Greetings from the Barn!
2022 is off to a busy start, with celebrations that include:
- Line Scale Form Awards
- Association of Retired Faculty Award
- MSU Excellence in Community Engagement Award – “LivingRoom at Leland School Park”
- ACSA Mass Timber Education Award
These awards may be just one indication of why MSU S|ARC is a program in demand – our early application deadline resulted in a record-high number of accepted students for fall 2022. The firms at the Career Fair echoed this interest, with employers stating their preference for hiring our graduates. While we know we produce a great product, we are continuing to address ways to advance what we offer. We are reviewing our mission and strategic plan as well as exploring new degrees for both undergraduate and graduate students. The opportunities are great, and we look forward to an incredible future.
Our students are more engaged than ever. We started on reviews of the studio culture policies, are organizing the build for the student lounge, and our student organizations have a full slate of events for the spring. Our fourth-year studio visited a project site in Jackson and the Jackson Center, and a second-year studio cohort traveled to Mound Bayou for field measuring. Our third-year collaborative studio, which is working with Habitat for Humanity, is traveling to Jackson Precast and the Jackson Center soon. The Harrison lectures and an Aydelott Travel Award Show have shared intriguing perspectives on architecture. The Housing Insecurity exhibit opened to amazing reviews; this undergraduate research effort conveys moving accounts of those facing the uncertainty of basic shelter. The first-year studio is planning a field trip to Dallas and Fort Worth in early March, and other years have scheduled field trips for April.
With every activity, I am aware of and thankful for the support of our alumni. I appreciate all the MSU S|ARC graduates who spoke with our students at the Career Fair and all the job offers reported to me since then. I am grateful for all the donations, from scholarships to studio and school funds. I am thankful for alumni like Ted Porter, Janet Marie Smith, and Burris/Wagnon Architects, whose donations help bridge the needs of students during field trips. Firms such as JBHM, Eley Guild Hardy, and JH&H Architects make a huge difference to our students through their gracious sponsorships of meals during studio day trips. The MSU S|ARC family is a special one.
All the best,
Karen Cordes Spence, Ph.D., AIA, LEED AP
Director and F.L. Crane Professor