HGTV is seeking participants to compete in its design-based reality show, Design Star. HGTV notes that not only design ability and expertise are required but also the personality that its audience would want to watch. Design Star is the HGTV version of the formulaic competitive reality show: Participants compete in challenges and one or two are eliminated during each episode. The winner of the competition is given a chance to host their own HGTV design show.

If you are interested in applying, e-mail Jonathan Tanzman, tanzman.casting@gmail.com with your name, age, hometown, phone, photo, and brief description of your design background.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tukatech, Inc. will demonstrate its 3D apparel software on Friday, November 13, 2009, 6-8 p.m., in 10 McNeal Hall. Seminar topics include virtual sample making, virtual merchandising, sales, and showrooms, and virtual fitting room. Register for the seminar online.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In October the University's entry, ICON house, took fifth place in the US Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon competition, marking its initial participation in the competition. Icon house was the result of two full years of intensive work by 150 students in various disciplines ranging from architecture and design to engineering and construction.

Architect Peter Hilger advised students working on the University of Minnesota's Solar Decathlon entry, ICON house. On Thursday, November 5, 2009, 7 p.m., in the Continuing Education and Conference Center, Hilger presents the November edition of the College of Continuing Education's Headliners event: The Journey of Solar Decathlon 2009: A View from the Trenches. Hilger, who as taught classes in the College of Design, will recount the team's adventure in making ICON house a reality. Registration is available on the College of Continuing Education Web site.

Related links:

• University of Minnesota Solar Decathlon Web site


• College of Design Solar Decathlon Web page

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Minnesota Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians (MNSAH) invites submission of articles and books focusing on some historical aspect of the Minnesota built environment for the seventh David Stanley Gebhard Award.

The major criterion for the award is how well the book or article strikes a balance between scholarship and accessibility. Books and articles submitted must have been published between July 1, 2007, and June 30, 2009. There will be separate award categories for articles and books.

Deadline for submissions is November 30. Winners will receive an honorarium and a one-year membership in MNSAH.

For more information, contact Laura Weber, l-webe@umn.edu

Posted by Laura Weber at 2:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Housing Studies Fall Bus Tour
Friday, October 30, 2009, 10:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Housing sites in Minneapolis and Saint Paul
RSVP to Becky Yust, byust@umn.edu
Bus will leave from McNeal Hall at 10:45 a.m.

Architecture and Interior Design Firm Tour
Friday, November 6, 2009, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Shea, Inc. (10-11 a.m.) and KKE Architects (11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.)
Bus will leave from Rapson Hall at 9:35 a.m.

Retail Merchandising Career Tour 
Friday, November 13, 2009, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. (tentative)
Christopher & Banks 
Bus will leave from McNeal Hall at 9:20 a.m.
 
Dirty Laundry 
Presenters: Joe Duffy of Duffy & Partners and Apparel Design presenter TBD 
Friday, November 20, 2009, 7‐9 p.m.   
William G. Shepherd Room, Weisman Art Museum

Posted by Michael Fraase at 2:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Colleagues,

I'm pleased to announce the search for an assistant or associate professor in Product Design in the College of Design. I am asking your assistance by nominating individuals for this exciting and critical new opportunity.

As you know, the Product Design program is strongly supported by Provost Sullivan, and this new faculty position is funded through the compact process. The position has been reinvisioned to focus on the intersection of product design and design thinking with human health and well-being in its broadest sense. Specifically, we are looking for a colleague who will forge further connections with health-related initiatives across campus and with the well-established medical and health businesses in Minnesota, take a leadership role in developing new courses in product design and design thinking, participate in planning for a new interdisciplinary product design program with a focus on human health and well-being, create and grow a research program in the field of product design and design thinking, pursue external funding in support of her or his research agenda; and participate in faculty governance at the college and university levels.

Candidates must have a clear vision, a commitment to interdisciplinary work, experience in design or design thinking related to products and systems for human health and well-being, demonstrated or potential leadership skills, a global perspective, and strong collaborative and interpersonal skills. The full position description is available online.

This is a 100%-time, nine-month, tenure-track appointment, with the possibility of tenure at the associate level. The expected start date is August 30, 2010.

Please send the names and contact information for any nominees to Jan Batt at jbatt@umn.edu and Matt Kegler at mkegler@umn.edu. I've attached a copy of the position announcement that you are welcome to forward to interested candidates. Please keep Jan and Matt notified of anyone to whom you send the announcement, so the committee can follow up with all interested individuals.

Thank you for your assistance in recruiting for this important new position.

Tom

• Download Product Design search description (.pdf; 70KB)

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Friends of the Goldstein present Design in the Dark: A film series free of charge the second Thursday of each month of fall semester 2009, 7 p.m., in 33 McNeal Hall.

November 12, 2009: Lagerfeld Confidential
December 10, 2009: Unzipped
January 14, 2010: Yves St. Laurent 5 Ave. Marceau 75116 Paris
February 11, 2010: Valentino, the Last Emperor
March 11, 2010: Seamless
April 8, 2010: Helvetica

• Download the film series invitation (.pdf; 480KB)
• The MidWasteland: "Minneapolis: Fashion Film Fix"

Posted by Michael Fraase at 4:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ten paintings by Jill Bezecny (Finance) will be on display in the Roen Room (124W) of Boynton Health Service on the east bank campus through November 6.

A reception for the show, entitled 2 1/2 inches & Other Dimensions will be held October 19 from 4-6 p.m.

Posted by Laura Weber at 5:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Inquiry into interior lighting for buildings is heating up because of concerns about energy consumption and climate change. 3M has developed films with advanced light-propagating properties it hopes will stimulate new approaches to energy-efficient lighting solutions. Enter 3M's student design competition, "Design with light."

The challenge is to "design a light fixture that will provide functionality as a task light or feature light." Sustainability, emerging technologies, and socio-behavioral implications should all be considered. Priority will be given to creative and unusual solutions.

All undergraduate and graduate students in the College of Design are invited to participate.

Begin by submitting a conceptual sketch (one to three 8.5- x 11-inch sheets). A jury, consisting of Dean Tom Fisher (Architecture), Blaine Brownell (Architecture), and two members of 3M's Display and Graphics business, will select a set of finalists. The finalists will prepare small working prototypes.

The first phase deadline is Wednesday, October 7, 2009, 5 p.m.; the second phase deadline is Friday, October 23, 2009, 5 p.m.

For more information, contact Blaine Brownell, brownell@umn.edu or the flyer linked below.

• Download Design with light flyer (.pdf; 656KB)

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA) is seeking design submissions for Art Documentation, it's official journal, a bi-annual publication. More information is available on the Arts & Arch/LA Librarian Information Exchange.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The College of Design has received almost 300 student applications for mentors this year, an all-time high.

Mentors are needed in the following fields:

• Architecture
• Apparel Design
• Environmental Design
• Graphic Design
• Housing Studies
• Interior Design
• Interactive Design
• Landscape Architecture
• Retail Merchandising

Mentors are matched with students one to one and assist them with career exploration, networking, project critiques, and skill building, based on student needs and interests. This is an excellent opportunity to work with students while sharing advice and professional experience, which is especially valued in today's job market.

The program begins November 4, 2009 with a Kick-off and Orientation event and runs through mid-April 2010. Other meetings and conversations are arranged between mentor and student to suit individual schedules, and average about two hours per month.

Sign up to become a mentor now. Applications are due by Friday, October 9, 2009.

For more information and a link to the online application, visit the program Web site or contact College to Career Coordinator Lucy Reile at lreile@umn.edu or 612-624-1245.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 4:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Minnesota Renewable Energy Society (MRES), in cooperation with the College of Design, presents "Electric/plug-in hybrid cars and renewable energy: A critical marriage" on Friday, October 2, 2009, 7 p.m., in the Rapson Hall Auditorium. The event will feature a speech by Marc Geller, co-founder of Plug In America, followed by a panel discussion including Geller, Minnesota State Senator Scott Dibble, Fresh Energy Executive Director Michael Noble, and Eric Jensen, energy coordinator for the Isaak Walton League.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Author Steven Berlin Johnson presents the keynote at the School of Nursing's History of Nursing conference, September 24-27, 2009. Johnson will deliver his keynote on Friday, September 25, 2009, at the Saint Paul Hotel, 350 Market Street, Saint Paul. Johnson is the author of The Ghost Map, a thrilling historical account of the worst cholera outbreak in Victorian London. The book uses a historical and biographical narrative to discuss ideas that have profoundly shaped the world we live in. Johnson will deliver a stimulating and scholarly presentation on the London cholera epidemic, highlighting parallels and contrasts between thinking during that time and today as it relates to the approach of epidemics. Registration is $35 and available online.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The student gallery section of the College of Design Web site has been implemented, showcasing the best work of students in the college's various disciplines.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 4:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The College of Design student, faculty, and staff kickoff events have been scheduled:

Monday, September 14, 2009
5:30-7:00 p.m.
Rapson Hall courtyard
Free pizza

or

Tuesday, September 15, 2009
12:00-1:30 p.m.
McNeal Hall atrium
Free pizza

CDes student organizations have been invited to host tables at these events.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 4:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The School of Architecture hosts the Fall 2009 Design @ noon lecture series on select Wednesdays, 12-1 p.m., in the Kodet Conference Room of Rapson Hall.

September 16, 2009
Arthur Chen & Benjamin Ibarra Sevilla
Study Abroad in Zanzibar, Summer 2009

September 23, 2009
Blaine Brownell
Study Abroad in Japan, M-Term 2009

October 7, 2009
Leslie Van Duzer
Study Abroad in Malawi, M-Term 2009

October 14, 2009
Lance LaVine
Study Abroad in Oaxaca, Spring semester 2009

October 21, 2009
Robert Mack
Study Abroad in Orkney Scotland, M-Term 2009

November 18, 2009
TBD
Study in Biloxi, Mississippi, Spring semester 2009

December 2, 2009
Thomas Fisher
Topic TBD

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Fall 2009 College of Design lectures, exhibitions, and events have been published. Look for a print poster in your Fall 2009 issue of Emerging.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 2:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Friends of the Goldstein Museum of Design, JB Hudson Jewelers, and Margot Siegel present Six Suite Stories, a showcase of the hottest jewelry trends. Hors d'oeuvres and "Margotinis" will be served, and each attendee will receive a $100 JB Hudson Jewelers gift card. Download an invitation (.pdf; 92Kb) from the Goldstein's Web site.

$25 for members; $35 for guests. Reservations required; contact Linda Hersom at lhersom@sho-inc.com or 612-730-6751.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009
7 p.m.
Goldstein Museum of Design

The Friends of the Goldstein present An Evening at Eastcliff, where Minnesota fashion designers Allison Quinnell and Amanda Christine share a sneak peak of their new collections.

Thursday, September 17, 2009
6-8 p.m.
Eastcliff, 176 North Mississippi River Blvd., Saint Paul

The Friends of the Goldstein co-present a lecture by British fashion icon Zandra Rhodes on her experience creating costumes for the opera. Rhodes will also present her new work for the Minnesota Opera's production of The Pearl Fishers. An invitation is available on the Goldstein's Web site.

$25 for members; $25 for guests. Reservations required; call the Minnesota Opera, 612-333-6669.

Thursday, September 24, 2009
6 p.m.
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
345 Washington Street, Saint Paul

• Star Tribune: "Zandra Rhodes: Rainbow aria"

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Undergraduate, professional, and graduate students are encouraged to participate in the Student Scholar Showcase, an exhibition of student research, art, and design. The event will be held in the TCF Bank Stadium in concert with Public Engagement Day, attracting an audience of local high schools, colleges, corporations, and non-profits, and will serve the dual purposes of showcasing student work and providing recruitment opportunities. University faculty and staff, as well as families of presenters, also will be invited to attend this event. 2008-2009 University graduates are encouraged to participate as well.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009
1-4 p.m.
TCF Bank Stadium

More information is available on the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost Web site. Students should sign up by September 18, 2009.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The non-profit Student Architecture and Design Initiative (SADI) has been formed to preserve, disseminate, and celebrate exemplary student architecture and design work. The first student showcase will launch spring 2010.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The 2009-10 College of Design Mentor Program is an annual program that helps undergraduate and graduate students grow professionally by matching them with a mentor in their field of study. This is an excellent opportunity to work with students and provide advice; especially in tough economic times. The time commitment is approximately two hours per month, but is determined by the mentor and student.

More information and an application are available on the college Web site or contact Lucy Reile at cdesmentor@umn.edu or 612-624-1245. If you have mentored in the past several years, you can login (follow the prompts on the application) to update your past information.

