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MAXIMUM IMPACT Unrestricted gift allows department to use funds for greatest benefit PAGE 2
C O V ER S TO R Y
MA XIMUM I M PAC T
By Heather Sauer
Alumna’s gift offers freedom to pursue new opportunities
Dana Wilkinson supports student learning with an expendable gift. Photo courtesy of Wilkinson. Right: Some of the funding has been used for field-trip experiences and to bring guest experts to ISU. Photo courtesy of Joori Suh.
If you were a department chair, what would you do with an extra $5,000 a year in discretionary funds? An Iowa State alumna has provided one College of Design department with the latitude to choose where her gift will have the greatest impact. Dana (Willig) Wilkinson (BA 1978 Interior Design), Bettendorf, is the CEO of Paragon Commercial Interiors in Davenport. After three decades of steady annual giving, in 2012 she made a $25,000 pledge — $5,000 a year for five years — to establish the Paragon Commercial Interiors Design Excellence Fund. The expendable (cash) fund supports the “operations, priority programs and initiatives of the interior design department at the discretion of the department chair.” “What’s so unusual is she gave an unencumbered gift with no restrictions. 2
She only asked that it be used to pursue excellence,” said Lee Cagley (BA 1975 Interior Design), professor and chair of the Department of Interior Design. “This means we can direct the money based on our goals and the opportunities available.”
“Because of financial aid, fees must be set well in advance of a course being offered, and things can happen in between. We can’t charge students extra if costs increase unexpectedly or an opportunity presents itself later,” Cagley explained.
For Wilkinson, it was a chance to give back in a meaningful way.
Some of the funding has been used to defray costs for sophomores, juniors and seniors traveling to Minneapolis and Chicago. For example, students were able to visit the Richard H. Driehaus Museum — a restored Victorian mansion in Chicago — and the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park, Ill.
“I’m constantly talking with clients about what they need, so I can better plan their project. I realized I don’t know what the interior design department needs; they’re better equipped to decide how to use the gift,” she said. “I wanted to provide that freedom to think more creatively.”
Unexpected opportunities Over the past five years, the fund has been used to cover student field trip expenses such as admission fees, tours and other activities; to bring in guest critics and experts; and to publish studio projects, among other purposes.
“A small amount of help on a field trip makes a tremendous difference. You’re not impacting one or two or five students, but an entire class,” Cagley said. “The Driehaus was an opportunity that came up after students had paid their field trip fees. Without the flexibility of the Paragon fund, we couldn’t have taken advantage of that.”
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Expert input
Spreading the word
Paying it forward
In addition to augmenting field trip experiences, Wilkinson’s gift allows the department to bring in experts to interact directly with students and provide feedback on projects.
Money from Wilkinson’s gift also has been used to publish the work of successful studios, including the combat outposts project, which was featured in Interior Design magazine, and the fall 2016 Panama integrative design studio’s highrise hotel project, for which two ISU student teams won national Hospitality Design Awards. The results of last year’s senior studio, which looked at redesigning the College of Design, will be published soon.
Despite being a proud Cyclone, Wilkinson had not been back on campus or involved with the university until College of Design Dean Luis Rico-Gutierrez invited her to join his Advancement Council in 2011.
“When a guest with specific expertise attends a crit, it often helps us to understand the problem more clearly. After the combat outpost midterm review [with a military installation designer from Connecticut], we had a much better grounding from which to focus and define our solution,” said graduate student Nathan Thiese (BFA 2015 Interior Design), Des Moines, who has participated in several classes and field trips supported through Wilkinson’s gift. “With Skype, it’s hard to have a fluid conversation. Meeting in person allows more natural interaction,” he said. “Having a guest in our building also gives that person a more vested interest in what we’re trying to do. They tend to be more excited and engaging.” For another studio’s “house of the future” project in Los Angeles, designers from Kneedler | Fauchere — a showroom specializing in high-end materials for the trade — visited Iowa State to discuss what students thought luxury would consist of in 2060 and whether there would even be a luxury interiors market in a world likely suffering from water scarcity and other challenges. “Lee invited me to jury some of the grad projects at the end of that semester,” Wilkinson said. “I was astonished at the quality of concepts and the presentations these students made. They went well beyond my expectations.”
