College of Distinguished Professors September Newsletter

“Happy New Year” is how I greet students as the new academic year begins, with its promise of new classes and opportunities. With the new year comes new beginnings and resolutions, for both students and faculty.

I look forward to my year as chancellor of the College of Distinguished Professors. My predecessor, Patricia Oliver, accomplished many things that expanded the connections of the Distinguished Professors within the ACSA community, starting with an expanded website. Patricia instituted a monthly message from the College in the Friday Update, archived on our website. At the Annual Meeting In Saint Louis, the College was visible, with a fascinating panel, our awards for best paper and presentation, and a sold-out fundraiser dinner at the St. Louis Arch. Patricia also encouraged Distinguished Professors to propose panels for the upcoming ACSA Annual meeting, and she hosted many (zoom) happy hours.

Patricia Oliver pursued the creation of short video “Conversations with the Distinguished Professors,” which we hope will become an important series. Why Lead?, the first video conversation with ACSA Distinguished Professors, Kim Tanzer and Tom Fisher, is now posted on our website.  I would like to continue her goal of enhancing the visibility, and value, of the College and its Distinguished Professors.

In 2012, ACSA celebrated its 100th year anniversary with a landmark publication, Architecture School: Three Centuries of Educating Architects in North America. As the president of ACSA at that time, I was proud to be part of the planning process behind the book. As chancellor for the College of Distinguished Professors, I hope to encourage similar contributions to future scholarship among the many accomplished Distinguished Professors.

Each of the Distinguished Professors has an important story to tell, and I hope that ACSA and the College of Distinguished Professors could help you. I encourage you to strategize about how you will capture your story, your legacy. This can be important source material, laying foundations for future scholarship.

You can start building your story by updating your one-page profile on the ACSA website AND on our College of Distinguished Professors roster. Since 2010, each newly announced Distinguished Professor has a link to their award submission. Recent awardees have handsome descriptions of a career arc and accomplishments. In some of the earlier examples (including my own,) the material is incomplete. For those named Distinguished Professors before 2010, this material is missing altogether. If you would like to update your information, you could create a few pages and submit them to the ACSA.

The College’s ongoing efforts in supporting faculty continue with the recently created travel grants, annual awards for best paper/project, and plans for an annual fundraiser at the Annual Meeting.

I welcome the new year, with my fellow officers: Past Chancellor Patricia Oliver, Chancellor Elect Marilys Nepomechie, and Treasurer Thomas Fisher. I look forward to continued momentum in expanding the value of the College and its Distinguished Professors.

With best wishes,

Marleen Kay Davis, FAIA
Chancellor, ACSA College of Distinguished Professor
Professor, University of Tennessee College of Architecture and Design