New this year: If you would like more information and/or training on being a mentor, Student Services is offering a training session on Thursday, September 24, 2009 from 8-9 a.m. in 225 Rapson Hall. Coffee and a light breakfast will be served. This will help give you ideas of ways to work with your student as well as a chance to connect with other mentors. Please e-mail Lucy to RSVP at cdesmentor@umn.edu.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 4:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On PARK(ing) Day, Friday, September 18, 2009, metered public parking spots nationwide will become temporary public parks. Solutions Twin Cities invites you to participate. The mission is to rethink the way streets are used, call attention to the need for urban parks, celebrate ones we already have, and improve the quality of urban human habitat... if only for a couple of hours.

PARK(ing) Day is an open source project, over it's four year history participants have begun to adapt and remix it's components to address a variety of social issues in diverse urban contexts around the world. This DIY approach has also expanded the project to include a broad range of interventions well beyond the basic "tree-bench-sod" park typology initially envisioned. In recent years, participants have built interventions ranging from free health clinics, urban farming and ecology demonstrations, political seminars, art installations, free bike repair shops and even a wedding ceremony.

Solutions Twin Cities is hosting a kick-off happy hour on Wednesday, August 5, 2009, 5-7 p.m., at the West Bank Social Center, 501 Cedar Avenue, Minneapolis.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Ninth Andreu World International Design Competition takes place during September 2009. Design students and professionals are encouraged to enter the competition. The challenge is to design a seat or table conforming with the technical specifications provided while making innovative design contributions. Awards of €4,000 and €2,000 will be made. The deadline for project presentation is September 14, 2009 and more information, including competition rules, are available on the Andreu World Web site.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Arthur Chen (Center for World Heritage Studies, Architecture) was present at the World Heritage Committee's meeting in Seville, Spain, in late June when it was announced that the Walled City of Baku had been removed from UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger.

"After a long debate, the World Heritage Committee just decided to remove Baku from the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger," he wrote in an e-mail from Seville. "I am delighted to sit with Azerbaijan delegates and to share their joy. [The] University of Minnesota has been mentioned several times as a contributor to the success of this conservation effort."

Located in western Asia, the site in Baku, Azerbaijan, was placed on the Danger List in 2003 after sustaining damage in a November 2000 earthquake. As director of the Center for World Heritage Studies, Chen spent three weeks in Baku in May 2006 working with students and faculty from CDes and the Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction (AzUAC) conducting preliminary research and creating a preservation plan for removing the site--which contains structures dating back to the sixth century BCE--from the danger list.

Posted by Laura Weber at 4:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DOCOMOMO Minnesota, a non-profit devoted to the documentation and conservation of buildings, sites, and neighborhoods of the modern movement, is assembling an interesting, diverse, and fun group for a dynamic board. The group will likely meet quarterly and focus on a few events each year. Special areas of need are accounting/finance, law, and fundraising. Download the board application form (.pdf; 16Kb) and e-mail to docomomo.mn@gmail.com.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As construction on the Solar Decathlon house progresses, the student team needs additional volunteers to help with the remaining work (framing, finish carpentry, painting, logistics, etc.).

Work hours at the University Re-Use Center (28th and Como):
Monday-Thursday, 1-9 p.m.
Friday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

If there are enough volunteers, a second shift will be added.

If you're interested in volunteering please wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes. Hard hats and eye protection will be provided.

For additional information:
Shengyin Xu (student project coordinator): xuxx217@umn.edu, 240-413-0289
Craig Hohensee (construction coordinator): hohe0041@umn.edu
Ann Johnson (project manager): johns421@umn.edu

Posted by Michael Fraase at 2:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bill Moran (Design Minor) has launched his Travels in Typography Web site. The site includes a visual map of photos Moran and his students have taken during the 2008-09 typography trips. During the trips, students worked and researched, met and printed with artists, printers, and typographers in libraries and letterpress studios in Germany, Spain, and Italy including Biblioteque Nacional and Conde Duque in Madrid, Biblioteca Castilla de la Mancha in Toledo, The Gutenberg Museum and the Druckladen in Mainz, and Tipoteca Italiana near Venice.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This year the E3 2009 conference will be held Tuesday, November 17, 2009, at the Saint Paul RiverCentre. The conference features a panel discussion with national experts, track sessions focused on the big questions of the 21st century, and a series of "Green on the Ground" workshops.

E3 2009, hosted annually by the University of Minnesota's Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment, a signature program of the Institute on the Environment, showcases current technologies, environmental benefits, and market opportunities in renewable energy.

Student registration: $20

Early bird rates available through Friday, October 16, 2009
University faculty and staff: $60
External: $80

Regular registration prices available October 17-November 13, 2009
University faculty and staff: $80
External: $100

Onsite registration November 17, 2009
University faculty and staff: $90
External: $110

For more information contact Stephanie Szurek, sjszurek@umn.edu.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A series of Gopher Camp sessions will come to the Goldstein Museum of Design for a tour and t-shirt painting:

August 4, 2009: Seniors (age 11-12) 1:30-3:00 p.m.
August 6, 2009: Sailing (age 9-11) 2:30-4:00 p.m.
August 11, 2009: Maroon (age 9-10) 1:30-3:00 p.m.
August 13, 2009: Raptors (age 12-15) 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

The attendees will tour the exhibition, Intersections: Where Art Meets Fashion, and their counselors will help them paint t-shirts that the campers brought from home.

Other University-sponsored summer activities for youth include the Bell Museum of Natural History's Discovery Day Camps. The summer-long selection of camps include 17 different themes ranging from "Minnesota's Prehistoric Animals" to "Creatures of the Night" and "Forensic Science." Each five-day camp is filled with outdoor exploration, scientific method-based discovery, hands-on activities, and free time at exciting on-campus attractions. Camps are age-specific and tailored to three grades levels range from kindergarten through sixth grade. Camps are designed for working parents with easy drop-off between 8:00-8:30 a.m. and pick-up at 4:30-5:00 p.m.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Local design firm Larsen is hosting the Design Management Institute (DMI) 2009 seminar, Creating Meaningful Brand Experiences and Producing Customer Happiness, on June 11-12, 2009, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., in the company's Minneapolis office at 7101 York Avenue South.

On the evening of June 11, 2009, Larsen hosts the Minnesota chapter of AIGA for an emerging designers panel discussion, Getting Creative: How to Put Your Design Degree to Work, at 6 p.m. in the firm's office.

Tim Larsen is a member of the College of Design's advisory board.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Minnesota chapter of DOCOMOMO -- an international nonprofit devoted to the documentation and conservation of buildings, sites, and neighborhoods of the modern movement -- will launch on June 11, 2009, 6-8 p.m., at Design Within Reach, 2939 Hennepin Avenue South, Minneapolis. Christine Madrid French, director of the National Trust's Modernism + Recent Past initiative, is the guest speaker. For more information: 612-827-0990 or swittine@dwr.com. Nancy Miller (Center for World Heritage Studies) and Beth Bowman (Housing Studies Grad Certificate, 2008) both served on the DOCOMOMO Minnesota launch committee.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

River Life, a multi-collegiate University project that includes the Department of Landscape Architecture and the Metropolitan Design Center, announces the grand opening of the Mississippi River Trail on June 6, 2009 at Cestnut Plaza (Shepard Road at Eagle Parkway) in Saint Paul. Chris Coleman, mayor of Saint Paul, will host the event with a ribbon cutting celebration. After the ribbon cutting, a Bike to a Ranger bike ride will be held, following a nine mile loop from downtown Saint Paul, across the 35E bridge, through Lilydale Regional Park, and back to the starting point. National Park Service rangers will be stationed along the route to answer questions and talk about the natural and cultural history of the area.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A faculty member in the Carlson School of Management needs a graphic design student to do the graphics, charts, etc. associated with his book. You should be very experienced and open to creative ways of communicating. Contact Stuart Albert, alber002@umn.edu, for more information.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Alumni and friends from the colleges of Design; Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences; and Education and Human Development; as well as the former School of Agriculture, and colleges of Human Ecology and Home Economics are invited to the annual St. Paul Campus Reunion Thursday, June 25, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

Come explore the gardens and summer exhibitions on foot or by tram at the Arboretum. Check out the Oswald Visitor Center and reconnect with University friends. Phi Upsilon Omicron alumni will gather at lunch. The University class of 1959 will also be recognized.

Registration is requested by Friday, June 17. Space for the tours will be reserved first come, first served. Participation is $25 for UMAA members or $30 general admission per person, which includes lunch, tours and parking.

Posted by Laura Weber at 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An animal rescue group on the Red Lake Reservation is looking for a student willing to volunteer time to help them adapt an existing log cabin into a feral cat shelter by this fall. The project would have a budget of $1000-$2000 and might need to be done with volunteer labor. If interested, contact Karen Good, keg@gvtel.com.

Existing log cabin on the Red Lake Reservation.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 5:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Spring 2009 issue of Emerging is available online and in your postal mail box. To receive a print Emerging subscription contact Laura Walton, lwalton@umn.edu.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 6:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Fulbright Program is an international educational exchange program sponsored by the US government and is designed to "increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries." The Fulbright Program sends thousands of American scholars and professionals each year to approximately 125 countries, where they lecture and/or conduct research in a wide variety of academic and professional fields. Application deadline is Aug. 1, 2009. US citizenship is required.The Fulbright faculty and scholars competition is administered at the University of Minnesota through the Office of International Programs.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 6:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The College of Design recently elected representatives to the Univesity Senate. The senators are:

Marilyn Bruin (Housing Studies), through 2010
Ann Ziebarth (Housing Studies), through 2011
Julia Robinson (Architecture), through 2012

The election for alternates will take place at the beginning of fall semester.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 6:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The University's Solar Decathlon team is conducting a get-together and sneak-peak of the Icon Solar House on Thursday, May 14, 2009, 6-9 p.m., at the ReUse Center, 883 29th Avenue South, Minneapolis. It's a good opportunity to meet the college's members of the Solar Decathlon team and discover ways to get involved.

• Download RE:charge flyer (.pdf; 148Kb)

Posted by Michael Fraase at 8:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The deadline for the Skandalaris Awards for Entrepreneurs in Design & Visual Arts has been extended to May 15, 2009. The awards will be presented in November 2009 at the first joint conference of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and National Council of Art Administrators (NCAA) in St. Louis.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 1:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The University's Office for Equity and Diversity and Disability Services are sponsoring a workshop, entitled "Using Universal Design to Meet the Needs of a Diverse University Community," on June 4, 2009, 1:30-3:00 p.m., in 101 Walter Library.

"'Universal design' is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without need for adaptation or specialized design. In this session, participants will learn how the concept of universal design addresses issues of access and equity on campus. Presenters will share definitions of universal design, how the concept supports the needs of diverse learners, employees and guests on campus, and practical strategies for designing services, instruction, and physical spaces with a variety of users in mind."

The workshop will be facilitated by Barb Blacklock, Donna Johnson, and Roberta Juarez from the Disability Services office. More information and registration is available on the Education and Workshops section of the Office for Equity and Diversity Web site.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 1:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The College of Design's THERE Journal of Design is accepting submissions for the next issue on the topic of craft. The journal's editorial staff asks that students fill out an interactive flyer with a noun and a verb pertaining to how we handle craft -- the relationship between ideas and making.

• Download THERE issue six interactive flyer (.pdf; 296Kb)

Posted by Michael Fraase at 4:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Brian MacKay-Lyons has two openings available for architecture students in his Ghost Architectural Laboratory. For a cost of $4,000, students spend two weeks from June 13-27 designing and then building a structure in Nova Scotia. The application is available online. It's one of the best design-build experiences available in North America, and Minnesota students have been regular participants over the years. Contact Tom Fisher, tfisher@umn.edu for more information about the program.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 8:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

University faculty, staff, and students have drafted preliminary goals and measures to implement the regents' policy on Sustainability and Energy Efficiency from 2004. The University Sustainability Goals and Outcomes Committee is hosting open forums in order to solicit feedback from the University community. The open forums are scheduled for Monday, April 27, 2009, 2:30-4:00 p.m., in 3-100 Mayo, and on Tuesday, April 28,2009, 2:30-4:00 p.m., in 105 Cargill.

The preliminary goals and measures are available on the University's Sustainability Web site.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 1:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The University's floor loom sale takes place on May 20-21, 2009, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., in B22 McNeal Hall. The looms can be previewed on Saturday, May 16, 1-3 p.m.

