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Feature Stories

Students display their design for a health facility of the future

COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS WORK WITH UK’S NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE TO DESIGN THE HEALTH FACILITY OF THE FUTURE

This spring, 23 students from the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University received advisory input from the National Health Service of the United Kingdom to design the Health Facility of the Future. The students, third- and fourth-year members of Professor George Mann’s studio, advised by graduate students, have worked with the staff from the NHS Confederation and the Future Healthcare Network (FHN) in the U.K. to research and apply new trends in Architecture for Health to the actual design of the proposed new Hatfield Hospital for Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, located about an hour north of London. The proposed new facility will have up to 920 beds and will house the only specialized cancer center in the region.

Thirteen different projects from the studio (including research, ideas, innovations, programs, concepts, architectural drawings and models) will be presented by students and faculty to visiting NHS representatives on Sunday April 30, from 2-6 p.m. and Monday May 1 from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the architectural offices of HKS, Inc. in Dallas, Texas.

For full story:
http://archone.tamu.edu/archcom/archoneUpdate/
full_4-27-06_health.htm

Photo by Frank Ragan info@frankragan.com.

Rodney Hill recognized
as creativity champion

Larry Busch, president of the American Creativity Association, presents Rodney Hill with the organization's “David Tanner Champion of Creativity Award” at the 2006 American Creativity Association International Conference. The award is named for David Tanner, who was the director of the DuPont Center for Creativity & Innovation.

Hill, a member of the Texas A&M architecture faculty since 1969, is holder of the Eppright University Professorship in Undergraduate Teaching Excellence. His scholarly interests include social and behavioral factors in architecture, creativity and future studies. He is a faculty adviser for the American Creativity Association, the American Institute of Architecture Students, the Entrepreneur Club and Kappa Sigma fraternity. In 2000, Hill received the Texas Society of Architects' Edward J. Romieniec, FAIA, Award in recognition of his contributions to architectural education in Texas.

The American Creativity Association is the national organization of professionals in the field of creativity dedicated to enhancing the use of creativity throughout our society for the betterment of the human condition.

Roger Ulrich and Jon Rodiek to be honored in Association of Former Students awards ceremony

The Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Awards ceremony will be held on Tuesday, May 2, at 1:30 p.m. in Rudder Theatre. Among the twenty-five recipients are our own Dr. Roger Ulrich and Dr. Jon Rodiek.

Dr. Ulrich will be recognized for his distinguished research record and Dr. Rodiek will be recognized for his outstanding teaching service. A reception will follow the awards ceremony in the Rudder Exhibit Hall.

These individuals have earned, by virtue of their service and accomplishments and by means of a rigorous nomination and selection process, the respect of the entire university community. Our attendance at the ceremony is a very fitting and visible way to show our respect for the award recipients.

Please help show and share our pride for our two faculty members and the other recipients by attending the ceremony on May 2.

College receives funds to move Stripling Collection to Cushing Library

At the Texas Old Missions and Forts Restoration Association (TOMFRA) Business Meeting in San Angelo, Texas on Saturday, April 22, David Woodcock expressed the thanks of the Dean and the College of Architecture for TOMFRA’s support of the Raiford L. Stripling ’31 Collection being moved to the University Archives of the Cushing Memorial Library. It was noted that TOMFRA’s seed grant of $3,000, and their association with the Summerlee Foundation, were instrumental in the Summerlee award of $40,000, which made the move possible.

Later in the day, TOMFRA President Bob Brinkman (M.S. Arch ‘00) presented a check for $25,000 for the endowment of the Stripling Scholarship, which was accepted on behalf of the Texas A&M Foundation. David Woodcock presented Mr. Brinkman with a plaque acknowledging the gift. The plaque will be displayed in the Center for Heritage Conservation.

The meeting ended with a presentation by Ms. Andrea Smith Eads, the 2005-06 Stripling Scholar, on her work with a fourth year design studio directed by Dr. Susan Rodiek on a rehabilitation plan for the Zedler Mill in Luling, Texas. The student work has acted as a catalyst for intense community interest, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has initiated a canoe trail arrival point at the Mill as a step toward renewed economic activity. TOMFRA members were much impressed by her presentation and the relevance of the college’s academic work to real needs in the community.

IES lecture and exhibition

The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) TAMU student chapter will be hosting two events in the upcoming weeks. The first is a lecture on “Lighting Control Solutions” with guest speaker James E. Martin ’98 of Lutron Electronics Company, Inc., and will take place in Langford A, room 348 at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 28. All are welcome to attend.

The second event scheduled is the Daylighting Exhibition, which will include projects from ARCH 634 and ENDS 233 classes, and will take place on Tuesday, May 2, in the Langford atrium.

For more information on the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America TAMU student chapter, visit http://iesna.tamu.edu.

