Architecture dept. celebrates excellence at May 14 event

Outstanding student and faculty achievements in the Texas A&M [Department of Architecture] (http://dept.arch.tamu.edu) were showcased at “The Celebration of Excellence,” the department’s year-end awards presentation and juried competition, May 14, 2015 at the [Hilton College Station & Conference Center] (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hilton+College+Station+%26+Conference+Center/@30.63563,-96.326823,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x864683f6c2b906e3:0x24766ede3fbaa006) .

A jury of design experts selected "Mission: Catalyst," a design proposal presented by Julie Wright, as the year's top final study project by graduate architecture students. Wright's proposal is a catalyst for redevlopment of the area surrounding San Antonio's historic Spanish missions.

Presentations were also made by graduate students Victor Badillo, Mitchell Dickinson, Erik Larsen, Michael Maddox and Yesenia Suchil.

The jury consisted of:

• Alejandro Borges, an architect and visiting professor at the University of Texas at Arlington;
• Daniel Dupuis, principal at Kendall/Heaton Associates;
• Ray Holliday, assistant professor of practice and director at BRW Architects;
• Marta Rodriguez, assistant professor of architecture at the University of Houston, and
• Bryan Trubey ‘83, principal and director of sports & entertainment at HKS, Inc. and an outstanding alumnus of the College of Architecture.

Awards were presented to the department's top students and faculty during the event.

Brian Lopez, Elijah Wood, Ana Escobar and Sarah Stolting, Garrett Barker, Matt Kohman, Daniel Garcia and Dylan Kanipes were recognized as students with the academic year’s best integrated projects.

Additional awardees at the event included Michael Maddox, recipient of the American Institute of Architects’ Henry Adams Medal and Certificate; Kasi Svoboda, recipient of the AIA Henry Adams Certificate, and Celso Rojas, recipient of the Alpha Rho Chi medal.

Tamara Drury and Nathanielle Sybico were recognized with departmental honors as top undergraduate students.

Gabriela Campagnol was recognized by graduate students as the department’s most influential faculty member and Shelley Holliday and Craig Babe were honored as the most influential faculty members by undergraduate students.

“These awards recognize not only our most promising students and their individual accomplishments, but also represent the level of excellence of all our students,” said Ward Wells, head of the Department of Architecture. “The recognition of students and faculty is truly a cause for a celebration of excellence.”

The event is a project of the department’s [Council of Excellence] (http://one.arch.tamu.edu/news/2011/12/6/arch-newcouncil/) , an elite group of department friends and former students committed to supporting and enhancing architecture program excellence, building relationships with students and bridging gaps between the academic and professional worlds.