CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS:
See complete listings for details.

Felice Varini’s visual language

He's studio experiments in Langford

This evening 6-9 p.m., Weiling He’s students will showcase the work they’ve been doing around the Langford A Building, taping various geometric shapes that become visible form specific viewpoints.

As He explains, “They are using the visual language of Swiss-french artist Felice Varini to address their understanding of Langford A. The project started with analyses of Langford A and a 1/4'=1'-0" model of the building. They are now moving to the phase of installation. Students impose simple 2-D shapes to the 3-D space and use these shapes to flatten the space. Although from many points of view, the viewer see only fragmented lines, there is one single point of view from which the viewer will see a complete and flat geometric shape.”

The project has two primary objectives: to create a visual tension between 2-D and 3-D and to insert spatial energy to surroundings that are often ignored. He said Marcel Erminy introduced her to Varini’s work and has been “very generously helping me and my students now and then during the course of this project.”

Student-designed park takes shape

Mustang Way, a park designed last semester by students in Tom Woodfin’s landscape architecture studio (pictured above), took shape last Saturday with considerable manpower, plant donations and financial support from Keep Brazos Beautiful, the Bryan Rotary Club, the Milam-Jones Neighborhood Association and a host of volunteers.

The park was designed along a frequently traveled trail connecting two Bryan ISD elementaries – Anson Jones and Ben Milam — with Henderson Park and the city’s largest Habitat for Humanity neighborhood, Sharon’s Court.

Prior to the project, the parkland, owned by the school district, was overgrown and strewn with trash. As a result of this collaborative effort, the old dirt trail crossing the lot is now a lighted, paved pathway meandering through what will become a beautifully landscaped garden including more than 50 new trees.

Culp invited to review Finland's
Building Services Program

Charles Culp, associate professor of architecture and associate director of the Energy Systems Laboratory at Texas A&M University, is one of four international reviewers invited by Finland to evaluate the direction and effectiveness of the country’s Building Services Program. The review will cover building performance characteristics and energy efficiency, retrofits, virtual spaces in 4-D, lighting, various heating and cooling systems including current and future technologies, housing technologies and numerous other technology areas in both commercial buildings and residential structures.

Funding for the project comes form National Technology Agency of Finland (Tekes), the main public funding organization for research and development in Finland. Tekes funds industrial projects as well as projects in research organizations, and especially promotes innovative, risk-intensive projects. It also offers the country’s international partners a gateway to the key technology players in Finland.

The CUBE: Building Services Technology Programme was launched at the beginning of 2002 with the intention of improving the performance of the service content of building services in the property sector, in both residential and non-residential premises. Further aims are to provide up-to-date premises tailored to the needs of users, and added value for property owners on the basis of life-cycle benefits and functional space.

Related Story:
Culp says world needs more energy-saving experts and technology
http://communications.tamu.edu/newsarchives/06/
011906news-11.html

Former student's work to be
featured in InStyle Magazine

The house and grounds former student David Applebaum ’84 designed for actor Cuba Gooding Jr. will be featured in the May 2006 edition of InStyle Magazine.

“I was just interviewed this past Thursday and the West Coast Editor told me that he loved the house so much that he had convinced the magazine to exclusively feature this house instead of showcasing the typical two or three homes,” Applebaum reported in a recent e-mail to the college. “That was sweet to hear, but in reality, it is probably the deal that Cuba’s publicists brokered to time the publication with a movie premiere.”

The project, Applebaum said, was “a wonderful team effort.” He worked with landscape designers, Jay Griffith, and experience he described as “a hoot!”

“There is a piece of you all in the work that will be published.” he wrote to his former professors Rodney Hill, George Mann, Michael Murphy, John Greer and John Fairey. “All of my work for that matter, as well as the choices that I make in clients and direction. Thank you for your enthusiasm, love for the field, attention and care. At 47, my career is just starting.”