Available looms include Kessenich, Nilus/Leclerc, Macomber, Bexell (Cranbrook), and Klentz. A yarn storage cabinet, warp boards, and miscellaneous items are available. More information is available on the University loom sale page of the DHA Web site.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

M. Peter McPherson, president of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), will address the impact of the current financial crisis on public universities. His address, "The Changing Competitive Position of Public Research Universities," takes place on Thursday, April 30, 2009, 3:30-5:00 p.m., at the Cowles Auditorium in the Humphrey Center.

"Public universities increasingly are at a competitive disadvantage with private research universities. Public universities rely more and more on tuition and less on state support. One result is that faculty salaries are lower in public universities than private universities. This may in the future mean that the more talented faculty members migrate to the private institutions. The challenge is to find ways to remain competitive through developing innovative ways to become more efficient as such sectors as telecommunications and manufacturing have become."

The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. RSVP to 612-625-5002.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 1:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Learning Abroad Center is accepting applications for May term 2010 global seminar faculty leaders. Global seminars are three-week programs that run over winter break or May term. Faculty leaders collaborate with the Learning Abroad Center to teach a three-credit, 3000-level University of Minnesota course in another country serving up to 25 students. Courses can focus on a particular theme or be cross-disciplinary. The deadline is May 1, 2009. Students often describe these faculty-led programs as the highlight of their time at the University. More information and an application form are available on the Learning Abroad Center's Global seminars: Faculty leader information Web site section.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 7:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Benny Carlson, professor of economic history, Lund University, Sweden and 2008 Cornelia Malmberg fellow, American Swedish Institute, will discuss his current research on Thursday, April 23, 6 p.m., at the Goldstein Museum of Design. In "Somali Immigrants in Minnesota and Scandinavia: Cultural Authenticity and Economic Dynamism," Carlson compares the economic and lifestyle experiences of Somalis who immigrated to Minnesota during the late 20th-early 21st centuries and Somalis who immigrated to Sweden during that time. A reception follows.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DesignIntelligence, the publication that ranks design educational programs, solicits feedback from architecture students. While the publication ranks interior design and landscape architecture, the present solicitation is limited to architecture students at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

Last year's DesignIntelligence architecture student survey drew more than 900 responses. Results from this year's survey will be published in the 11th annual America's Best Architecture & Design Schools issue later this year.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 8:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The University's Office for Equity and Diversity is hosting a workshop, "Being an ally in the work of diversity," Wednesday, April 15, 2009, 3:00-4:30 p.m., in 101 Walter Library.

"Institutional efforts to eliminate bias and discrimination are often driven by individuals who themselves face such discrimination. But as understanding and promoting diversity becomes the necessary work of all members of a given institutional community, questions arise: 'How do I fit in to diveristy work if I haven't faced such discrimination personally?' 'Is there room for someone with economic, social, and political privilege in diversity efforts?' 'How can I work on diversity issues when I'm not an 'expert'?' This workshop is designed to address both the challenges and the benefits that allies bring to the work of diversity."

The workshop is free of charge and led by Anne Phibs, the GLBT Programs Office director. More information and registration is available on the Office for Equity and Diversity Web site.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 4:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Preserve Minneapolis will present a moderated discussion on reuse possibilities of the Minneapolis Grain Exchange trading floor on Wednesday, April 29, 2009, 5:30 p.m., at the Grain Exchange, 400 South Fourth Street, Minneapolis. The discussion will be moderated by a panel of preservation architects.

Please take the time to e-mail Penny Petersen, admin@preserveminneapolis.org your brief reuse ideas prior to the discussion.

The Grain Exchange is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and the building and its trading floor are also a Minneapolis Historic Landmark.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 12:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The University and College Design Association will present a one-day wayfinding workshop, "Putting People in Place," on Friday, April 17, 2009, 8:15 a.m.-3:00 p.m., at the McNamara Alumni Center.

Six environmental graphic design experts -- Frank Hickey, Derek Tonn, Tom Oslund, Michael Haug, Gary Stemler, and Drew Sternal -- will share wayfinding challenges and solutions that include work on recent installations at major Twin Cities sites: the University's Scholars Walk and Wall of Discovery, the Tyrone Guthrie Theater, Gold Medal Park, and the Minneapolis Public Library.

Registration is $50 for students, $80 for UCDA members, $85 for UCDA partner members, and $95 for non-members. More information and registration are available on the UCDA Web site. For more information, contact Donna Weispfenning, 612-624-1606 or d-weis@umn.edu.

Important note: Registration deadline is tomorrow, Thursday, April 9, 2009.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The exit meeting with the Architecture accreditation team will take place Wednesday, April 8, 2009, 11:15 a.m., in the Rapson Hall Courtyard. All faculty, students, and staff are welcome to attend. The accreditation team will informally present a preliminary report.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 2:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The College of Design's 2009 honors and awards presentation will take place Friday, May 8, 2009, 8:30-9:30 a.m., in the Mississippi Room of Coffman Union. All CDes faculty and staff are invited. A breakfast buffet will be available at 8 a.m. Please RSVP to Laura Walton at 612-626-6385 or lwalton@umn.edu by May 1, 2009.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The following internships are currently available through the National Park Service - Great Lakes Research and Education Center:

1. Using oral histories to learn more about the St. Croix and Namekagon Rivers and St. Croix National Scenic Riverway


2. Natural resource education and outreach at Mississippi National River and Recreation Area


3. Summer research internships at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Voyageurs National Park

• Download internship information (.pdf; 52Kb)


• Download minigrant application (.pdf; 128Kb)

Posted by Michael Fraase at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Beginning April 6, 2009, the Goldstein Museum of Design's gallery at 240 McNeal Hall will be closed Mondays, the traditional day for museums to spruce up their galleries.

The gallery will be open regular hours the remainder of the week: Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 1-4 p.m.; Thursdays, 1-8 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays from 1:30-4:30 p.m.

To schedule a tour, contact Kathleen Campbell at 612-625-2737 or kcampbe@umn.edu. For information related to the Monday closings, contact Lin Nelson-Mayson at 612-624-3292 or lnelsonm@umn.edu.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 1:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The first Ignite Minneapolis event will be held Wednesday, April 22, 2009, 6-9 p.m., at Solera on Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis. Ignite events are community-driven speed presentations of new ideas, products, services, processes, etc. While most of the presentations are technology-driven, they can be about anything at all and tend to be relevant to the design disciplines. Each presenter is given five minutes and 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds to make their case.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Freedom by design is holding its first silent auction on Saturday, March 28, 2009, 2-6 p.m., in the Rapson Hall courtyard. Students and professionals have donated about 60 pieces of artwork, including pottery, photography, and watercolors. The centerpiece of the auction is an original Ralph Rapson watercolor.

Freedom by Design is a community service program of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) that designs, funds, and builds projects for low-income and disabled clients. The project for which funding is currently being raised is a bathroom renovation in South Minneapolis.

If you are not able to attend the auction, but would like to make a donation, please make a check out to AIAS and mail to:
AIAS
1084 26th Avenue SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

College of Design faculty members are invited to submit proposals to the University's Community Growth Options (U-CGO) program for applied research projects that assist local communities on the edge of the Twin Cities manage the consequences of growth and development. U-CGO is a program of the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) and the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, with funding from the McKnight Foundation.

Regular faculty members are invited to apply. Each award will provide support for one month of the faculty member's time in the summer of 2009 and a 75%-time graduate research assistant for the summer of 2009. Where appropriate, limited support for miscellaneous research expenses may be provided.

Applications must be received in the CURA office by 4:30 p.m., Thursday, April 30, 2009.

For more information, contact Mike Greco at 612-625-7501 or mgreco@umn.edu.

• Download request for proposals, eligibility requirements, and application procedures (.pdf; 76Kb)

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Interested in discussing the fate of Peavey Plaza and other modernist landscapes? Come to a brown bag lunch and discussion on Tuesday, March 24, 2009, 12:00-1:30 p.m. in the Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library Conference Room in Rapson Hall. Join the Minnesota Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (MASLA) for discussion about the Marvels of Modernism exhibit, the HALS process, and the fate of one our most prized local modernist landscapes, Peavey Plaza.

Local landscape architect, Jean Garbarini, of Close Landscape Architecture, will share her experience as the project manager for the HALS documentation process for Peavey Plaza and lead a discussion about the future of Peavey Plaza. Also, be sure to make time to visit the Marvels of Modernism exhibit. The exhibit features the Cultural Landscape
Foundation's 2008 top 12 endangered modernist landscapes and will be on display in the Rapson Hall HGA Gallery until April 12, 2009.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 2:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Design Studies Forum, in conjunction with Berg Publishers, announces publication of the first issue of Design and Culture, a peer-reviewed journal. The publication explores the dynamic, contingent relationships between design and its many cultural contexts.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Members of the College of Design community are invited to apply for the 2009-10 Mertie Buckman Fellowship in Leadership and Philanthropy, a year-long fellowship in leadership process and philanthropic outcomes. The application deadline is April 1, 2009. The fellowship is available to all faculty, staff, and current and former College of Design graduate students.

Lin Nelson-Mayson (Goldstein Museum of Design) is a former Buckman Fellow. Her goal for the fellowship was to apply the training to increase the museum's viability.

Nancy Miller (Center for World Heritage Studies) is one of the current Buckman Fellows. Her goal is to develop plans that match the projects and initiatives of the Center for World Heritage Studies.

For more information contact Marilyn DeLong (612-624-1219 or mdelong@umn.edu) or Jane Newell (612-624-6957 or newe0016@umn.edu).

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Seniors are invited to submit one example of their best work (including research projects in poster format) for the 2009 senior exhibition in Rapson Hall. Entries must be received by Friday, March 13, 2009 to be included in the exhibition brochure. Send the completed form, one high-resolution photo (300 dpi) or .pdf of your work (can be in process), one high-resolution photo of yourself, and a statement about your work (up to 100 words) to Eunice Haugen, hauge363@umn.edu. If your photos are large, send materials on a disc labeled with your name. For more information, visit the graduating student exhibition section of the Goldstein Museum of Design Web site.

Update: March 19, 2009: The submission deadline has been extended to Friday, March 27, 2009.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Student group Colleges Against Cancer will host the Relay for Life in the University field house on Friday, April 17, 2009. The event is to raise money for the American Cancer Society. The relay involves teams of 8-15 people who take turns walking or running around a track all night long. A party-like atmosphere prevails as team members camp out on the surrounding grounds for the duration of the event to enjoy music, food, fun, entertainment, and activities while building camaraderie with fellow teammates and participants. For more information, contact uofmrelayforlife@gmail.com.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Imaging Lab will have open studio times for new faculty and staff members in need of photos of themselves for the college online directory.

The walk-in studio times are Tuesday, March 10, 2009, 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m., Rapson Hall and Wednesday, March 11, 2009, 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m., McNeal Hall.

For more information, contact Warren Bruland, 612-624-4137 or brula001@umn.edu.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Building Dreams is a one-hour presentation about affordable housing development by Aeon, a Twin Cities-based nonprofit developer of apartments and town houses. Several upcoming Building Dreams presentations are available:

March 4, 2009, 7:30 a.m., at Crane Ordway, 281 E. 5th Street, Saint Paul.

March 10, 2009, 4:30 p.m., at Ripley Gardens, 301 Penn Avenue N, Minneapolis.

March 12, 2009, 7:30 a.m., at Ripley Gardens, 301 Penn Avenue N, Minneapolis.

March 17, 2009, 4:30 p.m., at Crane Ordway, 281 E. 5th Street, Saint Paul.

March, 26, 2009, 4:30 p.m., at Crane Ordway, 281 E. 5th Street, Saint Paul.

April 2, 2009, 4:30 p.m., at Ripley Gardens, 301 Penn Avenue N, Minneapolis.

April 8, 2009, 4:30 p.m., at Crane Ordway, 281 E. 5th Street, Saint Paul.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Due to severe weather, the Goldstein Museum of Design panel discussion "Retention of Traditions and the Immigrant Experience," scheduled for tonight, Thursday, February 26, at 6 pm in McNeal Hall, has been canceled. It will be rescheduled for a future date.

Posted by Laura Weber at 2:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

InformeDesign, the College of Design unit that transforms research in the design disciplines into easy-to-read, easy-to-use formats for practitioners and the public, has rolled out its online continuing and professional educational curriculum. The courses have been developed around health, safety, and welfare topics for architects, interior designers, landscape architects, facility manages, urban planners and designers, housing specialists, graphic designers, and the public who are interested in earning continuing and professional education credits.