Multidisciplinary grad studio to unveil designs for Costa Rican cloud forest tropical research station

The College of Architecture’s Graduate Multidisciplinary Studio will present their work on the proposed Texas A&M University Multidisciplinary Tropical Station in Casa Verde, Costa Rica 5 p.m. Monday, May 8 in the Langford Building B Exhibit Hall.

The brief presentation will be followed by a reception.
Students, faculty and administrators are all welcome to review the team projects and provide feedback on the design and construction of the proposed TAMU facility which will be built in the heart of the Costa Rican cloud forest.

Susan Rodiek's research featured in the Chicago Tribune

A recent article in the Chicago Tribune featured research by assistant professor Susan Rodiek. The article, titled, “Exposure to natural elements can improve residents’ well-being” highlighted Rodiek’s work with the Center for Health Systems & Design in researching the health outcomes of long-term care patients who were provided access to outdoor areas for certain activities, versus those who performed the same activities inside the facility.

The article, dated Sunday, April 23, is available in its entirety at the following link (note: Chicago Tribune requires registration to view the article, but there is no cost involved).

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/
realestate/over55/chi-
0604230176apr23,1,27547.story?
ctrack=1&cset=true

Administrative Notes

Faculty and staff meeting on Wednesday

There will be a meeting for all college faculty and staff on Wednesday, May 3, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in the Geren Auditorium (B102). This meeting has been called by the Dean regarding college changes. Since that day has been designated a Reading Day, this meeting should not interfere with class schedules.

Chris Ellis elected president of CELA

The College of Architecture congratulates associate professor Chris Ellis on his election to a 3-year term as president of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA). Dr. Ellis joined the College of Architecture n 1998 after receiving his Ph.D. in regional planning from the University of Illinois.

Dean of Faculties Office workshop

The Dean of Faculties Office is sponsoring an “Effective Practices for the Recruitment and Retention of Diverse Faculty” workshop on Friday, May 5, 2006 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in 701 Rudder Tower.

JoAnn Moody, Ph.D., National Diversity Consultant, and Author, “Faculty Diversity: Problems and Solutions,” will present the workshop focusing on methods in which universities are working to achieve a more diverse faculty.

To register, please call the Office of the Dean of Faculties and Associate Provost at 845-4274 or visit http://dof.tamu.edu.

Grant writing skills seminar set for May 17

The Office of Proposal Development is sponsoring a one-day grant writing seminar on May 17 to help researchers enhance their grant writing skills. The seminar will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in 601 Rudder Tower.

During the seminar, participants will learn how to develop an idea and assess its appeal to funding agencies; approach and interact with program officers to promote advocacy for their ideas; evaluate a request for application to ensure full compliance with application instructions; gain insight into the grant review process; and prepare all required sections of a competitive grant application.

Because space is limited, those interested in participating are encouraged to register now at http://vpr.tamu.edu/opd/. Registration will close on May 15. Onsite registration will not be available. A nominal fee of $20 is required to cover the cost of the accompanying workbook. If you have questions or need additional information, contact Libby Childress at 979-845-1811 or libbyc@tamu.edu.

Study compares student's opportunities
to develop communication skills

A new report on Texas A&M students' engagement in opportunities to develop communication skills compared with students at other public research institutions can be found at http://www.tamu.edu/mars/surveys/index.htm

The report, which uses data from the 2005 administration of the National Survey of Student Engagement, shows that TAMU freshmen, compared to freshmen at other public research universities:
* write fewer papers of less than 5 pages,
* write fewer papers of 5 to 19 pages
* ask fewer questions in class
* make fewer class presentations

TAMU seniors, compared to seniors at other public research universities:
* write fewer papers of 5 to 19 pages.

While the overall results for the university as a whole were not positive, it should be noted that the College of Architecture scored higher than the mean for first-year students in making class presentations. Unfortunately, our first-year students scored lower than the national mean in many other categories.

The results also show a great deal of variability across the university. The data from this report can be a positive tool in evaluating and improving the communication skills of all Texas A&M students.

This Week's Calendar

Friday – April 28

“Dokuz” screening: Life is not as it seems in this “very Turkish”film by Ümit Ünal that will be screened 7:15 p.m. Friday, April 28 in Langford C 105. The film, in Turkish with English subtitles, is presented by “Teasing Culture Corporation”an unofficial group of Turkish Aggies and people interested in Turkish culture. This avant-garde movie opens with the rape and murder of a beautiful young girl who lives in a small and conservative neighborhood in Istanbul. The movie focuses on the ensuing investigation through a series of crosscut interviews with the suspects. Inspired by Akira Kurosawa's classic “Rashomon,”the movie views the horrific event from various perspectives as police interrogate six potential suspects from the neighborhood, revealing the secret and unknown history of this apparently peaceful environment. The first film directed by Ümit Ünal, “Dokuz”(that’s Turkish for “nine”) was named best movie at the 21st Istanbul Film Festival and selected as Turkey's official entry to 2003 Oscars. This story about everyday fascism in the lives of ordinary people was the first Turkish film shot and edited entirely in digital video. The screening is open to the public.