Read about Applebaum practice, school days: A story, “Architect to the Stars: Former student David Applebaum makes it big with a small practice,” was published in the Winter 2004 issue of archone. You can find it here:
http://archcomm.arch.tamu.edu/archive/news/
winter2004/ArchoftheStars.html

‘Architecture Ranch’ taking
shape at Riverside Campus

Visitors to Texas A&M University's new “Architecture Ranch” won't see faculty and students punching cattle. Instead, they'll be met with scenes of future architects, landscape architects and construction managers hard at work on projects at a large-scale state-of-the-art workshop being built at the Riverside Campus.

Read Architecture Ranch story:
http://communications.tamu.edu/newsarchives/06/
030206news-15.html

Ulrich helps improve UK patient care

This spring, Roger Ulrich is carrying out research and working with architects and planners in the United Kingdom to improve patient care by helping to change the way British hospitals are designed, using the results of academic research projects focused on the interaction of environment and health outcomes to inform real-world practice.

Read about Ulrich's work in the United Kingdom
http://our-news.tamu.edu/newsmanager/templates/
default.aspx?a=2240&template=print-article.htm

Radiation, hurricanes, floods top
Lindell’s international agenda

Mike Lindell, professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning and senior scholar in the Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center, recently participated in two international workshops.

Feb. 12-17, he was involved in a weeklong International Atomic Energy Agency workshop that developed an innovative training guidance document for radiation emergency planners in developing countries.

“One of the major problems these planners face is that most IAEA planning guidance prescribes the required elements of emergency plans, but fails to explain why these elements are needed.

To write the new guidance document, Lindell worked with two radiologists — one from the U.S. and the other from Belarus — and two health physicists — one from the U.K. and the other from IAEA headquarters in Vienna Austria. The report contains brief descriptions of ten different emergencies, most of them involving radiation hazards. It also explains how the elements of IAEA planning requirements are designed to avoid emergency response errors made during these incidents.

Feb. 20 – 24, Lindell traveled to Paris to give a talk, coauthored with Carla Prater, titled “Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Scientific Surprises and Policy Failures.” This was one of four major invited presentations in the workshop, “Le Cyclone Katrina: Quelles Leçons pour L’Europe,” sponsored by the Association Française pour la Prevention des Catastrophes Naturalles (AFPCN). The day after the workshop, Lindell joined other American delegates, including Phil Berke, a former LAUP faculty member who is now at the University of North Carolina, in meetings with members of the AFPCN under the auspices of the Académie des Sciences at the Institut de France. The group agreed to pursue collaborative projects on flood hazard mitigation and to hold another conference in March, 2008.

Study confirms the ‘Aggie Way’

Research has confirmed that Texas A&M students, compared to their counterparts at other universities, are prone to study more, party less, support one another, and devote more time to charities and extracurricular activities.

These trends were uncovered by the National Survey of Student Engagement - Time Use Analysis, which was administered this semester at Texas A&M by the university’s Measurement and Research Services.

Compared to students at benchmark institutions. the survey confirmed what has long been an anecdotal hallmark of the Aggie way of life — namely that A &M students:

• Do more tutoring of other students;
• Take part in more co-curricular activities;
• Do more community service;
• Put in as many hours working for pay;
• Put in as many hours preparing for class; and
• Socialize and relax less.

The National Survey of Student Engagement is a nationally-normed college student survey that measures student engagement in student learning. A brief summary of the results of the survey is available online at http://www.tamu.edu/marshome/surveys/
PDFfiles/Time.pdf

The full report can be found at http://www.tamu.edu/marshome/surveys/PDFfiles/
Time%20usage.pd

Administrative Notes

Student Research Week student entries
sought; judges are desperately needed

To date, 17 architecture students and eight students from landscape architecture and urban planning have signed up to present posters or oral presentations during Texas A&M’s Student Research Week. There’s still some slots available.

The event organizers will accept 60 more oral presentations and 125 more posters. Abstracts are being accepted until the slots are filled.

Student Research Week judges are also being sought. For far, no one from the College of Architecture has signed up to help judge the event.

“We need at least three in-field judges from each department, and for departments with 10 or more participants, we will need more,” said Rebecca White, Student Research Week director. “The more students from your department who register, the more judges we need from your department.”

