NEWSLETTER - January 12, 2024 |
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Welcome back, students, colleagues, and friends of the Huckabee College of Architecture!
As Texas Tech moves beyond its 100-year anniversary celebrations, entering its second century, I can’t help but reflect on 2023 as a whole with curiosity for the new, embracing the unknown, and looking forward with optimism to what lies ahead for architecture beyond the omnipresent buzzword of 2023 – artificial intelligence (AI.)
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Beginnings, a new year, a new semester, are a bit like starting a bicycle ride. The first few feet can be a bit wobbly; sometimes, we must put our foot down, restart, but once a few revolutions on the crank are made, things start to stabilize. The challenge is to swing the leg over the saddle, kick off with a few steps, and start pedaling. It's a bit counterintuitive, but two-wheeled vehicles become more stable at speed. Many might remember when we first pedaled on a bicycle; after a few moments of fear and uncertainty, gaining speed, the sense of forward motion sets in, and with that, a smile. We are in motion – ah, that wasn't so bad once we started, even wobbly, one was in motion, sensing the gaining speed and breeze in the face, actively pursuing the joy of motion. Not unlike beginning a new year.
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In Michael Sorkin's last book, "Two Hundred and Fifty Things an Architect Should Know" (Princeton 2021), "Thing" 87, he writes: "How to ride a bicycle" (please see the photo below). The left-leaning brain side of us might wonder why this would be important for an architect to know. Really? Thing number 88, he writes, "The depth of the aquifer beneath you," Thing number 89, "The slope of a handicapped ramp," and he ends the page with Thing 94, "The thrill of the ride." The brilliance of the late Sorkin is that he packed a lifetime of experiences as an architect, critic, author, and astute observer into a book accessible to non-architects, students, architects, and experienced educators/professors. Sorkin mixes pleasures and serious architectural thought and knowledge into this small book. I confess I did not know how deep the Ogallala Aquifer is, the water vein of West Texas, even though I call the Llano Estacado my home for decades. (Answer: 1,000 feet deep in some places. However, the average depth is estimated to be between 100 and 300 feet below the surface. In some areas, the water table can reach depths of 500 feet or more.) Sorkin achieves something rare, making us think and smile with a few words on a single page.
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Mies van der Rohe once humorously stated that the United States of America was especially invented for him so he could realize his vision of the 1921 Friedrichstrasse Skyscraper. Echoing Mies, I'd argue that the motorcycle got invented to travel the endless horizons of the High Plains and the American Southwest.
Thing 94 is my favorite, "The thrill of the ride." I wish you all a successful and happy 2024, and as Charles Eames once said, "Take your pleasures seriously."
Have a great semester, and I hope you are all off to a good start and rolling.
- Upe
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Commencement ceremonies for Texas Tech University's fall 2023 graduates were held on December 15th, 2023, at the United Super Markets Arena.
The Huckabee College of Architecture had 12 undergraduate and 3 graduate students who were granted a variety of degrees in architecture.
We are tremendously proud of the hard work and dedication of our students and send our best wishes as you embark on the next chapter of your lives. Congratulations to each of you!
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Assistant Professor Dr. Asma Mehan has been awarded a Scholarship Catalyst Program (SCP) 2024 Grant by the Offices of the President, Provost, and Vice President for Research & Innovation for her proposal on Adaptive Reuse of the Cotton Heritage Industry.
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Assistant Professor Dr. Asma Mehan presented her paper “Local Rights and Conservation Regimes in Noncolonized Countries: Historical Antecedents and Contemporary Dispossession” as part of a panel titled "Ecologies of Coercion: Comparative Perspectives on Environmental Conservation beyond Colonization" at the American Historical Association’s annual conference in San Francisco. The panel featured a lineup of urban historians, including Dr. Kyuhyun Han from The University of Rhode Island; Dr. Sean Lawrence from West Virginia University; and Dr. James Parker from Arizona State University, alongside Dr. Mehan.
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Associate Professor Dr. Sina Mostafavi has been awarded a Scholarship Catalyst Program (SCP) 2024 Grant by the Offices of the President, Provost, and Vice President for Research & Innovation for his proposal titled "WindCraft: Advancing Wind Integration in Architecture."