Three types of online courses are offered:

• Text-based courses: Read a single issue of Implications, InformeDesign's monthly newsletter, and five research summaries on a single topic of interest. ($45 (AIA: 1.0 LU; IDCEC .1 CEU)


• Inquiry-based courses: Read a single issue of Inquiry, a topic-oriented research brief focused on a single topic of interest in which evidence from InformeDesign is summarized to provide you with a quick method of updating your knowledge. ($65 (AIA: 1.0 LU; IDCEC .1 CEU)


• Web cast-based courses: View a one-hour Web cast focused on a single topic of interest, presented by an expert designer or researcher in the field. ($65 (AIA: 1.0 LU; IDCEC .1 CEU)

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The February 2009 issue of reDESIGN is now available on the College of Design Web site. reDESIGN is e-mailed to alumni bi-monthly throughout the year, connecting them to news, events, and opportunities at the college and University. To be added to the distribution list, contact Laura Walton at lwalton@umn.edu.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 1:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The College of Design is co-sponsoring -- with the Minneapolis-St. Paul chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute -- a construction showcase, "Sustainable Construction through Error Omission," on February 26, 2009, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in the Rapson Hall atrium. The event is free to all pre-registered attendees.

• Download Sustainable Construction through Error Omission details and registration form (.pdf; 956Kb)

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Architecture, Interior Design, and Landscape Architecture career fair
Thursday, March 5, 2009, 6-9 p.m.
Coffman Great Hall, Ground Floor
Coffman Memorial Union

More information is available.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 8:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Join Kinji Akagawa and special guests Michael Mercil and Ann Hamilton for the Tribute to Kinji Akagawa fundraiser at Mill City Museum on Saturday, February 7, 2009. Admission for the general public is a $100 donation toward The Kinji Akagawa Fund for Interdisciplinary Studies.

Many within the College of Design have worked with Kinji Akagawa and will celebrate his retirement from the Minneapolis College of Art & Design (MCAD). Akagawa's career will be honored with the Paradigm Shift: Honoring Kinji Akagawa exhibition, January 16-February 22, 2009, in the MCAD Main Gallery. A reception will be held Friday, February 6, 6-9 p.m. The exhibition features work in all media by more than 150 of Akagawa's students.

More than 100 of the exhibited works are being auctioned online to benefit the Kinji Akagawa Fund for Interdisciplinary Studies. Online bidding closes at 12 a.m. on Thursday, February 5, 2009 and live bidding continues at the February 7 fundraiser.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 9:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

College of Design student group Greenlight has scheduled a design charrette to help the Brave New Workshop enhance its performance space using sustainable methods.

The design charrette will take place on Friday, January 30, 2009 from 6-8 p.m. and Saturday, January 31, 2009 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Rapson Hall and combines improv theater techniques with architecture, construction, and graphic exercises to further develop Brave New Workshop's understanding of how to design their space.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 4:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The McKnight Arts and Humanities Endowment has been reorganized and renamed the Imagine Fund. The Imagine Fund is sponsoring a visiting distinguished chair in the Arts, Humanities, or Design, to be housed in the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS). Nominations for the chair are open and College of Design faculty members are encouraged to participate in the nomination process.

The Imagine Fund seeks proposals to identify candidates of high distinction for the new visiting distinguished chair. This new chair will attract a world-class scholar or scholars to spend up to one academic year at the University. This position will be a catalyst with the goal of stimulating wide-ranging discussion on the arts and humanities across the University.

The nature of the appointment will be flexible, although the chairs will be asked to conduct some of their activities and encouraged to engage the interdisciplinary community at the IAS. Proposals should include a clear statement of potential impact and activities the chair might conduct on campus, as well as suggestions as to how the chair might engage the larger public.

Nominations should be sent to Jon Binks (binks001@umn.edu). A selection committee will begin reviewing nominations in mid-February 2009.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 1:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The 2009 annual Search for Shelter Charrette, sponsored by AIA Minnesota's housing advocacy committee, will be held January 23-25 in Rapson Hall. This annual design charrette focuses on non-profit organizations that address issues of affordable housing and homelessness in our community. Many of the organizations use the designs from the charrette to help launch their funding drives and gain support from neighborhood groups.

The weekend opens with presentations and a light dinner on Friday night. Saturday will be a working day and meals will be provided. Final presentations to the clients will be made on Sunday, beginning promptly at noon.

Professionals, interns, and students from all design disciplines are encouraged to participate. This is a great way for IDP participants to earn community service hours, and professional architects can earn 9 CE hours. If you would like to sign up as a volunteer for the charrette, please download a volunteer registration form from the AIA Minnesota Web site. The form can be submitted to Alysia Ulfers by e-mail at ulfers@aia-mn.org or by fax at 612-338-7981. Please return the volunteer form by Friday, January 16.
 
Projects are currently being finalized for the charrette. If you have a great last minute idea for a project or know of an organization that would benefit from the charrette, please contact Rosemary Dolata at rdolata@aeonmn.org.
 
The Search for Shelter Charrette is AIA Minnesota's longest-standing design charrette, with charrettes organized annually for more than 20 years.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The University's Office for Public Engagement has announced its the Spring Semester Public Engagement Symposia. Each symposium explores a topic critical to understanding and advancing public engagement in higher education.

All symposia are free, but RSVP is requested to public@umn.edu.

Thursday, January 15, 2009, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Unpacking the Complexities of Civic Engagement (.pdf; 2.1Mb)
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, Conference room 180

Moderator: Richard Battistoni, Providence College, author of Education for Democracy: Citizenship, Community & Service

Panelists: Harry Boyte (University of Minnesota), Connie Flanagan (Pennsylvia State University), and Joel Westheimer (University of Ottawa).

Upcoming symposia

March 2009: Meeting the Standards of Scientific Inquiry in Community-Engaged Research

May 2009: Community Members' Perspectives on Higher Education
Community Engagement

Posted by Michael Fraase at 4:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dave Boehnlein, research coordinator at Exos International Design Group will present a permaculture master planning lecture at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Auditorium 150 on January 5, 2009, from 7-9 p.m. Boehnlein's lecture is presented by Permaculture Research Institute Cold Climate and is free and open to the public.

Exos Design uses the process and principles of permaculture design to develop large projects including educational facilities and retreat centers. Boehnlein shows Exos' process for creating a conceptual master plan.

Permaculture designer Dave Jacke will also present several workshops in Minneapolis between January 15-24.

For more information contact Reed Aubin at reed@understory.org or 612-721-8941.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The College of Design 2009 award guidelines are available and outline the purpose, eligibility, and evaluation criteria for the awards:

• Outstanding Teaching Award


• Outstanding Research Award


• Outstanding Outreach Award


• Outstanding Civil Service/Bargaining Unit Award


• Outstanding Professional & Administrative Award


• Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award


• Outstanding Graduate Student Award

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Society for Moving Images about the Built Environment (SMIBE) is sponsoring a "Story about a Place" competition for six-minute video presentations that tell a story about our built environment. The presentations should be narrative in nature and can be films, animations, or any other type of moving images.

Entry in the competition is free and registration and submissions are due by January 15, 2009.

Jurists include architects, filmmakers, writers, and artists. Cash prizes will be awarded and finalists will be screened at the MAK Center in Los Angeles and the Grand Central Art Center in Orange County.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Faculty and staff generously contributed $10,218 to the college last school year. These gifts were directed to a number of areas, and many were made through payroll deductions.

Despite rocky economic news, commitments this school year are already at $10,100 from faculty and staff. Design alumni are stepping up in these difficult times as well, with giving keeping pace with last year.

Anyone interested in making a calendar year-end gift is encouraged to send their gift by mid-December to make sure it is credited in the 2008 tax year. You can designate your gift to any area in the college. Gifts can be made through payroll deduction (.pdf; 120Kb), with a credit card online, or by check. E-mail Peter Rozga if you have any questions, or call him at 612-624-7808.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ever wonder why it's so hard for us -- individually and collectively -- to consistently make sustainable choices? For example, we know that many of our natural resources are scarce and on the decline, but it's still a challenge for us to make choices that reflect that reality. How does the human experience as a biological being -- brains, behavior, and beliefs -- impact our shared decision-making on such critical topics?

The University of Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships is sponsoring a presentation by Nate Hagens of the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics, University of Vermont and editor of The Oil Drum. The Hagens presentation, entitled "The Pending Resource Crisis: Understanding Our Biophysical and Biological Constraints to Sustainability," will take place on December 3 at 1:30 p.m. in 335 Borlaug Hall.

Hagens posits that by acknowledging and understanding both our biophysical (resource depletion) and biological (cognitive barriers, habituation, and belief systems) constraints we will be better able to choose cultural opportunities for sustainability. He draws upon and synthesizes recent research in cognitive neuroscience, neuroeconomics, and evolutionary biology and their applications to sustainable behaviors in addressing energy and environmental limits. Ultimately Hagens looks for those solutions that aligned us with not only what we have, but who we are.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 4:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The College of Design Student Services and Design Student and Alumni Board are co-sponsoring an interdisciplinary design event where established designers will present their inside tips. The event takes place on Friday, November 21, 2008, at 6:30 p.m. in the Gold Room of Northrop Auditorium. Food and beverages will be served and funding for the event was provided by a grant from Student Unions and Activities.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 8:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An all-college meeting was held on Friday, October 31, 2008 with Dean Tom Fisher presiding. The college deficit (and resolution plan), the Solar Decathlon, and sustainability in the college's work were all featured in Fisher's presentation.

• Download Dean Tom Fisher's all-college meeting presentation (.pdf; 7.7Mb)

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The second printing of the Design Institute's award-winning book is now available through the University of Minnesota Press and Amazon.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 4:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

John Comazzi (Architecture) participated in the design and planning of the Children in Nature event sponsored by the Chidren, Youth, and Family Consortium and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. The conference takes place on Thursday, November 6, 2008, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Arboretum.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 1:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Elections for the P&A and CS/BU Consultative Committees were recently held and the results are in.

Following is the full list of elected P&A Consultative Committee representatives:

• Zahra Khorasani -- advisor, DHA


• Pete Rozga -- stewardship/annual giving manager


• Amanda Smoot -- administrator, Landscape Architecture


• Julie VanSteenbergen -- administrator, DHA


• Carol Waldron -- senior lecturer, Graphic Design


• Jodie Walz -- curator, Digital Collections and Archives


• Laura Weber -- director, Communications

• Sara Grothe -- Landscape Architecture


• Matt Kegler -- Human Resources


• Shannon Mayer -- Financial Services


• Nikki Mumma -- Student Services


• Theresa Tichich -- Information Technology


• Matt Thoen -- Information Technology

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Winterthur Museum & Country Estate has announced its 2009-10 research fellowship program consisting of National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), McNeil Dissertation, and short-term residential fellowships to support advanced study of American art, culture, and history. Fellows may conduct research based on the museum collection of objects and artworks made or used in America to 1860.

More information (including application information) is available on the Winterthur Web site. Applications are due by January 15, 2009.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 8:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The College of Design is a co-sponsor of this community event where young people from the Kwanzaa Community Church and other community partners will paint 10 sidewalks in North Minneapolis with art that reinforces HIV/AIDS prevention messages.

Saturday, September 27, 2008
9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Kwanzaa Community Church
2100 Emerson Avenue North, Minneapolis

Posted by Michael Fraase at 1:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) has issued a call for faculty fellows for 2009-10. The IAS Faculty Fellows program enables up to 20 faculty members to spend a semester in residence at the Institute in order to benefit from the community of scholars and share their work across disciplines.

Faculty members involved in collaborative work may apply in teams of two or three. The Institute covers one-half of the fellow's B-base salary and fringe (up to a maximum of $30,000); the fellow's home college is responsible for the remaining one-half of the salary and fringe.

More information -- including application information -- is available on the IAS Web site.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

E3 2008, the midwest's premiere energy, economic, and environmental conference focuses on the intersection between innovative technologies, visionary policies, environmental benefits, and emerging market opportunities as related to renewable energy. Proceeds from the conference help fund University scholarships supporting students interested in pursuing careers in renewable energy and the environment.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Saint Paul RiverCentre

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Due to illness, Michael Speaks will not be delivering his lecture this evening. The lecture will be rescheduled as soon as possible.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The University has announced a $1.3 million initiative -- the "Imagine Fund" -- to support faculty activities in the arts, humanities, and design. The initiative is funded by a donation from the McKnight Foundation and will create 250 annual $3,000 awards to arts, humanities, and design faculty.

The initiative also includes the creation of two endowed chairs and an annual appointment of a distinguished arts and humanities chair.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

An ongoing investigation project into creating contemplative space on campus has placed a new installation at the base of the staircase in the Rapson Hall addition lower level, near the Metropolitan Design Center. The project is funded by the Institute for Advanced Studies and is a collaboration between Rebecca Krinke (Landscape Architecture), Diane Willow (Art), and Henry Emmons (Center for Spirituality and Healing). Custom seating elements and other changes to the space will be made on an ongoing basis throughout the semester.