In-field judges for graduate presentations must have a Ph.D. in the field they are judging or one closely related. For undergraduate presentations, in-field judges need only a master's degree or equivalent. Out-of-field judges do not need any particular expertise. All faculty, staff and graduate students are encouraged to sign up as judges.

“It is a small time commitment that makes a big difference to many students,” said White. “Please encourage your folks to help us out.”

Judges may sign up at http://srw.tamu.edu.

Additionally, research week organizers are looking for volunteers to help with assorted tasks. For more information on volunteer opportunities, e-mail Rebecca White at srw@tamu.edu.

Student abstracts due March 10 for
Ecological Integration Symposium

The Ecological Integration Student Research Symposium is slated for 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. April 1 at Texas A&M University’s Memorial Student Center. Graduate and undergraduate students in the biological, environmental, and social sciences are encouraged to submit papers or posters on conservation, ecology, and evolutionary biology for presentation or exhibit at the event. Deadline for submission is March 10.

This year, the EISR symposium collaborating with Texas A&M’s Student Research Week, so students may compete in both events with a single presentation.

For more details visit:
http://wfsc.tamu.edu/symposium/register/
abstract.cfm
Ecological Integration Student Research Symposium: http://wfsc.tamu.edu/symposium/student.html

College concludes initial interviews with
architecture department head candidates

With the visit this week of architecture department head candidate Sandra Paret, the initial interview phase of the department head search concluded. The committee will soon meet to identify applicants to invite back for a second interview.

A total of eight candidates participated in the first interview round: Vergel L. Gray, executive director of facilities planning and construction for the University of Houston System; Elizabeth I. Louden, professor of architecture at Texas Tech University; Sandra M. Paret, principal in the Dallas regional practice of HOK, Inc.; Jeff Potter, of Jeff Potter Architects, Limited in Longview, Texas; Dennis Radford, professor of architecture at de Montfort University in Leicester, England; Guillermo Vasquez de Velasco, professor of architecture and associate dean for outreach at Texas A&M University’s College of Architecture’ and Mark Wamble, principal of Interloop A/D in Houston, Texas and the Brockstein Visiting Professor at Rice University.

The search committee, chaired by David Woodcock, included Ergun Akelman, John Greer, Gregor Kalas and Julie Rogers.

Distinguished lecture tickets available

Ian Tizard, Professor of Veterinary Pathobiology and holder of the Richard M. Schubot Chair in Avian Health at Texas A&M University, will present “I Feel Sick”— The Biological Consequences of Sickness Behavior,” as part of the Texas A&M University Distinguished Lecture Series. The talk is slated for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 28 at the George Bush Conference Center.

The dean’s office has 25 tickets available while they last.

Learn more about the lecture at
http://www.tamu.edu/provost/udls/tizard.html

ACSA seeks abstracts, posters
for affordable housing forum

The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture is inviting faculty and practitioners working in affordable and mixed-income housing to submit abstracts or poster presentations for a June 7-8, 2006, forum entitled “Affordable Design: Convening the Conversation.” The forum is funded by a grant from the Fannie Mae Foundation.

The deadline for abstracts and poster submission is March 15.

The text of the calls and information on the forum are available through ACSA's Web site at
https://www.acsa-arch.org/faculty/affordablehousing.aspx

Learn to write research grant
proposals with a competitive edge

The Office of Proposal Development (OPD) at Texas A&M University is offering a Faculty Panel Spring Seminar Series on a range of topics related to helping faculty develop competitive research and educational proposals to federal agencies and foundations. Upcoming seminars include:

“Strategies for Developing Competitive Research Proposals” a two-hour seminar slated 2 - 4 p.m. March 21 in Rudder Tower Room 601. Details are available online at http://opd.tamu.edu/news-and-events/opd-
spring-seminar-series-generic-competitive-
strategies-march-21.ics/

“Competing for Funding at the National Science Foundation,” a second seminar, is set for 2 – 4 p.m. March 22 in Rudder Tower Room 601. Details are posted online at http://opd.tamu.edu/news-and-events/opd-
spring-seminar-series-competing-for-funding-
at-nsf-2013-march-22.ics/

Information on all OPD/Faculty Panel Spring Seminars can be found at http://opd.tamu.edu/events.

