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Alumni Newsletter 11-1-08Alumni have been on my mind. One of the pleasures of serving as Dean is getting to know alumni. As I reflect on the first four months at Tulane, I realize how important my numerous interactions have been in forming a better and more complete understanding of the School of Architecture today. In a form of parallax vision, interactions with alumni in numerous meetings, meals, and other events have provided a deep and nuanced appreciation for the qualities that make TSA a unique place. I have been asked – why are alumni important? Alumni are at times concerned that we are only after their money. This may reflect the fact that TSA has not been consistent in communicating with alumni over the years. My answer is simple – it is for our students. The more we can tap into the sense of pride and the network of TSA alumni, the more opportunities will flow to our current students and recent graduates. In turn, our students and alumni bring their talents and enthusiasm to your firms and businesses. Collectively, this will have the effect of strengthening our identification as a school. It is true that we are also interested in identifying the financial support that will be necessary for us to take on some ambitious next steps for the school (for example, a more aggressive and integrated approach to sustainable design within our curriculum and in our community work). Yet my interactions with alumni are ultimately about pride of place and a sense that there is tremendous value in the collective identity of a school. I will be working hard to reinforce this principle. At the same time, alumni have the unique opportunity to do whatever they can to valorize their institution by generously engaging the next generation of Tulane School of Architecture graduates. A number of New Orleans alumni have been especially gracious and helpful as I have moved into my role. Several stand out for the varied support and constructive input – Tim Favrot TSA '53, Stewart Farnet TSA '55, Arthur Davis TSA '41, John Williams TSA '78, Angela O’Byrne TSA '83, Errol Barron TSA '64, Dick Fullerton TSA '90, Wayne Troyer TSA '83, and Marcel Wisznia TSA '73 come to mind especially. In addition, I have reached out to a number of younger alumni to get a better impression of what the school is doing for our students today. Maggie van Dusen TSA '07 and David Demsey TSA '07 (two interns with local firms) have been helpful in giving me insight into the integration of digital technology in the studio curriculum – and its relevancy to contemporary practice. I have had the opportunity to meet with a number of alumni in one-on-one settings in New York and Washington, and I plan to do this in each of the cities I visit during my first year as Dean. These interactions have been very helpful – with ideas and specific offers of support for the school. For example, in one case an alumna in New York suggested that I should send a copy of ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL (the Sundance TV Channel series on our URBANbuild studio) to all 2350 of our TSA alumni. Immediately following this visit, I contacted the producer and expressed our interest in this possibility. Although they have not begun to put this 6-part TV series into DVD production yet, I eventually plan to run with her idea once I find a donor who will pay for the purchase and mailing! Another alumnus responded to my first e-newsletter within 20 minutes of its posting by offering to host and sponsor the LA Alumni Reception at his office (Bob Hale TSA '77, Rios Clementi Hale Architects – February 4, 2009) . Yet another alumnus stepped forward to fund and sponsor one of our spring lectures (in addition to the currently funded lecture from Marcel Wisznia TSA '73 in honor of his father and other one funded by the local firm of Eskew+Dumez+Ripple. I am also meeting alumni who are working in areas beyond the traditional practice of architecture, and it is fascinating to see and hear how they have leveraged their experience at TSA for new and emerging opportunities. More recently, I included a TSA alumnus in my first lecture series as Dean. Dan Maginn TSA '89 from el dorado architects in Kansas City came and spoke last week. He and his partner, Jamie Darnell, gave a great lecture on the unique nature of their practice – one that combines traditional architectural commissions with a fabrication business. The students, faculty, and alumni from New Orleans were treated with a signal of the wonderful things that can happen using the foundation of a strong design education while establishing a unique niche. Dan’s firm won the prestigious “Emerging Voices” award from the Architectural League in New York City this spring - in fact, I knew about their work even before I discovered that he was a TSA alumnus. One of his clients from Kansas City and also a TSA alumnus, Rick Powell TSA '77, also traveled to New Orleans with his wife Laura for the lecture. Laura and Rick hosted us for a dinner - and speaking of alumni, Dan’s classmate from TSA, Byron Mouton TSA '89, provided a wonderful and poignant introduction for the lecture at my invitation. My first TSA Alumni Reception was held in DC in mid October. It was officially hosted by Bea de Paz TSA '96 at her firm (Gensler), and the event was supported by Casius Pealer TSA '96 and Stefan Schwarzkopf TSA '98 (also with Gensler). We had a terrific turnout, a great deal of fun, and even Abita beer! I am grateful for their financial support and organizational abilities in putting together this fantastic event. Similarly we have other alumni hosting and sponsoring our upcoming receptions in Atlanta (Markham Smith TSA '79 and Tom Dalia TSA '78), New York (Carol Swedlow TSA '94) and Boston in conjunction with GREENBUILD (Robert Dean TSA '68) . Other events will follow in the spring semester including Los Angeles (Bob Hale TSA '77), San Juan, San Francisco in conjunction with the AIA Convention (and Graham TSA '79 and Kathy Greene TSA '78 have been helping me with research on locations for the event), and Chicago. I had the chance to meet with members of the Class of 1968 during Homecoming weekend at a reception. I will be meeting with the Class of 1973 next week when they return for the lecture on November 14 by Tyler Sandlass, the Class of 1973 Fellowship winner from this past summer. Our TSA Advisory Board met for the first time in a year and a half in early October. I am including a link here to the downloadable version of the list of names and years of these individuals – the TSA alumni are indicated by a green band of course. TSA alumnus Gray Plosser TSA '68 generously accepted my invitation to serve as Board Chair, and we all came away from our first meeting energized by the potential of positioning this group for maximum advantage to the school’s students, faculty, and our stature within the community, the university, the nation, and beyond. Please come to our receptions, and I would simply ask that you welcome TSA students and other alumni if they seek your counsel as their exciting careers develop. Our upcoming receptions include:
Kenneth Schwartz, FAIA Dean
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