A reception for the project is scheduled for October 6, 2008.

Questions or comments should be directed to Rebecca Krinke at 612-625-6860 or rjkrinke@umn.edu.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Quadrant, a joint initiative of the University of Minnesota Press and the Institute for Advanced Study, presents a lecture by Arijit Sen, a visiting Quadrant fellow. Sen will present "In Small Things Discounted: Architecture and World Making" at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, September 16, 2008 in 125 Nolte Center. A reception will follow.

Professor Sen is a visiting quadrant fellow in the design, architecture, and culture group this fall, when he will be in residence at the Institute for Advanced Study and developing his project, "Mobile Bodies, Transgressing Selves: Politics of Place and South Asian Identity, 1900-2000." He received his Ph.D. in architecture from the University of California, Berkeley, and is an assistant professor of architecture at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

Quadrant is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Harold Linton, author of Portfolio Design, will present a lecture on portfolio development at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 3, 2008 in 33 McNeal Hall. The lecture is sponsored by the Minnesota chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and the University of Minnesota's ASID student chapter.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The National Trust for Historic Preservation's (NTHP) 2008 National Preservation Conference will be held October 21–25 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Participants will learn about Tulsa's particular urban preservation challenges, such as those facing the region's Native American resources and historic section of Route 66, and explore issues and strategies surrounding the preservation of historic structures nationwide. Visit the conference Web site or contact 800-944-6847 or conference@nthp.org for more information.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The College of Design held its Fall 2008 faculty and staff meetings on Tuesday, August 26 and Wednesday, August 27, respectively. Dean Tom Fisher introduced new faculty and staff and outlined the college's direction:

• Design for the other 90%. How can we make design available to all?


• Design for human and environmental health. How can design heal?


• Design as a competitive advantage. How can design help us prosper?


• Design as a mode of thought. How can design help us reinvent ourselves?

• Download the PowerPoint deck for the Fall 2008 faculty meeting (.ppt; 1.3Mb)


• Download the PowerPoint deck for the Fall 2008 staff meeting (.ppt; 1Mb)

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Enjoy your noon or evening meals with friends, colleagues, and students in the College of Design. Student organizations will have tables at both events.

• Free dinner on Monday, September 8, 5:30-7:00 p.m. in the Rapson courtyard


• Free lunch on Tuesday, September 9, 12:00-1:30 p.m. in the McNeal atrium

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mark your calendar now. The professional/graduate programs in Architecture and Landscape Architecture will host an open house for prospective students on Friday, October 31. Come spend the day with the faculty and students enrolled in these professional programs to find out if one of them might be the right professional path for you. The open house program begins at 11:30 a.m. followed by various presentations and tours scheduled throughout the afternoon. The location is Rapson Hall on the East Bank campus of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. The street address is 89 Church Street SE. Parking is available in the Church Street garage directly across the street. A campus map is available.

• Download open house schedule (.pdf; 188Kb)

Posted by Michael Fraase at 1:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

The University's Solar Decathlon effort -- a collaborative project by students in the College of Design, Institute of Technology, and the College of Continuing Education's construction management program -- will be represented at the E3 2008 conference. The conference, focusing on energy, the economy, and the environment, will take place on November 18 at the Saint Paul RiverCentre.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 1:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Several College of Design units will again be participating in the University's building at the Minnesota State Fair. Details are on the college's calendar of events and the University's State Fair Web site.

Saturday, August 23, 2008
9 a.m.-1 p.m.
College of Design Student Services

Saturday, August 23, 2008
1-5 p.m.
Goldstein Museum of Design

Saturday, August 23, 2008
5-9 p.m.
College of Design Digital Content Library

Thursday, August 28, 2008
9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Center for Rural Design

Thursday, August 28, 2008
1-5 p.m.
Center for Sustainable Building Research

Posted by Michael Fraase at 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation will award a research grant up to $25,000 to mid-career professionals who have an advanced or professional degree and at least 10 years experience in historic preservation or related fields, including architecture, landscape architecture, architectural conservation, urban design, environmental planning, archaeology, architectural history, and the decorative arts. Additional smaller grants, up to $10,000, are made at the discretion of the trustees.

The grants are intended to support projects of innovative original research or creative design that advance the practice of historic preservation in the U.S. These grants may be partially supported through the generosity of the Kress Foundation.

More information is available at the Fitch Foundation Web site or by e-mail to info@fitchfoundation.org.

Applications must be postmarked by Friday, September 19, 2008.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has released Artists in the Workforce: 1990-2005 (.pdf; 3.8Mb), a study of artists -- including those in the design professions -- demographic and employment patterns. "Artists now play a huge but mostly unrecognized role in the new American economy of the 21st century," NEA chair, Dana Giola, said in a media release. "This report shows how important American artists are to both our nation's cultural vitality and economic prosperity of our communities.

The study's findings revealed:

• Between 1970-90, the number of artists more than doubled. Between 1990-2005, the growth rate of artists slowed to 16 percent, about the same as the country's overall labor force.
• Artists are 3.5 times more likely to be self-employed and twice as likely to have a college degree than the country's overall work force.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thirty-six garments and four pairs of shoes from designers including Oscar de la Renta, Yves Saint Laurent, James Galanos, Halston, and Emanuel Ungaro have been donated to the Goldstein Museum of Design by Newsweek senior editor and Washington Post heir Lally Weymouth. The collection will debut at the annual Goldstein Garden Party, 5:30-9:00 p.m. Thursday, May 29, at the Goldstein Museum in McNeal Hall. The Goldstein Garden Party will feature live music, hors d'oeuvres, a silent auction, vintage wine, and an informal discussion on the design process. The garden party is open to the public; tickets are $40. To RSVP, call 612-624-7434 or e-mail goldstein@umn.edu.

• UMNnews release about the collection and garden party

Posted by Michael Fraase at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Concept scenarios for UMore Park, a 5,000-acre University property in Dakota County, and its companion Vermillion Highlands (2,822 acres of natural, open space) will be shared with the University community at campus forums and open houses on June 16 and 17.

Minneapolis Campus: Monday, June 16, 9:30 a.m. at Coffman Memorial Union's Campus Club
 
St. Paul Campus: Tuesday, June 17, 12:00 p.m. at the Student Center's North Star Ballroom

Both forums will be available vis UMConnect: https://umconnect.umn.edu/umorepark/

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A reception for the graduating students exhibition, Roots of the Future, will be held Friday, May 16 6:30-8:30 p.m. in Rapson Hall. The reception, which is open to the public, will include jazz, wine, and a brief awards program recognizing thesis, capstone, and senior show award winners.

For more information contact Lori Mollberg, 612-625-8796 or lmollber@umn.edu.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 1:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Janet Abrams (Design Institute) moderates the Design and Business in a Global Economy panel, exploring the changing nature of design in a globally networked economy. John Christakos, chief executive of BLU DOT, the furniture design and manufacturing company; Jeff Carter, senior designer, Home Decor-Furniture, at Target; and Rob Dewey, senior experience strategist at Popular Front, a leading interactive design studio, will offer insights into the challenges and excitement of designing for diverse cultures, building relationships with suppliers and fabricators around the world, and keeping ahead of the curve in a YouTube era. They will present examples from their portfolio of recent design projects, outline the five leading trends shaping their businesses and day-to-day design activities, and share their experiences of building teams and managing creative personnel within large and small organizations.

The panel takes place on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 2:30-4:30 p.m. in the Carlson School of Management's Honeywell Auditorium.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Winterhouse Writing Awards, an annual program of the Winterhouse Institute and AIGA, recognize excellence in writing about design and encourage the development of young voices in design writing, commentary, and criticism. The 2008 awards will be presented at the AIGA Design Legends Gala in New York on September 18, 2008.

The awards will be given for writing that demonstrates the greatest evidence of eloquence, analysis, perspective, insight, and original thinking to further a public understanding of design in contemporary culture.

A $10,000 writing award is open to writers, critics, scholars, historians, journalists, and designers who are U.S. citizens or full-time residents for at least three years. The writing award is given for a body of work -- not a single piece -- so candidates must submit three works for consideration. The works may have been previously published and the writer must be under 40 years old as of June 2, 2008.

A $1,000 education award is open to students whose writing demonstrates extraordinary originality and promise. The education award is given for a single piece of work and students may be from any academic discipline, but the subject matter must be about design. The writer must be under 40 years old as of June 2, 2008, and have been a student within the past year.

The deadline for submissions is June 2, 2008.

The College of Design's Design Institute is a founding benefactor of the Winterhouse Writing Awards.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Architecture for Humanity is raising funds to support reconstruction efforts after this weekend's devastating cyclone in Myanmar. Please help communities rebuild.

Often media attention focuses on relief efforts. Months later, after the cameras have left, communities face the difficult task of rebuilding with little support. Architecture for Humanity offers technical expertise when it is needed most during the reconstruction phase.

The group's work will focus on rebuilding sustainable clinics, schools, community centers, and other critical infrastructure as well as housing. Past experience has shown that these buildings serve as critical anchors in helping communities rebuild and families restart their lives.

If you are interested in getting involved, contact volunteers@architectureforhumanity.org. To support sustainable
reconstruction, make a donation today.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 1:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Saint Paul Board of Colleges (SPBOC) has revived the Little Red Oil Can Award, first awarded in 1916 and given every year until it was retired in 1975 (the award was briefly revived from 1995-2000).

One award, recognizing an outstanding contribution to the enhancement of Saint Paul campus life, will be given in the categories of student, staff, faculty, organization, and alumni.

The deadline for nominations is 4:30 p.m., Thursday, May 1, 2008.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 9:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The University's Children, Youth and Family Consortium is convening a meeting to explore multidisciplinary research opportunities about the physical, social/emotional, cognitive, and family attachment outcomes of connecting children and families to nature and natural spaces.

The meeting will take place on Monday, May 5, 2008, 9:00-10:30 a.m., in the Ski-U-Mah Room at the McNamara Alumni Center.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 1:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Earth Day, April 22, the College of Design will host Eco Expo, a green fair, that features Twin Cities vendors who sell eco-friendly products and services. The event is free and open to the public. Its purpose is to attract the attention of students, staff, and faculty across the University to the environmentally-friendly products available today.

The event will be held from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in the Rapson courtyard.

Vendors have been selected to represent alternatives to current college purchasing habits. These vendors will be influencing the habits of faculty, staff, and students.

This is an interactive event in which the University can become involved in the efforts of the vendors attending. There will be three educational/conversational workshops presented throughout the day (times and descriptions below).

A donation has been made from By the Yard of a green bench, etched with "University of Minnesota Earth Day 2008, for the University in honor of Earth Day.

Each vendor is required to bring their own reusable table cloth as a design opportunity as well as a representation of their ecological values.

Continue reading "Eco Expo on Earth Day" »

Posted by Michael Fraase at 9:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Draft versions of the College of Design constitution and bylaws are now available for comment.

• College of Design constitution (.pdf; 204Kb)


• College of Design bylaws (.pdf; 124Kb)

Extended comment documents

• Bob Sykes (Landscape Architecture) comments (.pdf; 116Kb)

Posted by Michael Fraase at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

In January 2008, 24 University students, many of them from the College of Design, traveled to India for a course led by Virajita Singh (Center for Sustainable Building Research), entitled Sacred India: Architecture, Environment, Spirit. The students did substantial hands-on work there with two non-profits in the town of Vrindavan, Northern India.

Rupa Raghunath Das, who leads one of the non-profits -- Food for Life, Vrindavan -- will talk about the humanitarian and service work the group is doing in rural and small town India. The lecture takes place on Tuesday, March 25, 2008, 12-1 p.m., in 225 Rapson Hall.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 4:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 17-23, 2008

Monday through Wednesday
Rapson Hall lab open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Thursday through Sunday
Lab closed

McNeal Hall lab closed during spring break

Spring semester hours resume on March 24, 2008

Posted by Michael Fraase at 2:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Digital Design Consortium, a unit of the College of Design, is featured in the Institute for New Media Studies' Emerging Digerati Week 2008. The event runs from March 31 through April 4 and is free and open to the public.

The Digital Design Consortium opens its lab to the public on Thursday, April 3, 5:30-7:30 p.m., on the first floor of Walter Library. "Flex your creative muscles immersed in virtual reality environments that offer architects a new way of designing."

Posted by Michael Fraase at 6:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jack Dangermond, founder of one of the world's largest geographic information systems (GIS) companies and College of Design alumnus from 1968 who studied landscape architecture and city design, will be on campus Wednesday, April 2.

