Study Architecture 
ProPEL SCHEDULE
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Following is the preliminary conference schedule, which is subject to change. Please check back for the most up-to-date information. This year’s Administrators Conference will be held in-person in Fayetteville, AR on November 6-8, 2025.
Continuing Education
Obtain Continuing Education Credits (CES) / Learning Units (LU). Registered conference attendees will be able to submit sessions attended for Continuing Education Credits (CES). Register for the conference today to gain access to all the AIA/CES credit sessions.
Thursday, November 6, 2025
9:00am-3:00pm
4 AIA/CES HSW
E. Fay Jones Architecture Tour (Lunch Provided)
Pre-Conference Tour
Tour Guide:
Ethel Goodstein-Murphree, University of Arkansas
Ticketed Event
3:00pm-6:00pm
EXPLORE CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM
Crystal Bridges takes its name from a nearby natural spring and the bridge construction incorporated in the building, designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie. A series of pavilions nestled around two spring-fed ponds house galleries, meeting and classroom spaces, and a large, glass-enclosed gathering hall. Five miles of sculpture and walking trails link the museum’s 134-acre park to downtown Bentonville, Arkansas.
Crystal Bridges
Museum
5:00pm-6:00pm
Library Conf. Room
3rd Floor
6:00pm-7:00pm
1 LU
Great Hall
7:00pm
OPENING RECEPTION
South Lobby
Friday, November 7, 2025
8:00am
Transportation
Buses Depart Graduate Hotel Fayetteville for Fay Jones School of Architecture & Design, Vol Walker Hall/Steven L Anderson Design Center.
8:30am
Registration & Breakfast (Provided)
Young Gallery
2nd Floor
9:00am-10:30am
1.5 LU Credit
Session I
MANAGING COMMUNITY DESIGN CENTERS
Community design centers and outreach programs allow architecture schools to engage directly with local communities while providing students with hands-on learning experiences. This session explores best practices for managing these initiatives, including program development, partnership building, resource allocation, and assessment of impact. Participants will discuss strategies to balance educational goals, community needs, and institutional priorities while fostering meaningful, sustainable engagement.
Moderator:
Steve Luoni, University of Arkansas
Presenters:
Cathi Ho Schar, University of Hawaii
Laura Hollengreen, University of Arizona
Dan Pitera, University of Detroit Mercy
Classroom 210
2nd Floor
Session II
GRANTS, DEVELOPMENT, AND ADVANCEMENT TODAY
Effective fundraising and resource development are essential for supporting research, programs, and student success in architecture schools. This session brings together university administrators to discuss current trends, strategies, and challenges in grants, development, and advancement. Panelists will share practical approaches for securing funding, building partnerships, and cultivating long-term support, with attention to both institutional priorities and the evolving needs of architectural education.
Moderator:
Jose Gamez, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Presenters:
Stephanie Cook, Pratt Institute
Keith Greer, University of New Mexico
Cale Padgett, Kennesaw State University
Young Gallery
2nd Floor
10:30am
Break
11:00am-12:30pm
1.5 LU Credit
Session I
DESIGN-BUILD PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
Design-build programs offer architecture students transformative opportunities to connect design with construction, community engagement, and real-world problem solving. Yet, these programs also require careful management of budgets, timelines, risk, partnerships, and learning outcomes. This session examines models of design-build program management in universities, highlighting best practices and lessons learned. Participants will gain practical strategies for sustaining impactful programs that balance educational goals with logistical and institutional demands.
Moderator:
John Folan, University of Arkansas
Presenters:
Jeff Day, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Julia Lindgren, University of Texas at Arlington
Emilie Taylor, Tulane University
Young Gallery
2nd Floor
Session II
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES:
May Architecture Live in Interesting Times
Architectural education worldwide confronts unprecedented challenges: financial pressures, attacks on academic autonomy, technological disruption, and existential climate urgency. Yet history shows that such turbulent moments often spark the field’s greatest innovations. Join deans and directors from Australia, Mexico, Guatemala, and the United States for a candid conversation about what keeps them awake at night, what excites them about the future, and how global collaboration might help architecture schools not just survive these “interesting times,” but lead the transformation the world urgently needs.
Moderator:
Luis Rico-Gutierrez, Iowa State University
Presenters:
Deborah Ascher-Barnstone, University of Sydney
Homero Hernández Tena, Universidad La Salle
Ana Maria de Garcia, Universidad del Istmo
Roberto Sosa, Universidad del Istmo
Iñaki Alday, Tulane University
Classroom 210
2nd Floor
12:30pm-2:00pm
BUSINESS LUNCH (Lunch Provided)
Sponsored by Tau Sigma Delta (TSD), National Honors Society
Young Gallery
2nd Floor
2:00pm-3:30pm
1.5 LU Credit
CONNECTING ARCHITECTURE PROGRAMS TO INSTITUTIONAL MISSIONS
Architecture schools operate within diverse institutional contexts with unique missions and priorities. This panel brings together deans and directors to discuss how schools align their programs, research, and community engagement with their university’s broader mission. Panelists will share strategies for serving institutional constituents, balancing local and global responsibilities, and navigating the expectations of faculty, students, and stakeholders.
Moderator:
Peter MacKeith, University of Arkansas
Presenters:
Kate Wingert-Playdon, Temple University
Ed Mitchell, University of Cincinnati
Mike Steelman, Harding University
Julie Kim, Georgia Tech
Young Gallery
2nd Floor
3:30pm
Break
4:00pm-5:30pm
1.5 LU Credit
CORE VALUES IN HIGHER EDUCATION
What principles and value propositions define architectural education at multiple levels—from the individual student to the program, university, and society at large? This session invites commentary on the core values that guide architecture schools and how these values connect across the many components that shape the diverse contexts of architectural education. Participants will discuss strategies for articulating and leveraging these values to strengthen student learning, advance research, and enhance the societal impact of architectural education.