This Week's Calendar

Through March 10

War Women Painting Exhibition, a master’s thesis work by Felice House, is on exhibit in the Langford Gallery through Friday, March 10. For more information, contact Felice House at 979-218-0151 or felice@housepaintings.net.

Thursday - March 9

SWAMP meeting: The ScreenWriting Acting Movie Production (SWAMP) student organization meets 7-9 p.m. every Thursday this spring in Langford C 414. For more information, contact Margaret Lomas at 5-3465 or marge@viz.tamu.edu.

Friday - March 10

LAUP faculty meets: The Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning faculty meets 10 a.m. - noon in Langford B 209. For more information, contact Clarissa Garcia at 845-1019 or cgarcia@archmail.tamu.edu.

Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center staff meets 10 a.m. - noon Fridays in Langford B 209 to discuss HRRC research initiatives, make assignments, and provide a forum for staff and student presentations. For more information, contact Carla Prater at 862-3970 or carla@archone.tamu.edu.

Viz faculty, staff and student representatives meet 1:30 p.m. in Langford C 429 to discuss current issues regarding the program and laboratory. For more information, contact Margaret Lomas at 5-3465 or marge@viz.tamu.edu.

COSC interviews—Douglas Chelson: 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. in the Langford A Gallery. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood at 845-0289 or aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu.

VIZA Admissions Committee meets 2 - 4 p.m. on Fridays in Langford C 429 to review admission applications for fall 2006. For more information, contact Margaret Lomas at 5-3465 or marge@viz.tamu.edu.

Tuesday - March 14

College of Architecture Executive Committee meets 9 - 11 a.m. in Langford A 217. For more information, contact Sue Wade at 845-1223 or swade@archone@tamu.edu.

Aggie Computer Graphics student group meets 7 - 9 p.m. on Tuesdays in Langford C 414 to discuss work and events associated with computer media. For more information, contact Margaret Lomas at marge@viz.tamu.edu.

Wednesday - March 15

The Committee to Form a Department of Visualization meets 8 - 9 a.m. every Wednesday in Langford B 209 to discuss procedures and create proposals for creating a new department. For more information, contact Margaret Lomas at 845-3465 or marge@viz.tamu.edu.

SPRING 2006: CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS:

Monday - March 20 - 22

MUP Accreditation site review visit is slated for 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., March 20-22. The three-person review team will meet in Langford A 321 where they will conduct interviews with faculty, staff, and students who are part of the Master's of Urban Planning program. For more information, contact June Withers at 845-1046 or jwithers@archone.tamu.edu.

Tuesday - March 21

Study Abroad Orientation — Italy & Spain: 6 - 8 p.m. in Langford C 111 and C 208 an orientation class will be held for students who are planning to study abroad in Spain and Italy. For more information, contact Dolores Gonzales at 458-0102 or dgonzales@archone.tamu.edu.

Mechanical and Electrical Contractors Association (MECA): will hold a general meeting 7 - 8:30 p.m. in the Preston Geren Auditorium in Langford B. Cherry Demolition, from Houston, will be the featured guest. The group will also be signing folks to participate in Equipment Day on April 15 an event that allows students to test drive six or seven commonly used construction machines. For more information, contact Steven Suits at 972-365-4365 or suits2002@neo.tamu.edu.

Friday - March 24

Energy bill workshop: 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. In the Preston M. Geren Auditorium Jerry Jackson will lead a workshop on “Cutting Energy Bills in Texas with New Electricity Pricing.” For more information, contact Dolores Gonzales at 458-0102 or dgonzales@archone.tamu.edu. Or visit the Web site http://archone.tamu.edu/conted/.