Dangermond will be a part of a conversation, "Inside GIS," at 303 Coffman Union from 1:30-2:30 p.m. This will be an informal conversation with students, who will have a chance to find out what's next in GIS and design.

From 4:30-5:40 p.m. he will lecture in conjunction with his receiving an honorary degree from the University. The free lecture is open to the public and takes place at McNamara Alumni Center, and is followed by a public reception.

Jack's company, ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute), is focused on developing and using computerized mapping to make better land-use decisions. The tools developed by ESRI are important to the design community, enabling synthesis and overlays of information to reveal relationships and patterns. In a commencement speech at the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture in 1993, Dangermond said that his ideas about combining mapping and graphics together came to him first as a student at the U of M, where Roger Martin and John Borchert were mentors. Studying landscape architecture, Dangermond says, gave him the understanding that "the study of the landscape and land processes and systems and the interpretation of those could be used to guide decision-making." Today, his company employs 4,000 staff and has users in more than 200 countries. The pioneering research and technology developed by ESRI has been used in such diverse areas as marketing, surveying, vehicle routing, economic development, cancer risk analysis, timberland management, and hurricane response management.

• University News Service media release on Jack Dangermond honorary degree


• Video of Jack Dangermond's lecture (RealPlayer required)

Posted by Michael Fraase at 2:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sat., Mar. 15, 12-5 p.m.
Sun., Mar. 16, 12-5 p.m.
Mon., Mar. 17, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Tue., Mar. 18, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 19, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Thu., Mar. 20, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 21, Closed
Sat., Mar. 22, Closed
Sun., Mar. 23, Closed

Should this schedule causes irreconcilable schedule conflicts for legitimate, pressing academic work, please contact Kevin Groenke (director, W.L. Hall Workshop; archshop@umn.edu) as soon as possible so that we can make adjustments to the schedule.

Note: Many small, removable items are missing from the workshop. Please take a moment before the end of break to check your work area for any workshop supplies/equipment and return them so that they are available for anybody who may need them.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 9:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Close to 100 College of Design students, faculty, and staff viewed on March 3 "mood boards" that visually express general design directions for the college's new visual identity.

Jeff Johnson, owner and creative director of Spunk Design Machine of Minneapolis, said research conducted by his firm indicates that the college's niche is students who, rather than wanting to be design "rock stars," are motivated to seek out problems to solve in order to make the world a better place.

Johnson presented a design vision where "simplicity is our ally," combined with the use of compelling stories of the people and activities that make up the college.

Posted by Laura Weber at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A search is in progress for a founding director of the Institute on the Environment. The institute invites interested parties to participate in the interview activities for this important, system-wide leadership position.

Each candidate will present a research seminar and participate in a public forum. The finalists will be on the Twin Cities campus for two days of interviews and they will spend a third day at the Duluth campus.

The interview days are as follows:

March 3-4 (Twin Cities) and 5 (Duluth): Deborah L. Swackhamer
interim director, Institute on the Environment and professor, environmental health sciences (University of Minnesota)

March 10-11 (Twin Cities) and 12 (Duluth): Malcolm K. Hughes
regents' professor of dendrochronology and of watershed management (University of Arizona)

March 24-25 (Twin Cities) and 26 (Duluth): George M. Hornberger
Ernest H. Ern professor of environmental sciences (University of Virginia)

The research seminars and public forums can also be viewed online at

Information on the candidate visits can also be found on the Institute's web site.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 8:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is hosting a conference, "Adapting community infrastructure to climate change: Solutions for stormwater management and community forests," that brings together experts in stormwater management, forestry, urban planning, and environmental leadership.

The conference takes place on Thursday, March 13, 2008 from 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. in the MacMillan Auditorium at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The collection of the Goldstein Museum of Design will be preserved for future generations with help from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Connecting to Collections Bookshelf is a core set of conservation books, DVDs, and online resources donated by IMLS, the primary source of federal funding of the nation's museums and libraries.

IMLS with cooperation from the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), chose the Goldstein as one of the first to receive this essential set of resources based on an application describing the needs and plans for care of its collections.

"We are so thrilled to receive the bookshelf and valuable resources as we have a large and diverse collection that actively contributes in our mission of teaching, research, and exhibition of design," said Lin Nelson Mayson, director of the Goldstein Museum. "We are continually looking for ways to maintain and enhance our collection -- the core of our institution."

• University News Service media release (3/10/08)

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The College of Design is one of the sponsors of Project Homeless Connect, a Minneapolis- and Hennepin County-based one-stop shop model for homeless services. Multiple resources -- housing providers, benefits specialists, eye care, transportation assistance, food, clothing, even haircuts -- are brought to one location where people can come to find the services they need.

Almost 800 volunteers participated in the October event at the Minneapolis Convention Center, providing services to 1,780 individuals (a 46% increase in the number of guests from the previous event). The range of services provided included:

• 801 housing services


• 136 health assessments followed by onsite heathcare services


• 60 dental care services


• 475 shoe vouchers


• 142 adults and children enrolled in Minneapolis public schools educational programs


• 211 legal services


• 177 employment services


• 155 received help with benefits from veterans' services, Social Security, and community action agencies


• 115 children and families referrals


• Almost 300 haircuts

1,000 volunteers are needed for the Monday, April 28 event at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Training is required for all first-time volunteers and six training sessions are available. More information and sign-up is available at the Project Homeless Connect Web site.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Solar Decathlon student group kick-off meeting will be held Thursday, February 7, 4-6 p.m., in the Rapson Hall Courtyard.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 9:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The College of Design award guidelines (.pdf; 116Kb) are available and outline the purpose, eligibility, and evaluation criteria for the full complement of awards:

• Outstanding teaching award


• Outstanding research award


• Outstanding outreach award


• Outstanding P&A award


• Outstanding CS/BU award


• Outstanding student award

Posted by Michael Fraase at 9:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) and Places Journal along with Metropolis magazine are collaborating on the 2008 EDRA/Places awards to recognize professional and scholarly excellence in environmental design. Entries "represent the full breadth of environmental design and related social science activity, including architecture, landscape architecture, planning, urban design, interior design, public art, lighting design, graphic design, environmental psychology, sociology, anthropology and geography."

The awards recognize design, planning, research, and recently published books. The call for entries deadline is February 7.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The 21st annual search for shelter charrette will be held the weekend of February 15-17 in Rapson Hall. This is a great opportunity for students, architects, and landscape architects to work together to benefit local non-profit organizations that focus on affordable housing and homelessness. Volunteers are needed. For more information and to register for the charrette, please visit the AIA MN Web site by Friday, February 8.
 
The weekend will kick-off with an opening reception, sponsored by the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund and AIA Minnesota, from 5:00-8:00 p.m. on Friday, February 15th. Complimentary food and beverages will be provided. Speakers will include Thomas DeAngelo, AIA MN president, Katie Swenson from the Rose Fellowship Foundation, and Warren Hanson from the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund. Swenson and Hanson will present two Rose Fellowship opportunities for architectural designers.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The U.S. Department of Energy has announced that the University of Minnesota has been selected as one of 20 teams to compete in the 2009 Solar Decathlon. Students and faculty representing the Institute of Technology and the College of Design will lead the University's effort. The Solar Decathlon is an international student competition to design, build, and operate highly energy-efficient, completely solar-powered houses.

Dean Tom Fisher is quoted in a University news release as saying the Solar Decathlon "provides an unparalleled opportunity for students to showcase their depth of abilities in sustainable design and construction on an international stage."

The total cost of the project is expected to be $1 million. In addition to the Department of Energy $100,000 grant and a $100,000 match from the University's Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment, the University will seek an additional $800,000 in funding and in-kind gifts from businesses and alumni. If you are interested in making a financial contribution to this project, you can do so online. To designate your gift, enter fund #2558 (Solar Decathlon Fund) in the text box marked "Special instructions for your gift."

Related links

• U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon Web site


• University of Minnesota's Solar Decathlon student group


• Institute of Technology information page


• U of M Moment (podcast) on Solar Decathlon


• University Relations 90-second radio feature on Solar Decathlon


• "U.S. Department of Energy asks students to compete" (Minnesota Daily article)


• WCCO-TV anchor Don Shelby's "In the Know" segment on Solar Decathlon

Posted by Michael Fraase at 4:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

College of Design partner, The Institute on the Environment, will hold its next roundtable, Savannas Forever: The Intersection of Lion Conservation and Public Health in Tanzania, on February 8 from 11:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m. in 105 Cargill Building. Craig Packer and Brian Atwood will explore the scientific and social challenges of conserving natural resources while improving public health and reducing poverty in rural East Africa.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 1:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Great Idea! exchange event will be held during the evening of March 27 at Bean Scene I on West Broadway in North Minneapolis. The event is part of the College of Design's collaboration with Juxtaposition Arts and will showcase several youth- and arts-based grassroots organizations serving the Northside. A new collaborative initiative will be launched based on the results of voting for the best Great Idea!

For more information contact Carrie Fathman: fathm002@umn.edu or 314-495-0602.

• University News Service media release about the event

Posted by Michael Fraase at 9:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Architecture, Interior Design and Landscape Architecture career fair
Monday, March 3, 2008
Coffman Great Hall, Ground Floor
Coffman Memorial Union
More information is available.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Architecture 2030, a New Mexico-based non-profit research organization will host a national webcast, called Face It, focusing on what it claims is a "silver bullet" solution to global warming. During the webcast, the organization will announce two competitions featuring the solution with $20,000 in prize money.

The webcast will originate from the Architecture 2030 Web site at 9 a.m. EST on January 30. A separate discussion event, Focus the Nation, will take place on January 31.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 8:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Hennepin County Energy Recovery Center produces enough energy annually to power 25,000 homes. The waste-to-energy facility also separates recyclables from solid waste, saving 11,000 tons of ferrous metals annually.

With new development including the new Twins ballpark and lightrail, the area adjacent to the energy recovery center will likely become a new public pedestrian destination.

The College of Design and the Hennepin County Energy Recovery Center, through the college's greenlight student group, have initiated a collaborative design workshop to involve local designers in envisioning a more sustainable image for the county's Energy Recovery Center.

The charrette is free but pre-registration is required. RSVP to grnlight@umn.edu by January 29 with your full name and contact information, experience level, and any food preferences.

Friday, February 1:
Introduction of project background and scope, team preferences and divisions, reception to follow.

Saturday, February 2:
8-9 a.m. Breakfast
9 a.m.-12 p.m. Work in subgroups
12-1 p.m. Lunch
1-4 p.m. Prepare presentations
4-5 p.m. Presentations to faculty and county, reception to follow

Posted by Michael Fraase at 2:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Katherine E. Nash Gallery is presenting two exhibitions focusing on the art of drawing: The Practice of Drawing: Selections from the Weisman Art Museum and Joyce Lyon and Alexis Kuhr: Recent Drawings. These exhibitions open on January 22 and run through February 20, 2008. A public reception is scheduled for Friday, January 25 from 6-8:30 p.m. All events at the Nash are free and open to the public.

A panel discussion will take place on Monday, February 11 at 7 p.m. in the IN-FLUX Auditorium, Regis Center for Art. Participants will be Alexis Kuhr and Joyce Lyon, Lyndel King, Director of the Weisman Art Museum, and Diane Mullin, curator at the Weisman. The Regis Center for Art is located at 405 21st Avenue South on the west bank campus. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.–7 p.m. Parking is available in the 21st Avenue Ramp.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 2:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Friday, January 18, the Goldstein Museum of Design is removing 185 pieces from its costume collection which were duplicates or never accessioned into the collection. The pieces are being donated to the College of St. Catherine's Fashion Merchandising and Fashion Apparel collection, where they will be utilized in the manner for which they were originally donated, the study of apparel design and construction. The Goldstein's donation will more than double the College of St. Catherine's collection.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Al Lathrop (Library Manuscripts) reports that the Andersen Library has acquired the collection of Don Harley, a graduate of the University. After resigning from Brown & Bigelow in the early 1950s, Harley ran an industrial design company in the Twin Cities for the next four decades.

The company created an amazing array of products, Lathrop writes, "including thermostats, ashtrays, toys, ballpoint pens, computer cases, clock cases, desk calendars, glassware, key cases, the toilet facility for the first space station, a helmet for the army, and a host of other things." Harley documented his projects with stunning colored-pencil renderings and working drawings that are almost all dated. Approximately 90% of the renderings have been photographed and exist on 35mm slides.

Lathrop said he was interested in acquiring the collection "because it would support the work of students and faculty in industrial and product design, interior design, architecture (marginally), as well as historians or artists who are interested in seeing how styles changed over a period of about 4 decades. It is truly an amazing collection."