Moderator:
Ethel Goodstein-Murphree, University of Arkansas
Presenters:
Joseph Lucido, Palomar Community College
Michaele Pride, University of New Mexico
Quilian Riano, Pratt Institute
Jori Erdman, James Madison University
Young Gallery
2nd Floor
6:00pm
1 LU Credit
Auditorium
2nd Floor
7:00pm
1 LU Credit
RECEPTION
Smith Gallery
1st Floor
7:30pm
Transportation
Buses Depart Fay Jones School of Architecture & Design, Vol Walker Hall/Steven L Anderson Design Center. for Graduate Hotel Fayetteville.
Saturday, November 8, 2025
8:00am
Transportation
Buses Depart Graduate Hotel Fayetteville for Anthony Timberlands Center for Design & Materials Innovation.
8:30am
Registration & Breakfast (Provided)
Lecture Hall
2nd Floor
9:00am-10:30am
1.5 LU Credit
Session I
ASSESSMENT & LEARNING OUTCOMES CASE STUDIES: Undergraduate Education
How are architecture programs measuring what students learn? Speakers in these parallel sessions share case studies from that highlight innovative approaches to assessment and the articulation of learning outcomes. The session will explore methods that connect design education with professional competencies, accreditation requirements, and broader educational goals. Participants will gain practical insights into aligning curriculum, teaching, and evaluation to strengthen student learning and program effectiveness.
Moderator:
Marwan Ghandour, Louisiana State University
Presenters:
Clay Neal, University of Oregon
Mark Cabrinha, California Polytechnic State University, SLO
Paul Monson, Utah Valley University
Lecture Hall
2nd Floor
Session II
ASSESSMENT & LEARNING OUTCOMES CASE STUDIES: Graduate Education
How are architecture programs measuring what students learn? Speakers in these parallel sessions share case studies from that highlight innovative approaches to assessment and the articulation of learning outcomes. The session will explore methods that connect design education with professional competencies, accreditation requirements, and broader educational goals. Participants will gain practical insights into aligning curriculum, teaching, and evaluation to strengthen student learning and program effectiveness.
Moderator:
Mo Zell, University of Hawaii
Presenters:
Chandler Ahrens, Washington University
Craig Konyk, Kean University
Claudia Bernasconi, University of Detroit Mercy
Workshop Floor
1st Floor
10:30am
Break
11:00am-12:30pm
1.5 LU Credit
Session I
COMPETENCIES & LEARNING OUTCOMES
What knowledge, skills, and values should architecture students graduate with to be effective today and across a forty year career? This session examines the evolving competencies—design excellence, technological fluency, collaboration, sustainability, and social responsibility—that shape architectural education. Participants will explore how clearly defined learning outcomes not only prepare students for professional practice but also guide curriculum design, accreditation, and assessment.
Moderators:
Renée Cheng, Arizona State University
Beth Lundell Garver, Boston Architectural College
Presenters:
Ed Marley, Swaim Associates, LTD, Architects / NCARB
Jeff Day, University of Nebraska-Lincoln / NAAB
Lecture Hall
2nd Floor
Session I
FUNDED RESEARCH
Securing research funding is critical for universities of architecture to expand knowledge, foster innovation, and address pressing global challenges. This session examines strategies for building a robust research culture, from identifying funding opportunities to cultivating partnerships with government, industry, and community organizations. Participants will consider how funded research supports faculty development, enhances student learning, and strengthens the impact of architectural scholarship on society.
Moderators:
Peter MacKeith, University of Arkansas
Presenters:
John Folan, University of Arkansas
Julie Kim, Georgia Tech
Uli Dangel, University of Oregon
Workshop Floor
1st Floor
12:30pm-2:30pm
2 LU Credit
ADMINISTRATORS WORKSHOP (Lunch Provided)
The Administrators’ Workshop will facilitate a series of highly interactive, mentorship-focused conversations among new and experienced administrators on the challenges –and rewards– of academic leadership. (Sign-Up at Registration)
Moderators:
Renée Cheng, Arizona State University
Lecture Hall
2nd Floor
2:30pm
Transportation
Buses Depart Anthony Timberlands Center for Design & Materials Innovation for Graduate Hotel Fayetteville.
2:30pm-5:00pm
2.5 LU Credit
NAAB Workshop: How to Conduct a Successful On-Campus Site Visit
Post-Conference Workshop
Join NAAB for a workshop on the essentials for preparing for a successful accreditation visit under the NAAB 2020 Conditions and Procedures. This practical, hands-on session will feature presentations, exercises and Q&A time with NAAB experts. (Sign-Up at Registration)
Moderators:
Robin Hemenway, NAAB
Mark Mistur, Kent State University / NAAB
Lecture Hall
2nd Floor
5:00pm
Transportation
Buses Depart Anthony Timberlands Center for Design & Materials Innovation for Graduate Hotel Fayetteville.
2:30pm-6:00pm
3 HSW Credit
Contemporary Architecture Tour
Post-Conference Tour
Explore the dynamic architectural landscape of Northwest Arkansas, where innovative design meets cultural ambition. This tour features a curated selection of contemporary landmarks from world-renowned architect Marlon Blackwell, to thoughtfully designed public spaces and sustainable developments. Discover how architects are shaping a vibrant region through bold forms, material experimentation, and deep engagement with community and place.
Tour Guide:
Ethel Goodstein-Murphree, University of Arkansas
Ticketed Event
Conference Partners
Michelle Sturges
Conferences Manager
202-785-2324
msturges@acsa-arch.org
Eric W. Ellis
Sr. Director of Operations and Programs
202-785-2324
eellis@acsa-arch.org
