The Department of Architecture at Kennesaw State University welcomes Robert P. Alden AIA, LEED AP, NCARB who was appointed as the 2018 Focus Studio Faculty. He is an architect with over thirty years of professional experience on a wide range of project types and scales — including Georgia World Congress Center, 2002 Perimeter Summit Office Tower, the Reno Nv. Events Center, and 12th & Midtown, a 2.4M square foot, $270M mixed-used development in Atlanta. He has also taught at Chattahoochee Technical College in Woodstock, GA in the interior design program. Rob brings real-world insight to his 2018 Focus Studio entitled: Comprehensive Design and Systems Integration.

The Department also welcomes Soleen Karimas the 2018 Focus Studio Faculty. She currently works at Mack Scogin and Merrill Elam Architects as a Project Manager; and her project experience ranges from a single family, high-end residential, to civic buildings, urban design and architectural installations, most notably the US Pavilion in Detroit presented at the 2016 Venice Biennale. Soleen graduated from Georgia Tech with Bachelors of Architecture, Masters of Architecture and Masters of City and Regional Planning. Born in a refugee camp in Iran, Soleen combines her passion for social justice with her eye for design through her non-profit, Design4Refugees, Corp, an organization who aids refugees within camps. Soleen’s 2018 Focus Studio is entitled: Childhood Warscape.