Economics of risk lecture: Douglass Shaw, a specialist in environmental and natural resources, applied microeconomics, and urban and regional economics and professor in Texas A&M’s Department of Agricultural Economics, will lecture on “Economic Benefits Estimation from Risk Reductions: Arsenic and Other Natural Hazards,” 10 a.m. March 24th in Langford C 205. The lecture is presented by the Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center at the Texas A&M University College of Architecture. Learn more about Shaw and his research at http://agecon2.tamu.edu/people/faculty/shaw-douglass/

7th Annual Historic Preservation Symposium demonstrations: 8:30 a.m. - 4:50 p.m. at the College of Architecture’s “Architecture Ranch” facility at Texas A&M’s Riverside Campus, the 7th Annual Historic Preservation Symposium will feature craft demonstrations, such as timber framing & ornamental metal work and offer a tour of a 17th century ship. For more information, contact Bob Warden at 845-7061 or r-warden@tamu.edu.

Legacy Society tour: 9 a.m. - noon at the Langford A Gallery, the Texas A&M Foundation Legacy Society members will hear Michael Lindell talk about research activities at the Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center. The Legacy Society recognizes individuals, corporations and foundations whose cumulative current giving to Texas A&M University totals $100,000 or more, and also individuals who plan to make future gifts through their estates. For more information about this special HRRC presentation to the Legacy Society, contact Trish Pannell at 458-0400 or t-pannell@tamu.edu.

Saturday - March 25

7th Annual Center for Heritage Conservation Symposium: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium the Center for Heritage Conservation’s 7th Annual Historic Preservation Symposium, “Preparation for Preservation Practice: A Comprehensive Perspective,” features guest presentations. For more information, contact David Woodcock at 845-7850 or woodcock@archone.tamu.edu or visit the Web site at http://archone.tamu.edu/hril/symposium2006.htm

Veena Concert: An evening of Indian classical music sponsored by the TAMU chapter of the Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth (SPICMACAY) is slated for 5 - 10 p.m., Saturday, March 25 in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium and the Langford B Exhibit Hall. Admission is free. The concert will feature Shreevidhya Chandramouli on the veena – an Indian stringed instrument (pictured above), with four main and three auxiliary strings on a lute-like body. Also scheduled, in the Exhibit Hall, are performances on flute, violin and mridangam – a barrel-shaped double-headed drum with one head larger than the other. For more information, contact Nethra Subramanya at 979-204-3024 or nethra@tamu.edu or visit http://spicmacay.tamu.edu

Monday - March 27

Visiting Artist Wenda Gu lectures: 2-4 p.m. in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium. Wenda Gu will be the College of Architecture’s Artist in Residence March 22-28. Her March 27 lecture will be followed by a reception in the Langford B Exhibition Hall. For more information, contact Carol LaFayette at 845-3465 or lurleen@viz.tamu.edu. Visit Gu’s Web site at http://www.wendagu.com/home.html.

Tuesday - March 28

CARC 481 Student Portfolio Review: 5 - 9 p.m. in the Langford B Exhibit Hall, the portfolios of students enrolled in the CARC 481 seminar will be reviewed by professors as part of their application to gain entrance to upper level studies and semester away venues. Though admittance to upper level is based on GPA in two categories, the portfolio competition allows for the recognition of student excellence. The top ten students receive certificates and up to four students may receive a book award at the departmental scholarship banquet in April. For more information, contact Dick Davison at 845-6581 for dgonzales@archone.tamu.edu.

Thursday - March 30

PIXAR Demo Reel & Resume Review: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. representatives from PIXAR Animation Studios will review MS VIZA demo reels and resumes in Langford C 429. For more information, contact Margaret Lomas/845-3465/marge@viz.tamu.edu.

PIXAR Presentation: 7 - 10 p.m. in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium in Langford B representatives from PIXAR Animation Studios will present offer students a behind the scenes look at feature animations. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Margaret Lomas at 845-3465 or marge@tamu.edu.

March 30 - April 1

AIAS Film & Architecture Series triple feature: The Texas A&M University AIAS chapter's Spring 2006 Film & Architecture Series will observe the College of Architecture's upcoming centennial celebration weekend with a triple-feature including "The Fountainhead," with Gary Cooper, and both the classic and anime versions of "Metropolis." All three films are scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium, but if the weather permits, organizers will screen the movies in the Langford courtyard.

