SDC Director’s Message + Winter 2022 Newsletter

Dear SDC Community,

This winter 2022 newsletter highlights activities and celebrates wins in the SDC over the past six months.

The pandemic has caused the SDC to look at the world anew.  I have witnessed first-hand students, faculty, staff, advisory boards, and industry partners demonstrating more care, empathy and grace toward one another and our environment. Further, faculty and students are focusing their learning, scholarship, and extracurriculars on social and environmental justice, equity, and inclusion. The stories in this newsletter include examples of this evolving emphasis in the SDC on people and the planet and their reciprocal relationship to natural and built environments.

This year we welcome Darhl Edwards to the Construction Management faculty as a visiting professor. He brings to the SDC experience from a long career at Hoffmann Construction. Also, this spring we welcome a new full time faculty member, Kristina Bormann, who is a social justice in the built environment scholar. This position was awarded by the provost in a five-faculty cluster-hire to address diversity, equity, and inclusion across the WSU system. Finally, we are currently searching for three new faculty hires – two in construction management and one in architecture.  Please share this opportunity with your contacts!

Thank you for your continued interest in the School of Design and Construction. The SDC is joining the Spring 2022 WSU Career Expo. We welcome you to join us and meet our students for your staffing needs. Your support helps us to sustain and thrive during this pandemic. Your donations allow the School to invest in our students, faculty, staff, and facilities.  Give to the SDC. Finally, I encourage you to submit a story to our SDC Alumni Portal so we can feature your personal achievement as a Coug on our website and social media outlets.

Onward Cougs!

Headshot of Ryan Smith

Ryan E. Smith

Professor and Director

School of Design + Construction