The college's undergraduate programs in architecture and landscape architecture, and its graduate programs in interior design and architecture, are ranked in the top 20 such programs nationwide, according to a survey by DesignIntelligence (November 2007), a bimonthly publication for leaders in design professions. Our undergraduate landscape architecture program tied with Ohio State University for eighth place in the survey (up from 15th last year). Our undergraduate architecture program is ranked 14th, while the graduate program tied for 18th place with Texas A&M University, the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and the University of Pennsylvania. The undergraduate architecture program has been ranked in the top 15 nationally for the past five years. Our graduate interior design program tied for 15th place with the New York School of Interior Design.

 

The College of Design's Rome Program is the only fully licensed study-abroad program in the Iowa regents' system. The majority of students in the college's undergraduate professional programs participate in study abroad, with as many as 160 students per year taking part in the Rome Program.

 

The Iowa's Living Roadways Community Visioning Program, created by Julia Badenhope, associate professor of landscape architecture, received the American Planning Association's 2006 Outstanding Planning Award for a Program at the association's national conference in April 2006. The community visioning program also received the American Society of Landscape Architects' Central States Honor Award for Planning in May 2006. Funded by the Iowa Department of Transportation, the 10-year-old program has provided planning and landscape design assistance to 113 Iowa towns with populations less than 10,000. The program brings together ISU design students, landscape architects and town residents in a participatory planning process. Iowa State manages the program in partnership with Trees Forever.

 

Two projects led by College of Design personnel were among 12 winners nationwide of the Federal Highway Administration's 2003 Environmental Excellence Awards presented in April 2003. Both projects were collaborative efforts involving public, private and nonprofit agencies and individuals.

 

 

Students from West Des Moines, Solon and Altoona took top honors in "Collective Perspective," the 2008 BFA Senior Student Exhibition at the ISU College of Design in February. Joseph Gonzalez, West Des Moines, received best in show/first place for his untitled charcoal drawing. Andrew Kopp, Solon, took second place with "Two-Tone Mantis," a table made of Birdseye Maple and quarter-sawn White Oak. Third place went to Jordan Miller, Altoona, for his black-and-white portrait titled "Matt Rittman." Four other students earned honorable mentions. Read more

 

Faculty and students with College of Design connections are part of a multidisciplinary research team that's creating a new educational 3D video game. Called Meta!Blast, the game is designed to give high school and college students an interactive approach to understand the inner workings of a plant cell. The project includes work by Steven Herrnstadt, professor of art and design; graduate students Trent Grover, integrated visual arts; Denise Bacher, human computer interaction (based in the art and design department); and Trevor Brown, who graduated in December 2007 with a bachelor's degree in biological and pre-medical illustration (a joint program of the College of Design and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences). Read more 

 

ISU graphic design students earned three of the top five spots in the International Corrugated Packaging Foundation's national logo design competition. Robert Schellenberg, Fox River Grove, Ill., took first place, while Anders Holine, Woodbury, Minn., placed third and Lydia Stone, Minneapolis, placed fourth out of 141 team and individual entries from over 200 students and 13 colleges and universities.

 

In December 2007, two ISU graphic design students -- Jacob Ahlers, Remsen, and Anders Holine, Woodbury, Minn. -- placed first and second in a national competition in for 30-second video public service announcements for the Depression Bipolar Support Alliance. Read more

 

Gregory Palermo, professor and associate chair for undergraduate education in the ISU department of architecture, received the Educator Award from the Iowa Chapter of the American Institute of Architects at its fall convention in Des Moines in September 2007. Award recipients have positively influenced a large number and wide range of students, are forward-thinking and integrate other areas of expertise into their teaching. Read more

 

Grant Thompson, who received bachelor's degrees in landscape architecture and horticulture in December 2007, won a national award in the American Society of Landscape Architects' Student Competition for his Digital Art on Campus Project. Read more

 

In his book "Iowa State Fair: Country Comes to Town" (Princeton Architectural Press, 2007), ISU associate professor of architecture Thomas Leslie uses the fair's buildings as a starting point for a cultural history of the fair as an intersection between industry, technology and design. Read more

 

ISU graphic design senior Greg Wohlwend's art is in the entrance of the south addition to the Memorial Union on the Iowa State campus. The work represents the eight colleges and was inspired by and created to look similar to the zodiac motif in the floor of the building's north entrance to Gold Star Hall. Read more

 

Kate Schwennsen, FAIA, associate dean for academic affairs and associate professor of architecture, served as president of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 2006. She was only the second female, second educator and second Iowan to serve as president of this prestigious 150-year-old professional organization.

 

Nine College of Design administrators and faculty members are fellows of their professional organizations (American Institute of Architects, American Institute of Certified Planners, American Society of Interior Designers, International Interior Design Association, Interior Design Educators Council, American Society of Landscape Architects, Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture).

 

Dorothy Fowles, professor of interior design, has the rare distinction of being a fellow in three different professional organizations: American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC).  

 

Eighteen faculty members serve on editorial or advisory boards of national/international professional journals, hold offices in national/international professional associations, and/or serve on national academy committees.
 
Mira Engler, associate professor of landscape architecture, was one of 14 international designers/design teams selected to build a garden for the 2004 Westonbirt Festival of the Garden at the Westonbirt Arboretum, UK.