Here's the AIAS film series line-up:

March 30 - "Metropolis" (the anime version), is a deliriously dense, retro-futurist visual feast. This animated thriller is not a remake of Fritz Lang's futuristic silent classic, but the title fits.

March 31 - "The Fountainhead": a 1949 film based on Ayn Rand novel. Individualistic and idealistic architect Howard Roark (Gary Cooper) is expelled from college because his designs fail to fit with existing architectural thinking. He seems unemployable but finally lands a job with like-minded Henry Cameron, however within a few years Cameron drinks himself to death, warning Roark that the same fate awaits unless he compromises his ideals. Roark is determined to retain his artistic integrity at all costs.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041386/

April 1 - “Metropolis:” Fritz Lang's 1927: Surreal, sprawling, and operatic, drawing on biblical and medieval Christian imagery as well as H. G. Wells' "The Time Machine," Fritz Lang's deeply influential pulp allegory "Metropolis" colonized a new realm of the imagination that has shaped subsequent science fiction from "Flash Gordon" to Star Wars, from "The Jetsons" to "Blade Runner." It is the future, and humans are divided into two groups: the thinkers, who make plans, but don't know how anything works, and the workers, who achieve goals, but don't have the vision.

The date for the final movie of the AIAS's Film and Architecture Series, "The Passion of de Jeannne d'Arc," has not yet been set. Some critics have called the 1928 work by Carl Theodor Dreyer the best silent film ever made.

Friday - March 31

PIXAR Demo Reel & Resume Review: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. representatives from PIXAR Animation Studios will review MS VIZA demo reels and resumes in Langford C 429. For more information, contact Margaret Lomas/845-3465/marge@viz.tamu.edu.

Centennial Celebration Gala: The college of Architecture wraps up its yearlong 100th anniversary celebration with a gala event at the Miramont Country Club. The Centennial Celebration finale begins at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour followed by the banquet. The cost to faculty and staff is $50 per person and the dress code is business formal. For more information, contact Trish Pannell at 979.458.0400 or t-pannell@tamu.edu.

Classical Indian music concert: An evening of Indian classical music sponsored by the TAMU chapter of the Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth (SPICMACAY) is slated for 4 - 9 p.m., Friday, March 31 in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium and the Langford B Exhibit Hall. Admission is free. The concert will feature Shashank Subramaniam ( http://www.shashank.org/shashank.html) and group playing bamboo flute, violin and mridangam -- a barrel-shaped double-headed drum with one head larger than the other. Also on Friday’s venue are sarode artist Shankar Bhattacharya, a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, and vocalist Mysore Mohan, who is on the chemistry department faculty. Both are faculty advisors for SPICMACAY. Bhattacharya is an expert on the sarode, a traditional Indian string instrument. He plays Hindustani classical music. Mohan, a vocalist, sings ragas based on the Carnatik style of Indian classical music.

Saturday - April 1

Former Student Centennial Open House, begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 1 with registration and coffee in the Langford B Exhibit Hall. The program, begins at 8:30 a.m. in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium. A barbecue lunch will be top off the event in the Langford A Atrium. There is no cost to faculty and staff who attend, but other guests will pay $15/person to cover catering costs. For information, contact Trish Pannell at 979.458.0400 or t-pannell@tamu.edu.

Friday - April 7

Dollhouse Big Build Day: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. in the Langford A Atrium construction science student will be erecting dollhouses that will later be sold as part of a fund-raising activity. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood/845-0289/aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu.

"Into the New Millennium - FosterWerk 1980-2005," a special College of Architecture Centennial Lecture featuring Graham Phillips, chief design partner with Foster and Partners Architects, London. The event is set for 4 – 6 p.m. in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium.

Tau Sigma Delta induction banquet is slated for 6:30 p.m. at the Alumni Center. Tau Sigma Delta is an honor society for architecture and the applied arts. The organization’s Web site can be found at http://stuact.tamu.edu/stuorgs/tsd/default.html. For more information on the April 7 event, contact Jennifer Bettiol at 979-450-2863 or jbettiol@neo.tamu.edu.

