AUBURN, Ala. (EETV) - DesignIntelligence’s annual survey recognizes Auburn’s faculty members, as well as two programs.
DesignIntelligence, an independent national organization, has been ranking schools in architecture and design since 1999.
These rankings use surveys of the companies who hire architecture and design graduates; the deans, program chairs and department heads who help in creating Auburn’s architecture and design education; as well as the students and recent graduates who have first-hand experience with the architecture and design schools.
Three faculty from the architecture program and three faculty from the interior design program were recognized making the list of Most Admired Educators. Auburn University was also the only university with six faculty listed.
Those recognized for their excellence in their fields included Margaret Fletcher, associate professor and associate chair of architecture; Matthew Hall, associate professor of architecture; Kevin Moore, associate professor and chair of interior architecture in the College of Architecture; Assistant Professors Melanie Duffey and Anna Ruth Gatlin as well as Associate Professor Lindsay Tan in the College of Human Sciences.
“To have six faculty recognized across the university is a testament to the excellent teaching and research conducted at this institution in design-related areas,” said Christian Dagg, head of the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture.
Auburn’s undergraduate program in interior design ranked ninth and its program in architecture ranked 12th in the nation as one The Most Admired Schools. The graduate program in interior design was ranked as well, coming in eighth.
Auburn placed sixth for schools with 50-69 architecture students graduating each year, moving up from 15th last year. Interior design was also ranked among schools who graduate between 20 and 39 annually coming in sixth, also moving up this year as they were ranked 11th in the previous year.
DesignIntelligence ranked schools based on 12 areas. The undergraduate interior design program was ranked in all 12 lists: coming in second in sustainable built environments/adaptive design/resilient design and engineering fundamentals; third in transdisciplinary collaboration across architecture, engineering and construction; fourth in healthy built environments, practice management and project planning and management; fifth in design technologies and design theory and practice; sixth in construction materials and methods; seventh in communication and presentation skills and interdisciplinary studies; and eighth in research. The interior design graduate program was included in all 12 lists as well.
The undergraduate architecture program placed in six of the 12 categories: putting them at fourth in construction materials and methods; fifth in sustainable built environments/adaptive design/resilient design; sixth in transdisciplinary collaboration across architecture, engineering and construction; ninth in healthy built environments; 10th in project planning and management and management; and 15th in design theory and practice.
“The focus area recognition for the architecture program in design theory, practice and sustainable environments reflects our consistent goal to provide an exceptional learning environment that extends from campus to our teaching centers at Rural Studio and Urban Studio,” said Dagg.