“Lighting Control Solutions”: lecture with guest speaker James E. Martin ’98 of Lutron Electronics Company, Inc., in Langford A, room 348 at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 28.

Lighting exhibit: A day-long exhibit of student work from Dr. Liliana Beltran’s lighting classes, ENDS 233 and ARCH 634, is slated for Friday, April 28 in the Langford Gallery.

MUP Advisory Council meets: The Master of Urban Planning Advisory Council meets 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Friday, April 28 in Langford A 217. For more information, contact Elise Bright at Ebright@tamu.edu.

Tuesday – May 2

Daylighting Exhibition: An exhibition including projects from ARCH 634 and ENDS 233 classes will be shown on Tuesday, May 2, in the Langford atrium.

Awards Ceremony: The Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Awards ceremony will be held on Tuesday, May 2, at 1:30 p.m. in Rudder Theatre

Wednesday – May 3

Faculty and staff meeting: A meeting regarding college changes will be held from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in the Geren Auditorium (B102).

SPRING 2006: CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS:

Friday & Saturday – May 5 & 6

Viz-a-GoGo 13 — “Your Luck's About to Change:” The 13th annual showcase of student work from the Department of Architecture’s Master of Science in Visualization Science program, Viz-a-GoGo, runs May 1 - May 6 in the Rudder Exhibit Hall. The “flat-work” exhibit, featuring paintings, figure drawings, photography and work from the Spring 2006 Artists in Residents workshops will be on display throughout the week. On Friday and Saturday, May 5 and 6, the show escalates with student demonstrations at 4 p.m. followed by screenings of 2-D and 3-D time-based works at 7 p.m. in Rudder Theatre.

For this, the show’s 13th year, the students have chosen the theme “good luck, bad luck and superstitions.” In keeping with the theme, the 2006 digital emcee for the screening will be a voodoo doll. Also slated for the Friday and Saturday night finales are guest performances by a Texas A&M dance troupe and the percussion ensemble, “Percussion Studio.” There’s no charge for the event, but the show’s creators warn that some material may not be appropriate for young children.

TEX-GRAPH 2006, an informal meeting of Texas researchers with an interest in computer graphics and interactive techniques, will be held 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. May 5 and 6 in the Preston M. Geren Auditorium and Langford B Exhibit Hall at the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University.

The mini-symposium offers a forum for researchers, professionals, and those interested in computer graphics, multimedia, interactive technologies, visualization and related areas to meet and discuss current activities and research initiatives.

Participants, including educators and researchers, will present current work based on computer graphics and interactive techniques.

TEX-GRAPH has been held four times in the past, twice at Texas A&M University in 2000 and 2005, at the University of Houston in 2001, and at the University of Texas at Austin in 2002.

There is no registration fee for the conference, but participants will be asked to register at the door.
Information about presenting, as well as the latest TEX-GRAPH news is available on the TEX-GRAPH Web site: http://www-viz.tamu.edu/texgraph/

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.

Tuesday - May 9

“Over the Hedge” —movie and special guest: The Visualization Laboratory is inviting College of Architecture students, faculty and staff to an exclusive early screening of “Over the Hedge,” the latest animated feature from DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. As a special treat, moviegoers will have an opportunity to meet and speak with Mike Fry, co-creator of the “Over the Hedge” syndicated comic strip, on which the movie is based. The film is scheduled for 7 p.m., Tuesday May 9 at the Cinemark Hollywood U.S.A. theater in College Station. Advanced tickets will be available while they last beginning Tuesday, May 2 from the Visualization Laboratory’s main office, located on the fourth floor of Langford C. A notice will be e-mailed when tickets become available.

“Over the Hedge,” the Dreamworks film, follows a band of woodland animals as they learn to co-exist with — even exploit — a strange new world called suburbia. The comic strip of the same name and theme is written and drawn by Michael Fry and T. Lewis, who have known each other since 1992 when they both contributed to the “Mickey Mouse” comic strip. The duo work on their “Over the Hedge” strip via the telephone and the fax machine.

For movie details and previews, visit:
http://www.overthehedgemovie.com/

To learn more about the syndicated cartoon strip, visit:
http://www.unitedfeatures.com/ufsapp/ viewFeature.do?id=99
or
http://www.comics.com/comics/hedge/

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.

Friday - May 12

Graduation Recognition and Honors Ceremony:
11 a.m. in the Geren Auditorium, with a reception to follow.

Saturday - May 13

2006 Houston Art Car Parade: A car painted by Mary Saslow's students will be in the parade. For more information, contact Mary Saslow at saslow@viz.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.

Tip of the week

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