“These publications greatly increase our outreach and recruiting capabilities. Prospective students respond really well when they can see the kind of awardwinning work we do and that they could be a part of,” Cagley said. “Dana’s gift, by being untethered, makes it possible to pursue excellence in a variety of ways at a variety of student levels.”
Making lives better Following graduation from Iowa State in 1978, Wilkinson worked for a commercial interior design firm in Chicago, then moved to the Quad Cities and worked for a few years before founding Paragon Commercial Interiors in 1983. The firm now employs 15 people and focuses primarily on corporate offices, financial services, healthcare, higher education and senior-living environments. “What I learned at Iowa State and have carried with me on every project is that it’s not just about the aesthetics of design, but more about the people using the space we have designed and how that impacts their lives, and what we can do as designers to make their lives better,” Wilkinson said.
“Once I met Luis and understood his vision for integrated programs and the collaborative environment, I was so impressed and I felt such a sense of pride. Even though I didn’t get my degree in the College of Design (which opened in fall 1978), I feel like it’s my college,” Wilkinson said. “We hire interns from Iowa State and have had several talented design graduates on staff. The students I’ve hired over the years have well demonstrated the skills gained in the interior design program. They’re able to think on their feet and relate well to clients, and definitely have the knowledge and skills to work with the latest computer technology.” Wilkinson recently was elected to the ISU Alumni Association board of directors, where she looks forward to engaging with other alumni to support initiatives across the university. But the College of Design and the interior design department remain central to her philanthropy. “My main motivation is to ensure that the quality of education is such that it maintains the high level of professionalism I see in ISU graduates,” Wilkinson said. “I don’t meet most of the students who benefit from my gift, but I hope they understand it’s important to pay it forward.”
“Forever True, For Iowa State” is the university ’s historic initiative to raise $1.1 billion by June 30, 2020. The College of Design’s $14 million goal will support three key priorities: students, faculty and studios. To make a gift, visit the ISU Foundation website, www.foundation.iastate.edu, or contact College of Design Development Director Emily Kruse, (515) 294-7272, ekruse@foundation.iastate.edu.
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A LU M N I P R O F I L E
STA N & DO T T Y THURSTON
By Heather Sauer
Christian Petersen Design Award recipients lead by example
Left: Stan and Dotty Thurston outside their home in Des Moines. Photo by Chris Gannon. Above: Stan Thurston with, from left, Senior Vice President and Provost Jonathan Wickert, inaugural Thurston Professor Bruce Bassler, architecture Department Chair Deborah Hauptmann and College of Design Dean Luis Rico-Gutierrez. All other photos courtesy of the Thurstons.
Stan and Dotty Thurston share a life of leadership and service. Through their charitable giving, volunteer activities and advocacy, they support causes reflective of their values and experiences. As joint recipients of the 2017 Christian Petersen Design Award, presented by the College of Design, the Thurstons are recognized for their commitment to the education, health and welfare of others.
Campus involvement Stan (BArch 1969 Architecture), who grew up on a farm near Marshalltown, took architectural drafting courses in high school and enrolled at Marshalltown Community College for a year before transferring to Iowa State’s architecture program. “Very few people graduated back then,” he said. “I would not have been able to get through the program without the support of my brothers” in Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity, “who kept me on 4
track and got me involved in campus activities. That was an important part of my education.” Stan also participated in one of the first international opportunities offered by the architecture department. “We traveled extensively in Europe. We’d have class four days a week and field trips focused on architecture. It was a really rewarding experience. I think all students should have the chance to study abroad.”
Continuing care Following graduation from Iowa State, Thurston served
in the U.S. Army from 1969 to 1972 — including a year in Vietnam — and was awarded a Bronze Star Medal. He received an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1974 and began his career in the residential development business in Toronto before joining Life Care Services in Des Moines in 1977.
As part of a study-abroad program, then-students Geoffrey Grimes (BArch 1969), Gerald Kneeland (BArch 1971) and Stan Thurston (BArch 1969) toured a new shopping plaza in Tapiola, Finland.
Life Care Services was at the forefront of developing continuing care for seniors nationwide. Together with the construction management firm the Weitz Company, LCS has developed and manages more than 70 comprehensive senior communities, providing a continuum of services from independent housing to assisted-living and skilled-care facilities.
