working in her new position as Administrative Assistant to the Vice Chancellor.