Posted by Michael Fraase at 9:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Focus the Nation, a student-coordinated initiative, is organizing a national teach-in on global warming solutions. On Thursday, January 31, more than 1,000 institutions, millions of students, and hundreds of politicians will be participating in the teach-in to learn about and to work on solutions to global warming.

Focus the Nation invites all University faculty to participate in order to make the initiative a success. Professors are asked to dedicate 20-30 minutes of their classes on January 31 to a discussion of a topic related to both their field and to global warming.

For more information contact Brook Jacobson, jaco0796@umn.edu.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 4:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The School of Architecture, located within a multidisciplinary College of Design, is at the academic hub of vibrant professional and research communities. Committed to a culturally sensitive, ecologically responsible and technologically rich vision of design, the school has a strong reputation in the area of sustainable design. Understanding the potential of each area to stimulate innovation in the others, we seek multi-faceted individuals capable of working collaboratively in this setting. We are also seeking candidates with the commitment and energy to participate in the intellectual life of the school and college and readiness to teach both graduate and undergraduate required and elective courses and research-based architectural design studios.

Position one: Assistant professor, tenure track.
Position two: Rank to be determined based on the experience and qualifications of the candidate.

Download the complete position announcement (.pdf; 88Kb)

Posted by Michael Fraase at 9:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Metropolitan Design Center, a design, research, and public engagement unit in the College of Design at the University of Minnesota, invites applications and nominations for the position of Director and Dayton Hudson Endowed Chair in Urban Design. The appointment will also hold a faculty title of associate or full professor, to begin June 9, 2008 or as soon thereafter as possible. Download the complete position announcement (.pdf; 92Kb)

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Information about the new MS in Architecture, Heritage Preservation and Conservation degree program is posted on the School of Architecture Web site.

Students are currently being recruited and applications are being accepted for Fall 2008. If you have questions about the program please feel free to contact Nancy Miller, nmiller@umn.edu.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Graphic Design Club will be selling their screen printed holiday
cards and gift tags December 3-6. Stop by Coffman Union on Monday or Tuesday -- or the Saint Paul Student Center on Wednesday or Thursday -- from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 8:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Applications for equity and diversity "IDEA grants" (innovation, diversity, equity, and achievement) are invited by the Office for Equity and Diversity. The program funds projects, programming, events, and research that support historically underrepresented students, faculty, staff, and communities. All academic and administrative units across the University's campuses are eligible to apply; grants are awarded quarterly. The next deadline for applications is Monday, December 31.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 9:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Journal of Architectural Education (JAE) has issued an open call for submission of previously unpublished design work for blind peer-review. This work may be the product of an academic studio, or created directly by the submitting author(s). Work will be judged primarily on how it extends architectural inquiry, particularly in relation to image and text. Submission requirements and the review process are outlined on the
JAE Web site (.pdf; 328Kb).

The deadline for submissions is March 7, 2008. Inquiries should be directed to George Dodds, executive editor, gdodds@utk.edu.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 1, 2008 is the deadline for Learning Abroad Center faculty-led custom abroad programs taught over winter break 2009. More information is available on the Learning Abroad Center Web site.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The mayors of Minneapolis and Saint Paul are committed to increasing the sustainability of their cities. They've undertaken a variety of green initiatives with a new-found spirit of cooperation, matched by a healthy sense of competition. Get the inside view as the two mayors discuss efforts to green their cities and beyond.

The College of Design is partnering with the U.S. Green Building Council, Mississippi Headwaters Chapter to present a forum on local green initiatives on November 27, 3:45-6:00 p.m. in the Rapson Hall Auditorium. Registration is required and the cost to attend is $15 in advance for chapter members; $20 in advance for non-members; free for students with a valid ID.

• Download forum podcast (.mp3; 25.3Mb)

Posted by Michael Fraase at 9:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lance Neckar (Landscape Architecture) and John Carmody (CSBR) will participate in a Conversations on Sustainability seminar on November 29, 12:45-1:45 p.m. in the Mississippi Room, Coffman Union.

Currently, for the first time in history, the world's population is more urban than rural. The seminar will investigate the consequences of urban living on our environment and what role cities and citizens have in achieving broader sustainability.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 9:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Steven McCarthy (Graphic Design) will give an illustrated presentation on works from the Goldstein Museum's graphic design collection. Centered around the concept of design authorship -- where designers' roles are expanded from professional service providers to socially, culturally and politically engaged communication initiators -- the collection spans 70 years of innovation. Among the notable publications are early 20th century journal PM (eventually A-D), the complete set of Emigre Magazine from the late 20th century, and issues of Push Pin Graphic, Octavo: A Journal of Typography, Portfolio, Fuse, News of the Whirled, and others. Artifacts from the collection will be on display.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007 
6:00-8:30 pm
274 McNeal Hall

Here By Design exhibition open by special arrangement, 6-7 p.m. Presentation by McCarthy and archival display, 7-8 p.m. Q&A and refreshments, 8:00-8:30 p.m.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 9:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Robert Off, Institute for Membrane and Shell Technologies I.M.S. in Bobingen, Germany, lectures on new structural membrane developments on Monday, November 12, at 5:45 p.m., in 100 Rapson Hall. Off is a founding member and director of the Institute for Membrane and Shell Technologies in Bobingen, Germany, and has taught at universities around the world on subjects that include architecture theory, seminars on the works of Buckminster Fuller (University of Hannover, Germany), and workshop on "textile building" (University in Dhaka, Bangladesh). He is also a professor for real estate development at the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences and in 2004 he was made professor in-charge for developing the first ever international master course on membranes structures at the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences. In addition to his teaching, Off has several patents pending on designs for membrane and skin structure systems and components.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Susan Galatowitsch will speak about climate change in relation to ecological restoration -- "The Aesthetic of Climate Change: Science and Design" -- on Monday, November 12, at noon, in 225 Rapson Hall. Galatowitsch is a professor of restoration ecology in the Department of Horticultural Science here at the University of Minnesota. She has studied restorations for over 20 years in the U.S. and South Africa, and is currently a fellow in the UM Institute of the Environment and Fesler-Lambert Chair of Urban and Regional Affairs at the Humphrey Institute.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The second "Design process, prototyping, and digital fabrication" panel discussion, part of the Goldstein Museum's Here by Design III exhibition, will take place on Thursday, November 8, at 7 p.m. in 225 Rapson Hall, following a 6:30 p.m. reception in the HGA Gallery, Rapson Hall.

Four designers will speak about their work, followed by a panel discussion:

• Rob Tickle (Industrial Art & Design): digital and non-digital fabrication


• Dianne Goodwin (BlueSky Designs): product design


• Merick Reed (Carbon Collaborative, Inc.): installation design


• Karl Frankowski (Worrell, Inc.): product design/graphic design

Posted by Michael Fraase at 8:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Women in Architecture (WIA) brings together four Minnesota designers -- Ariel Apte (Mgmt Design), Marcy Schulte (Conway+Schulte), Stephanie Grotta (Coen Partners), and Tia Keobounpheng (Silvercocoon) -- to discuss their work and process on Monday, November 19, at 6 p.m., in the Rapson Hall Auditorium.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 6:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Todd Pitman (IT) will be premiering his feature-length documentary, entitled Murphy's Law, on Friday, November 16, at 8 p.m., at Eclipse Records in Saint Paul. The film follows local band Look Down on their ill-fated 2006 U.S. tour. This event is free and open to the public. Eclipse Records is located at 1922 University Avenue, Saint Paul.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Two upcoming lecture events in the Walker Art Center's Drawn Here series may be of interest to the College of Design community.

David Adjaye (Adjaye/Associates) will speak on November 8 at 7 p.m. in the Walker's Cinema. Admission is $8 ($5 for Walker members). London-based Adjaye is known for designs that explore the "dualities of private retreat and public engagement." His projects -- including the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo (2005), the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver (2007), and planned five-star hotel and residences in Saint Paul -- "address the challenges of designing multipurpose spaces for diverse communities."

Vince James and Jennifer Yoos (VJAA) will speak on November 29 at 7 p.m. in the Walker's McGuire Theater. Admission is free and tickets are available at the Walker's Hennepin lobby desk from 6 p.m. Minneapolis-based James and Yoos will discuss their "polyvalent approach to design in which architectural forms respond to a specific impetus: a client's procliviies, prevailing climatic conditions, or the desire to reframe social interactions." The pair's acclaimed projects include Dayton House (1997), the Minneapolis Rowing Club Boathouse (2001), the Hostler Student Center at the American University of Beirut (2007), Tulane University Center, New Orleans (2007), residential loft projects in New York and Chicago, and an upcoming University of Cincinnati gatehouse.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Workshops on using ARTstor -- a database of nearly 550,000 downloadable art images -- will be offered on November 8 and 9 in 120 Anderson Library.

Images of paintings, sculptures, drawings, etchings, prints, photography, and more by master artists around the world and throughout history can be downloaded and used in teaching, presentations, papers, and other academic applications.

The workshops are free but registration is required.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The University's $1M commercialization challenge kicks off November 5. This is a unique funding challenge by the Office for Technology Commercialization to help turn a University innovation into a real-world product or service. Up to $1 million in funding is available for clean technologies innovations; up to $100,000 for other innovations.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Institute on the Environment's November environmental roundtable, "Biofuels and Environmental Quality," will be held on Monday, November 12, 11:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m., in 105 Cargill Building for Microbial and Plant Genomics.

Mark David (University of Illinois), Gyles Randall (Southern Research and Outreach Center), and Nick Jordan (Agronomy and Plant Genetics) will be the featured speakers; David Mulla (Soil, Water, and Climate) and Paige Novak (Civil Engineering) will facilitate.

The roundtable will examine the impacts of non-cellulosic and cellulosic ethanol production on environmental quality.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 9:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Gertrude Esteros, head of the Department of Design from 1949-1979, is featured in Minnesota's Greatest Generation, a film series sponsored by the Minnesota Historical Society and your local library.

The film, "Gertrude Esteros: Right Here and Now," by Danyelle Draheim, will be screened on Sunday, November 11 at 2 p.m., at the Shakopee Library, 235 South Lewis Steet, Shakopee, MN.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dean Tom Fisher and John Koepke (Landscape Architecture) are co-chairs of the administrators conference -- "Preparing for the Inconvenient Truth" -- of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA). The keynote speakers are Will Steger, polar explorer, and J. Drake Hamilton, science policy director for Fresh Energy.

The keynotes take place Thursday, November 1, 4:00-5:30 p.m., at the Graves 601 Hotel, 601 First Avenue North, Minneapolis.

There is no charge for the CDes community to attend the keynote; however, because space is limited, please R.S.V.P. by Tuesday, October 30, 4:30 p.m. to Anne Schultz at schultz@umn.edu or call 1-CDES (1-2337).

Posted by Michael Fraase at 8:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Rick Endris (Student Services) donated pendants that will be auctioned off for the college's community fund drive.

E-mail your silent auction bids to Lisa Luttinen at mcdow008@umn.edu by October 30.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 2:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chris Reed, principal with Boston-based Stoss Landscape Urbanism will lecture on "Performance practices" Monday, October 29, at 5:45 p.m. in the Rapson Auditorium.

Reed's lecture outlines a conceptual framework for design practices that engage a broader and more complex set of issues and conditions at the core of contemporary life: globalization, privatization, mobility, etc. It will feature current and recent work by Stoss: hybridized projects and design strategies for public landscapes across North America.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 1:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Architecture journalist Linda Mack will give a free lecture on the architecture and redevelopment of the Minneapolis riverfront on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2007, 7 p.m., at the Mill City Museum, 704 S. Second Street, Minneapolis.

Continue reading "Linda Mack lecture on architecture and Mpls. riverfront Nov. 1" »

Posted by Laura Weber at 4:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The School of Architecture and College of Design will host a reception for alumni and friends at the AIA-MN convention on November 13 from 4:30-6:00 p.m. at the exhibitors hall at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Alumni are invited to submit images of their recent work for a slide show to be exhibited during the reception.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Members of the M.L.A. class of 1987 will host their 20-year reunion on October 27, 2007, 6 p.m., at the home of alumna Liz Walton. For details, contact Kris Kruse at Dcsdan21@aol.com or 952-955-3257.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The College of Design alumni office and alumni society have posted the first edition of reDESIGN, a periodic, electronic newsletter designed to help keep alumni and friends connected to events and opportunities at the college and University. Current and future editions of reDESIGN are available on the CDes Web site. Contact Lori Mollberg for further information at lmollber@umn.edu.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Institute for Mathematics and its Applictions (IMA) is hosting the U.S. premier of the Jean Bergeron's film, Achieving the Unachievable. The screening, which is free and open to the public, will be Thursday, November 1, at 7 p.m. in 125 Willey Hall.

