Serving others epitomizes Jesus and emanates from our calling to be disciples. I wish I could claim to be a truly humble servant (if you could claim that with humility), but I struggle with selfish motives and my personal agenda. I realize that service is a discipline, and like any discipline requires repetition, perseverance and hard work. In that regard, I tend to favor the daily practice of service in small, consistent ways as opposed to isolated incidents of “grand” service. Following are a few ways in which I attempt to serve in various contexts.
DEPARTMENTAL. This is one area that seems fairly easy to be of service simply because all of my colleagues are a joy to work with. They have assisted me greatly during my time here and I am pleased to return the favor any way I can. There’s a general sense within the department that we are on the same team, unified with a common purpose. Whether it is leading an Art Chapel, writing and reading Senior Blessings, advising students or hanging an exhibit, we seem to come together and help carry the load.
My work on the Architecture and Interior Design curriculum is one significant area of service to the department I want to highlight. I was given a course release in the spring of 2009 by Dr. Jeanine Varner to investigate the development of a Bachelor’s degree in architectural studies at ACU. This is something I have been interested in since being a student here in the mid-90s, so I was thrilled to have an opportunity to explore the possibilities. My research resulted in a proposal that envisions a possible way forward. The first phase in that vision was to provide a shared design foundation sequence for both architecture and interior design students in an effort to fill gaps found in the curriculum, and position the architecture program for articulation agreements with other universities. The proposal garnered approval and support from the department, Dean and the Provost.
I spent a considerable amount of time outside my other academic commitments developing the required submittals for Academic Council, which included: renumbering and renaming the majority of DSGN courses, minor changes to the course description of two DSGN courses, new course descriptions for two DSGN courses, significant content revisions to three DSGN courses and the development of two completely new DSGN courses. This work represented a comprehensive rethinking of the ARCH/INTD curricula, and all requirements were submitted to Academic Council during fall 2011. (Dr. Jeff Haseltine said it was the largest binder he’d seen submitted to the Council!) The proposal went through the Council without a single problem and the revised curricula for the ARCH/INTD foundation sequence was implemented fully during AY 2012-2013. While I coordinated this effort, its success was due in large part to a healthy collaboration with Kitty Wasemiller and Ronnie Rama. We didn’t always agree on the best way forward, but we worked together to find common ground keeping the students at the heart of our decisions throughout the process.
UNIVERSITY. In 2009, I was invited to join an ad-hoc committee of the faculty senate focused on issues of accessibility on campus. Given my professional background and experience, I was happy to learn of a committee where I could lend my skills and knowledge. I served on the committee for two years, the second as chair, and can genuinely say that I enjoyed working with that group of people. Everyone that gathers around the table was committed to finding ways to make our campus hospitable and welcoming to all. I continue to be in dialogue with Scot Colley, office of Risk Management and Construction.
I’ve also had the pleasure of contributing my skills and expertise as an architect to the university through a number of projects including: the Learning Studio, ACU@CitySquare and the Maker Lab. Each of these projects provides me the opportunity to further connect with the campus at large and its constituents.
COMMUNITY. Through a friendship I have with the former executive director of Connecting Caring Communities (CCC), I began to find ways to incorporate community involvement in various design courses I teach. CCC is a local non-profit organization dedicated to restoring the foundation of safe and caring communities through development of mutually enhancing relationships. My students and I have partnered with CCC over the past few years in the design of a community development, single-family houses and the construction of a house intended for a low- to moderate-income family. This has provided a tangible way for students to see and experience how their vocation can be a ministry to others. It has also helped them understand the importance of thoughtful design. I was asked to join CCC’s Board of Directors in 2010 and gratefully accepted the invitation. I am now in my fourth year on CCC’s Board and was the Board of Directors Vice President in 2012. I have assisted with two major fundraisers every year I’ve been on the board, and I coordinated and provided oversight for the completion of a low to moderate-income house CCC built in the North Park neighborhood. This is the first board I served on and it has proven to be an educational and rewarding experience.
In June of this year (2013), I was asked by Bill Minter, Executive Director of the Abilene Preservation League (APL), to join their Board of Trustees. Given my interest in architecture and the preservation of historic buildings, I gladly accepted the invitation and now am an APL Trustee.
PROFESSIONAL. I have made some strides in improving my contributions to the profession of architecture since my pre-tenure document was submitted. Becoming an APL Trustee (see paragraph above) is a positive step for me to actively join the ongoing dialogue about the value of the built environment and the place we call home. I am a member of the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects and continue to develop relationships with local professionals, which has resulted in their participation in several student critiques over the years.
In 2009, Andrew Vernooy, Dean of the College of Architecture at Texas Tech University, invited me to join a group of educators in the state of Texas to envision a new model for architectural education that provides legitimate pathways for students, particularly minorities, that haven’t historically had access. This group, known as “Building Partnerships in Higher Education”, has yet to gain any real momentum and has only met twice, once in October 2009 and the other in April 2013. However, in January 2013, Larry Speck (FAIA and Texas Society of Architects Board of Directors President – and my former Dean at the School of Architecture / University of Texas) asked if I would join the Young Public Awareness Committee. This is a newly formed Texas Society of Architects committee designed to oversee initiatives in the state that help bring architectural awareness to K-12 school children, community college students and university students in colleges that do not have architecture programs. I graciously accepted the invitation and the committee, which is comprised of academics and practitioners, has already met in Austin twice this year with one more meeting planned for this fall.