CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS:
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Gala and open house conclude year long centennial celebration

This Friday and Saturday, March 31 and April 1, 2006, the college will conclude its yearlong Centennial Celebration with two big events, a second Centennial Gala at the Miramont Country Club, and the 2006 Former Student Open House at the Langford Architecture Center.

The Centennial Celebration finale begins at 6:30 p.m. on March 31st with a cocktail hour followed by the banquet. The dress code is business formal.

The next morning, beginning at 8 a.m. the Former Student Open House kicks off with registration and coffee in the Langford B Exhibit Hall. The program begins at 8:30 a.m. in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium. Open house participants may attend individual departmental sessions, get reacquainted with old faculty, meet new faculty, receive updates on departmental news and watch a number of student presentations highlighting current research and studio projects. A barbecue lunch will 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 on either event, contact Trish Pannell at 979.458.0400 or t-pannell@tamu.edu.

Art Car to be painted by Saslow's Students for Houston Parade

Students from Mary Saslow’s class will paint a car for the 2006 Houston Art Car Parade taking place on May 13th. The car being painted is called The B&B Doubleheader, and is built from the front ends of two Dodge Caravans. Student Ara Walter's father and his car partner Brian Thomas made one car from two. Students will begin painting the car on Thursday, April 11th at 6:30 p.m., and will continue until the job is finished. The work will take place in the parking area between buildings A and B. It will be publicized that the car was painted by A&M students much to the pride of Former Student Bob Walter.

AIAS project to benefit the George Bush Presidential Library

American Institute of Architects Student Chapter (AIAS) students designed and painted a train for the “Locomotives on Parade” project started by the George Bush Presidential Library in celebration of the history of the Bryan and College Station area. Each train in the project is sponsored by a different organization or business, and then painted by local artists. The AIAS train was sponsored by the Association of Former Students and was a community service project for AIAS. It is currently on display outside of the alumni center and will be auctioned along with the other trains at an event in September to benefit the Library’s ongoing art exhibits.

Center for Housing and Urban Development (CHUD) Director Speaks at 2006 Conference

The Texas A&M Center for Housing and Urban Development (CHUD) Director, Dr. Jorge Vanegas, recently conducted two workshops at the 2006 UNIAPRAVI (Union InterAmericana Para la Vivienda) Annual Conference held in Guatemala City, Guatemala from February 13-15, 2006. The College of Architecture, through CHUD, has recently joined UNIAPRAVI as an Associate Member, becoming one of over 100 institutions in 20 countries who are active members of this organization.

UNIAPRAVI is a non-governmental international trade organization of publicly- and privately-owned institutions involved in financing, promoting and regulating the urban sector development in the Americas. Founded almost 40 years ago, the organization is headquartered in Lima, Peru and serves to promote and provide advice for the definition of instruments and practices to sustain housing development by means of analyses and interaction between public and private sectors so as to contribute to the socio-economic welfare of the continent.

Dr. Vanegas believes that “the benefit to the College is to open new avenues for research and education opportunities through CHUD on a Pan-American scale.”

Center for Housing and Urban Development announces partnership

To coincide with the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, The Center for Housing and Urban Development (CHUD) of the College of Architecture (CARC) at Texas A&M University (TAMU) has become a partner in the United States Partnership for the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.

“Education for sustainable development recognizes that our choices as consumers, investors, workers and community members effect the quality of life of people around the world. By making educated choices, we can create sustainable development, which means simultaneously creating flourishing ecosystems, healthy communities and stronger economies,” said U.S. Partnership Executive Committee member Dr. Debra Rowe.

CHUD will promote activities for the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development via its commitment to sustainable development, waste reduction programs, fair trade practices, social environmental and/or responsibility programs in all of its initiatives, programs, projects, and events.

Read the full story:
http://archone.tamu.edu/archcom/archoneUpdate/
full_3-30-06_CHUD.htm

Visualization Program to be featured in Bryan art exhibition

There will be an exhibition of work from the Visualization Program at Square One Restaurant in downtown Bryan on Friday, April 7 from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm. The exhibition will continue through April 29.

The opening coincides with First Friday and the opening exhibition of Art in Process sponsored by The Frame Gallery in downtown Bryan.

Works shown from the Visualization Program are the making of "Some Assembly Required" and the making of 3D "Art from Nature”. The animated movies will be projected outdoors from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

For more information, please contact Mary Saslow at saslow@viz.tamu.edu

Administrative Notes

Grant seminar for tenure-track faculty

There will be a seminar for CAREER, NRL Young Investigator and other junior faculty programs on March 31, 1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. in 301 Rudder.

Participants will learn how to write winning proposals for NSF CAREER and other Young Investigator programs. Topics will include: tips on winning strategies, examples of successful proposals and a discussion of the review process by a CAREER reviewer.

The program is intended for untenured, tenure-track faculty who are considering applying for NSF CAREER, DoD and other Young Investigator or similar grants.

To register for this free seminar, e-mail to OPD (OPD@tamu.edu) with the subject line “CAREER” and include your name and department in the body of the e-mail.

Staff evaluations due for merit raises

Staff evaluations are due to the Business Office by Monday, May 15, 2006 and should reflect employee performance from April 1, 2004 – March 31, 2005. It is imperative that all evaluations be submitted on time in order for staff members to be eligible for upcoming merit raises that will take effect on September 1. If an evaluation has not been turned in, the employee is not eligible to receive a merit increase.

Merit raises are possible for employees with an over all rating of “outstanding”, “exceeds”, and “meets expectations.” Please note that a current copy of the staff member’s job description should be attached and reviewed for changes at the time of evaluation. Changes may be handwritten on the job description and submitted with the evaluation. Questions may be directed to Lisa McKown and Craig Griffith.

Architecture Awards Banquet Registration

The Dept. of Architecture Scholarship Awards Banquet is slated for 6 - 10 p.m. Thursday, April 13 at the Pebble Creek Country Club. A cocktail hour, with cash bar, begins at 6 p.m., dinner will be served at 7 p.m. and the awards presentation follows at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person, but there is no charge for scholarship donors and their first guest, nor for student award recipients. Registration deadline is Friday, April 7. To register contact the Department of Architecture at 845-1015.

This Week's Calendar

Today

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.

AIAS film series - "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. The film will be shown at 7 p.m. in Langford C105, but if the weather permits, organizers will screen the movies in the Langford courtyard.

Friday - March 30

Faculty Candidate Presentation - The Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning presents faculty candidate for landscape architecture Sissi Bruch, who will present ”Experiences in Landscape Architecture: From Technical Applications to Environmental Justice.” The presentation will be Friday, March 31, 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. in Langford A348.

AIAS film series -"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. "The Fountainhead" will be shown at 7 p.m. in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium, but if the weather permits, organizers will screen the movies in the Langford courtyard.

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

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 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.

AIAS film series- “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. "Metropolis" will be shown at 7 p.m. in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium, but if the weather permits, organizers will screen the movies in the Langford courtyard.

SPRING 2006: CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS:

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 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 and at Texas A&M's Riverside Campus. On April 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. The installation at the Riverside Campus can be viewed from a car. For more information, contact Jill Mulholland at 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 exclusively for Secret Pal participants. For more information, contact Susie Billings at 847-9357 or sBillings@archmail.tamu.edu.

Students attend luncheon with the Dean's Advisory Council.