Texas A&M University’s College of Architecture, which boasts 17 endowed chairs and professorships, has announced five new appointments for fall 2006:

• George Mann, professor in the Department of Architecture, appointed to the Ron Skaggs and Joseph Sprague Endowed Chair in Health Facilities Design;

• Roger Ulrich, professor in the Department of Architecture, appointed to the Julie and Craig Beale ’71 Endowed Professorship;

• Richard Burt, associate professor in the Department of Construction Science, appointed as James C. Smith/CIAC Endowed Professor;

• Mohammed Haque, associate professor in the Department of Construction Science, appointed to the Cecil Windsor Jr. ’66 Endowed Professorship in Construction Science; and

• Susan Rodiek, assistant professor in the Department of Architecture, appointed to the Ron Skaggs Endowed Professorship in Health Facilities.

Tom Regan, Dean of the College of Architecture, announced the appointments earlier this week at the college’s annual Faculty Recognition Banquet.

Speaking at the banquet, Lupe Fraga, member of The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, stressed the value of people to any organization.

“The success of any organization stems from teamwork,” said Fraga, a 1957 Texas A&M graduate, who played baseball for four years at the university. “And for any university, its faculty are its foundation. This banquet gives us the opportunity to express our passionate, deep and sincere appreciation for the vital role that faculty play as creators and enablers of the learning experience.”

In keeping with Regent Fraga’s sentiments, one professor was singled out and four other faculty members were honored for their outstanding service to the college as a whole. Dean Regan presented the Dean’s Special Service Award to architecture professor Gerald Maffei, praising his “exemplary service to the students, faculty and staff during the past 37 years.”

Mark Clayton, associate professor, Department of Architecture, was honored for serving as executive associate dean and director of graduate studies from 2001 to 2006. Robert Segner, professor, Department of Construction Science, was cited for service as interim director for the college’s Center for Urban Development from 2003 to 2005. John Only Greer, professor, Department of Architecture, was honored for his work as college archivist from 2004 to 2006, and Mardelle Shepley, professor, Department of Architecture, was cited for her work as interim architecture department head from 2005-2006.

Dedication to the student experience was honored with presentation of Excellence in Teaching Awards, determined solely by student evaluations, to representatives from each department:

• Department of Architecture: Rodney Hill, professor, for undergraduate teaching excellence, and D. Kirk Hamilton, associate professor, for graduate teaching excellence;

• Department of Construction Science: Stephen Byrne, senior lecturer, for undergraduate teaching excellence, and Yilmaz Karasulu, assistant professor, for graduate teaching excellence;

• Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning: Kimberly Winson-Geideman, assistant professor, undergraduate teaching excellence, and Jon Rodiek, professor, graduate teaching excellence.

Several other faculty also were honored for teaching excellence. Marty Holmes, assistant executive director for the Association of Former Students, presented college-level distinguished achievement awards for teaching to Antonieta Angulo, assistant professor, Department of Architecture, and Mohammed Haque, associate professor, Department of Construction Science. Ming-Han Li, assistant professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, earlier this year was selected by Texas A&M’s Center for Teaching Excellence to receive a Montague Scholar Award, and Robert Segner, professor in the Department of Construction Science was a Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence finalist in 2006.

Dean Regan noted that, in 2006, many faculty members were honored by their peers, including James Smith, professor in the Department of Construction Science, who has been elected into the National Academy of Construction; Jeff Haberl, professor, Department of Architecture, elected a Fellow in the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers; Rodney Hill, professor, Department of Architecture, selected to receive the David Tanner Champion of Creativity Award at the American Creativity Association International Conference; and Stephen Byrne, senior lecturer in the Department of Construction Science, appointed a Chartered Builder by the Chartered Institute of Building.

The dean listed the many other honors received by faculty, including

• Michael Neuman, associate professor, Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, best article, Association of European Schools of Planning;

• Joe Horlen, assistant professor, Department of Construction Science, recognized as Outstanding Junior Faculty by the National Association of Homebuilders;

• Gerald Maffei, professor, Department of Architecture, received a Citation of Honor of Excellence in Design from the Brazos Chapter of the American Institute of Architects;

• Robert Segner, professor, Department of Construction Science, served as vice president and president-elect of the American Council for Construction Education;

• Chris Ellis, associate professor, Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, elected president-elect of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture;

• Anat Geva, associate professor, Department of Architecture, appointments to the board of directors of the Association of Preservation Technology and as secretary for the National Council for Preservation Education;

• Nancy Volkman, associate professor, Department of Construction Science, received (along with Anat Geva) the 2006 Michael Robinson Award for editing the journal of the Public Works Historical Society;

• Yilmaz Karasulu, assistant professor, Department of Construction Science, appointed to the board of directors of the Foundation of the American Subcontractors Association;

• Susan Rodiek, assistant professor, Department of Architecture, best paper, National Investment Council;

• Wei Yan, assistant professor, Department of Architecture, best paper, Design and Computing Competition;

• Joe Horlen, assistant professor, Department of Construction Science, best paper, Associated Schools of Construction Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering, Education and Practice.

Faculty and staff longevity were also recognized:

• 40 years or more of service: George Mann, John Greer, John Fairy and David Woodcock;

• 35 years or more: Skip Coody, Rodney Hill, Gerald Maffei, Michael Murphy, Bob Segner and Bob Schiffhauer;

• 30 years or more: Karen Hillier, Don Sweeney and Paul Woods;

• 25 years or more: David Bilbo, Richard Davison, Terry Larsen, Vivian Paul, Nancy Volkman, Ward Wells and Tom Woodfin;

• 20 years or more: Malcolm Quantrill, Mary Saslow, Sherry Bame, Paolo Baucchieri, Leslie Feigenbaum, Charles Graham and Doug Wunneburger.