Saturday - April 8

Parent's Weekend Open House: The annual university-wide open house for undergraduate students and their families. For more information contact Michael White at 845-1285 or mwhite@archmail.tamu.edu.

Big Build Day dollhouse sale: continues 9 a.m. - noon in the Langford A Atrium. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood at 845-0289 or aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu.

Tuesday - April 11

Staff Luncheon: noon - 1 p.m. in the Langford A Atrium. For more information, contact Mashalle Mooring at mmooring@archone.tamu.edu.

Wednesday - April 12

Ph.D. lighting project: Jill Mulholland will set up her five case studies for review as part of her Ph.D. project which is being funded by a $20,000 Nuckolls Fund Grant. The projects will be installed in the Langford Gallery, the atrium and at the Architecture Ranch. On April 12 and 13 the work will be evaluated by lighting experts Charles Linn, Marietta Millet and Dick Peters. Three of the case studies will be presented in the gallery in video format running on continuous five-minute loops. Another will be installed at the Architecture Ranch and can be view from a car. For more information, contact Jill Mulholland at 779-7373 or jill.mulholland@gmail.com.

Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning Lecture Series: 5 - 7 p.m. in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium. For more information, contact June Withers at 845-1046 or jwithers@archone.tamu.edu.

Construction Science Scholarship & Awards Ceremony is 5 - 11:30 p.m. at the Hilton Hotel. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood at 845-0289 or aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu.

Thursday - April 13

MUP Professional Advisory Council meets 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. in the Langford A Gallery. For more information, contact Clarissa Garcia at 845-1019 or cgarcia@archmail.tamu.edu.

Light show: Jill Mulholland’s lighting class will showcase their semester’s work in a light show installed throughout the Langford Architecture Center. The show begins at sundown and runs through midnight. Lighting experts Marietta Millet and Dick Peters will review the student work. For more information, contact Jill Mulholland at 779-7373 or jill.mulholland@gmail.com.

Department of Architecture Scholarship Awards Banquet & Ceremony is set for 6 - 10 p.m. at the Pebble Creek Country Club. The event is still being planned, but there will be a fee to attend and reservations will be required. Inside Track will update the relevant information when it is available. In the meantime, direct your queries to Melinda Randle 847-8918 or mrandle@archone.tamu.edu.

Wednesday - April 19

"Texas Chapels in the Landscape of Light" with Dr. Nora Laos from the College of Architecture at the University of Houston. Laos holds a Ph.D. in architecture and a M.F.A. from Princeton University; a M.Arch and B.S. in architectural studies from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign. The lecture will be held 5 – 7 p.m. in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium.

Annual Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning Awards Banquet: 6 - 10 p.m. at the Briarcrest Country Club. The planning for the event is under way, invitations will be mailed closer to the banquet date. For more information, contact Clarissa Garcia at 845-1019 or cgarcia@archmail.tamu.edu.

Friday & Saturday – May 5 & 6

TEX-GRAPH 2006: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium and Langford B Exhibit Hall. Graphics researchers and educators from Texas gather for this mini-symposium to present current work based on computer graphics and interactive techniques. The planning for the event is under way. More details will be forthcoming. For more information, contact Margaret Lomas at 845-3465 or marge@viz.tamu.edu.

Saturday - May 6

LAUP Department Picnic for faculty, staff and students and their families. The location and time of this event has not yet been established. For more details or suggestions, contact June Withers at 845-1046 or jwithers@archone.tamu.edu.

Thursday - May 11

COSC Graduation Reception: 1 - 8 p.m. in Langford A Atrium. For more information, contact Ann Eastwood at 845-0289 or aeastwood@archone.tamu.edu.

Tuesday - May 30

Secret Pal Luncheon: 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. in Langford B Exhibit Hall. For more information, contact June Withers at 845-1046 or jwithers@archone.tamu.edu.

LAUP Career Fair sets record

A total of 26 firms participated in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning's recent Career Fair, making it the biggest one ever.