Bergeron's film investigates the mathematical completion of M.C. Escher's "Print Gallery" by Hendrik Lenstra. Filmmaker Jean Bergeron will be available to answer questions after the screening.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jennifer Yoos (Vincent James Associates Architects), Marc Swackhamer (slvDESIGN), George Mahoney (Solv Studio), and Andrew Comfort (Q-BA-MAZE) will participate in a panel discussion, "Design process and digital fabrication," as part of the Here by Design III exhibition.

The panel discussion will take place on Thursday, October 25, at 7 p.m. in 22 McNeal Hall, following a 6:30 p.m. reception outside the Goldstein Museum.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Housing Organization of University Students (H.O.U.S.) and the CDes Alumni Office are sponsoring the second annual housing studies alumni gala on Friday, November 9, at 6 p.m. in 274 McNeal Hall. There will be food, presentations, and a great chance to network with alumni working in the field.

Two current graduate students will present their research:

• Kim Skobba presenting: Housing "careers" of low-income individuals in urban communities and how the receipt of housing assistance influences their housing career paths.


• Marilou Cheple presenting: External panel/exterior thermal and moisture management system: A way to build energy efficient housing for low income families.

RSVP by November 1 to Elizabeth Sibet at sibe0009@umn.edu.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Greenlight, the College of Design's student-led sustainable design workgroup, is hosting an informational presentation and visioning session about the Solar Decathlon competition on Saturday, October 27, at 1 p.m. in Rapson Hall. The competition poses the challenge of designing and building a beautiful, comfortable home powered only by the sun. Students will present an overview of the competition and findings from their recent trip to Washington DC to research this year’s competition entries. This event is free and open to students, faculty, staff, and professionals -- anyone interested in learning more about the Solar Decathlon. It will also be an opportunity to contribute to the direction of the concept, design, and structure of the University's own entry for 2009.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 9:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Roger L. Martin, dean of the University of Toronto's Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, will present the ninth annual Shocker lecture on Monday, November 26, from 3:15-5:00 p.m., in the Carlson School of Management's 3M Auditorium.

Martin's lecture is entitled "Design and Business: Why Can't We Be Friends."

"As design becomes more important for business, designers and business people need to work together more. However, they tend to find the relationship difficult, challenging, and less productive than either side would wish. The purpose of the presentation is to give both designers and business people advice for working more productively with each other. It identifies the underlying schism between validity, which is favored by designers, and reliability, which is favored by business people, as the source of the relationship conflict. It then uses the key attributes of validity and reliability to form recommendations for each side to deal better with their counterparts. There are five practical and actionable things that designers can do to work better with business people and five equivalent things that business people can do to work better with designers. The presentation provides both sides a productive theory of the other and a prescription for utilizing the theory to promote more productive collaboration."

There is also a reception from 5-7:15 p.m. in the Carlson School Atrium. If you would like to attend the lecture and reception, you must RSVP to hce@umn.edu.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A focus group on a vision for the future of the Saint Paul campus will convene on Thursday, October 25, from 8-9 a.m., in 220 Coffey Hall.

• Download the working draft of "Defining the St. Paul Campus" (.pdf; 108Kb)

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AIGA Minnesota is celebrating its 30 year anniversary on Friday, November 9 from 6 p.m.-12 a.m. at the Five Restaurant & Street Lounge (2917 Bryant Avenue South, Minneapolis).

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Please join colleagues at upcoming campus forums on November 8 and 9 to discuss a University of Minnesota vision for a vibrant, culturally rich, sustainable community of 20,000-30,000 people that leverages the University’s academic mission strengths. Consider ways that research, teaching and learning, and public engagement –- especially as they relate to education, energy, the environment, transportation, health, and interdisciplinary opportunities, such as arts and culture, housing, and other issues –- can improve quality of life for citizens, the new community, and the broader region.

The University has initiated a concept master planning process to guide the development of a new community on 5,000 acres of University-owned property in Dakota County. Currently called the University of Minnesota Outreach, Research and Education (UMore) Park, the new community is being developed through a charge by the University’s Board of Regents. Development will occur over 25-30 years. See the UMore Park Web site for information on the vision and planning process.

Continue reading "UMore Park campus forums" »

Posted by College of Design Communications at 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The College of Design's domain name has changed to design.umn.edu (and www.design.umn.edu).

Please update your bookmarks, links, and e-mail signatures accordingly.

NOTE: cdes.umn.edu and www.cdes.umn.edu will continue to resolve to design.umn.edu for some time.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

James Timberlake, of Philadelphia-based KieranTimberlake Associates will lecture this evening at 5:45 p.m. in 100 Rapson. The topic of Timberlake's lecture is "Sustaining Architecture."

Timberlake is an adjunct faculty member of the University of Pennsylvania's School of Design where along with his business partner, Stephen Kieran, he explores the emerging interface between architecture as high art and the integration of developing technologies in materials science and product engineering. Timberlake is also the co-author of Refabricating Architecture.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CDes is a co-promotional partner for "Designature," the annual conference of MN AMA (American Marketing Association), to be held Tuesday, November 6 at the St. Paul RiverCentre.

Marketing professionals will hear how design serves as a brand's signature from speakers including architect Geoffrey Warner. Cost for co-promo partners is $249; $75 is the student rate.

Posted by Laura Weber at 2:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Goldstein Museum of Design celebrates the opening of its new exhibition, Here by Design III: Process and Prototype, with a dual-location party on Friday, October 19, 7-9 p.m.

Goldstein Museum gallery
Second floor, McNeal Hall
Wine, cheese, classical music and the curator's tour

HGA Gallery
First floor, Rapson Hall
Coffee, desserts, salsa music, and hands-on interactive activities

Innovations using digital fabrication techniques and rapid prototyping by leading Minnesota architects, designers, and researchers will be featured.

A free trolly -- leaving every half-hour -- will be provided between McNeal and Rapson Halls for both parts of the exhibition.

For more information contact the Goldstein Museum at 612-624-7434 or gmd@umn.edu.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 8:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thomas Insel, M.D., director, National Institute of Mental Health, will present the graduate school's annual Guy Stanton Ford Lecture on Tuesday, October 16, 12:15 p.m. in the Ted Mann Concert Hall.

Insel's address is entitled "From Neurons to Neighborhoods: Making the Link Between Science and Service."

Posted by Michael Fraase at 9:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jan Gehl, emeritus urban design professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, will lecture on Wednesday, October 10, 7 p.m. in 100 Rapson Hall.

The lecture is sponsored by the Urban Land Institute and the Metropolitan Design Center.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The College of Design is offering a new fall continuing professional education course, "Building code radon control requirements for new homes." The course focuses on the strengths, limitations, and critical aspects of Appendix F of the International Residential Code (IRC) as adopted as a statewide requirement of the Minnesota Building Code for residential buildings which go into effect on January 1, 2008.

The course also provides an overview of radon basics, radon health effects research highlights, and radon entry. Brief attention will also be given to ASTM 1465-07a, Standard Practice for Radon Control Options for the Design and Construction of New Low-Rise Residential Buildings and arguments to install active versus passive soil depressurization systems.

The course is taught by William Angell, director of the Midwest Universities Radon Consortium, president of the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists, and chair of the World Health Organization's (WHO) International Radon Project's Prevention and Mitigation Working Group.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007
6-8 p.m.
225 Rapson Hall

More information is available on the CDes Web site, and online registration is available through the College of Continuing Education.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Minnesota Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians (MNSAH) invites the submission of articles and books on the subject of Minnesota architectural history to the sixth David Stanley Gebhard award, which honors the late Minnesota-born SAH president and nationally renowned writer, whose subjects included this state’s architectural history.

Judging will be by a panel appointed by MNSAH. The winners will be announced and the awards, along with an honorarium, will be presented at the MNSAH annual meeting in March 2008.

Rules for the award program

1. Only articles or books focusing on some historical aspect of the Minnesota built environment will be considered. The major criterion is how well the book strikes a balance between scholarship and accessibility.


2. Books and articles submitted must have been published between July 1, 2005, and June 30, 2007.


3. There will be separate award categories for articles and books.


4. Judges reserve the right to withhold selection of an award if a minimum of three books or five articles are not submitted or if the submissions do not meet the criteria of the Gebhard award.


5. There is no restriction as to the author’s place of residence.


6. Applicants should send three copies of the nominated work to: David Stanley Gebhard award, c/o Victoria Young, University of St. Thomas, Dept. of Art History, Mail # 57P, 2115 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105. Materials will not be returned.


7. Submissions must be received no later than November 15, 2007. Earlier submissions are encouraged to allow judges as much review time as possible.


8. The award winners will receive a one-year membership in MNSAH and a framed certificate.

For additional information, contact Victoria Young at the above address, or call 651-962-5855 or email vmyoung@stthomas.edu.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The College of Design is a partner in E3 2007, the midwest's premiere energy, economic, and environmental conference. The November conference focuses on the intersection between innovative technologies, visionary policies, environmental benefits, and emerging market opportunities as related to renewable energy.

All proceeeds from the all-day conference will help fund the creation of the University's first endowed scholarship supporting students interested in pursuing a career in renewable energy and the environment.

November 27
9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Coffman Memorial Union

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

CDes and its Center for Sustainable Building Research are co-hosting -- along with the University and the Consulate General of Canada, Minneapolis -- Green Building North: Developments in sustainable building. The all-day workshop will feature the introduction of the eco calendar and a discussion of wood in sustainable building. Sustainable building projects in the region as well as Canadian green building projects will be showcased.

More information is available at the Pre-registration is required.

American Institute of Architects (AIA)
The University of Minnesota College of Design is a registered AIA continuing education service provider. This activity has been registered with AIA for 7.0 learning units/HSW. Check with your board of registration to determine if this program meets the HSW criteria for your jurisdiction.

For questions, contact Amy McBeth, Consulate General of Canada office, at 612-492-2903 or amy.mcbeth@international.gc.ca

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Carina Enbody, a liberal arts student at the University, has organized a reception and screening of the STAND documentary on sustainability. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, October 10, 6 p.m. in the Coffman Union Theater. Learn about the different levels of sustainability at the University and share knowledge, ideas, and inspiration. Free food, drinks, and t-shirts will be provided, along with a chance to win other prizes.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 6:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Wednesday, September 26, the Rapson Hall named spaces donors will be acknowledged with a short program at 5 p.m. in the lower level, outside the Metropolitan Design Center. An opportunity to view the named spaces will follow. Appetizers will be served on the lower level as well as the second floor. Contact Peter Rozga at rozga001@umn.edu or 612-624-7808 for more information.

Rapson Hall Named Spaces

• AIA Minnesota Studio


• Frederick and Ann Bentz Studio


• Kodet Architectural Group Conference Room


• Elness Swenson Graham Studio


• Meyer, Scherer, Rockcastle, Ltd. Studio


• John W. Cuningham Studio


• HGA Gallery


• W.L. Hall Workshop

Posted by Michael Fraase at 3:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Fall 2007 Ada Comstock Distinguished Women Scholars Lecture
Tuesday, November 13, 7 p.m.
Cowles Auditorium, Hubert H. Humphrey Center

Joanne Eicher (DHA faculty emeritus) is a nationally and internationally renowned faculty member and researcher on the cultural aspects of dress and fashion with special interest and expertise in Africa and Asia. Eicher's presentation, "Beyond the F Word: Fashion, Dress, and Cultural Meaning," will recount her experiences as a global fashion researcher and scholar focusing on her research in Nigeria, West Africa and Asia.

Register by contacting women@umn.edu or 612-625-9837.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Until now, there has not been a formal policy covering bereavement leave for faculty and P&A employees. There is now an administrative policy: Bereavement Leave for Faculty and Academic Professional and Administrative Employees and administrative procedures: Notifying/Requesting and Approving Bereavement Leave accompanying the policy. Within this policy, provisions are provided for paid bereavement leave for eligible employees experiencing a significant personal loss due to the death of an immediate or other family member as defined within the policy.

Administrative policies and procedures can also be accessed online through the University Policy Office Web site (click on "Human Resources").

Please familiarize yourself with the policy and provisions. As noted in the policy, it is the responsibility of the unit/department to do the following:

1. Establish unit-specific guidelines and procedures for taking of paid bereavement leave.


2. Inform responsible administrators/supervisors and impacted employees of the policy and procedures.


3. Track total days of paid bereavement leave used for annual reporting to the Office of Human Resources.

Posted by Michael Fraase at 1:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)