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Associate Professor Dr. Sina Mostafavi and Assistant Professor Dr. Asma Mehan presented in a panel at the closing event of the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023. Hosted by ECC, the event, titled "Shaping the City: Forum for Sustainable Cities and Communities," as held at the iconic Palazzo Michiel del Brusà in Strada Nova, Italy, on November 24th – 25th, 2023.
This segment of Shaping the City gathered a diverse group of local and international urban planners, academics, architects, and politicians who shared insights into their efforts in designing effective solutions for preserving the future of cities. The panels included contributions from experts and scholars affiliated with institutions such as the University of Stuttgart, TU Braunschweig, University of Calgary, Texas Tech University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, TU Delft, ETH Zurich, University of Utah, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Venice, and the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma of Kengo Kuma Associates, among others.
The recorded panel and presentation can be found here.
More information about the event is available here.
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We are pleased to provide additional information regarding the Huckabee College of Architecture's Next Step Prep Week, January 17th - 19th, in preparation for this year's 2024 Career Fair and future opportunities. All students are invited to attend!
NEXT STEP PREP WEEK:
Lunch Time lectures – The HCOA Student Union, together with the Student Development Committee of the Design Leadership Alliance, sponsor a series of brief in-person lectures and panel discussions. Pizza will be provided for attendees.
Lecture Topics:
Graphic Design
Cover Letters
Resumes
Portfolios
The Interview
Mock Interviews - An opportunity to practice interviewing with professionals who can give constructive feedback on resumes and portfolios.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS -
LECTURES - HCOA Gallery:
Wednesday, January 17, 2024 | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Friday, January 19, 2024 | 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
(Pizza provided for attendees.)
MOCK INTERVIEWS - LOCATIONS & TIMES TBD:
Thursday, January 18th, 2024
Friday, January 19th, 2024
For additional questions related to this year's Next Step Prep Week, please contact Darrick Wade, assistant dean of students, at darrick.wade@ttu.edu for more information.
We look forward to seeing you there!
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Students,
The student application is open now through February 11th for the 2024 Career Fair scheduled for February 20th - 22nd in the HCOA Gallery. This year we will have a lineup of approximately 50 employers joining us in person with numerous opportunities ranging from internships to full-time positions.
You can access your account on hire red raiders at https://ttu.12twenty.com/Login. Please be sure all your information is correct and have a link of your portfolio available. Please note, your portfolio link must be made shareable for the firms to access.
Please watch your email for additional information from the Hire Red Raiders team regarding the Career Fair.
The Career Fair Mixers will be held Tuesday, February 20th, and Wednesday, February 21st from 6:00 - 8:00 PM CST on the ground floor of the HCOA. We encourage students to attend and take advantage of this great opportunity to network with firm representatives and fellow students!
Please contact assistant director of alumni relations, Deirdre Odell, at deirdre.odell@ttu.edu with any additional questions.
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3rd Year Students,
Applications for the Fall 2024 Semester at Dongseo University in Busan, South Korea are now being accepted! This International Student Exchange Program will allow students to attend Dongseo University for architecture studios and elective courses. Two current 3rd Year students will be selected from the pool of applicants. Portfolios and statements of intent are due by Monday, January 29th, 2024.
SUBMIT YOUR PROTFOLIO AND STATEMENT OF INTENT HERE!
Please format your files to save as:
lastname_firstname_portfolio.pdf
lastname_firstname_statement.pdf (max. 250 words)
To learn more about this opportunity, please click the button below to RSVP for an upcoming information session that will be held later this semester. RSVPs are required no later than January 19th, 2024.
Additional information to follow.
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Donations are critical to the advancement of our program. With your contributions, we can fund our merit-based scholarships, recruit extraordinary faculty, fund research endeavors and improve our facilities. No gift is too small to make an impact on our students, faculty, and staff. If you're interested in giving, the Texas Tech University Office of Institutional Advancement has a convenient web portal for making secure, online donations to one of the established Huckabee College of Architecture funds. Click here to donate.
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