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“We interviewed residents to address concerns and put a lot of effort into training administrators, creating the culture to be successful with this model. Companies from around the world came to LCS to learn how to do this,” Stan said. Prior to his retirement in 2006, Stan served as LCS president, CEO and chairman of the board. Among their notable achievements, Stan and colleague Fred Weitz were able to get federal legislation passed that helped seniors obtain tax credits for housing. In recognition of his efforts, Stan was the recipient of the first Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Seniors Housing Committee in 2007.
Business background Dotty (BS 2000 Marketing) graduated from Cedar Rapids Washington High School in 1970 and studied interior design at Iowa State before leaving to start a family. She worked in banking and as a real estate agent, eventually becoming a certified residential appraiser for Hayes Appraisal and Associates, with her own office in Marshalltown. Dotty and Stan met in the early 1990s and when they married in 1994, Dotty and her three girls moved to Des Moines. When her eldest daughter, Kellaney Goodman, enrolled at Iowa State in 1996, Dotty went back to school, too. She earned an associate’s degree at Des Moines Area Community College and transferred to ISU to complete her marketing degree. She and Goodman (now Whiting) (BS Psychology) graduated together in 2000.
Priorities and passions “Because of Stan’s career we’ve had the opportunity to become philanthropic. Years ago, we created a mission statement about where we want to see our charitable dollars go and how to be effective in our giving,” Dotty said. “When we examined our priorities and passions, we identified four areas of focus: education, housing, faith and health. If people ask for support and it falls in one of these categories, we will consider it; if outside of them, we won’t. This allows us to have more of an impact on the causes that we love,” she said. Guided by these goals, the Thurstons have invested in the College of Design’s Curriculum-Based Design Outreach Fund, King Pavilion building addition and Rome Program. Since 2005, Stan has served on the college’s Advancement Council. In 2014, he established the Stan G. Thurston Professorship in Design Build to support the application of digital fabrication and other new technologies to design-build projects that benefit local communities. The Thurstons also established an Alpha Sigma Phi Foundation fund to help undergraduate students attend leadership programs. Stan has been active with Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity and Foundation for nearly 50 years. In 1999 he helped re-establish the Iowa State chapter, leading efforts to renovate a house christened “Thurston Manor” in his honor.
Housing and health
Since obtaining her degree, Dotty has Perhaps unsurprisingly for two people served on the boards of organizations who have devoted decades to helping including Greater others find homes, housing Des Moines Habitat was another clear priority. for Humanity, Blank “If a family can have safe, Park Zoo and DMACC clean, affordable housing, Foundation. She is a past it has a positive domino president of Anawim effect in their life,” Dotty Housing, a nonprofit said. “They’re not moving that helps provide as often, so they maintain affordable long-term the same friends, school rental housing in Des system and doctors. They Moines. In 2010 she cobecome attached to their founded 100+ Women neighborhood, and the Who Care, a group result is stability not only of women who come The Thurstons participate for that family but for the together quarterly to in frequent builds with Habitat for Humanity. entire community.” support local charities.
In addition to her decade of service with Anawim Housing, Dotty has co-chaired the Habitat women’s build in Des Moines and traveled four times to build houses in El Salvador. In 2008, the Thurstons joined members of their former church to help restore homes in Cedar Rapids’ Czech Village that had been badly damaged by flooding. After witnessing the impact of Alzheimer’s disease on his father, diagnosed in 1990, and his mother as caregiver, Stan became involved with the Alzheimer’s Association to improve the quality of research, treatment and support for patients and families. “It was difficult then to get a diagnosis and when you did, there was the question of who around here deals with that. The only place in Marshall County that would take an Alzheimer’s patient was the county home,” Stan said. “There was no support available. It made a real impression on me, and I wanted to do what I could to help.” Stan has served on the association’s Greater Iowa Leadership Council since 2007 and was a member of the national board of directors from 2014 to 2016. Two uncles also suffered from Alzheimer’s, and Stan’s older brother, Paul, is in the late stages of the disease. Stan himself was diagnosed in 2014, adding further urgency to his advocacy.
Promoting diversity The Thurstons’ newest venture together is LifeQuest Ministries, a nondenominational Christian organization they established with friends in 2015. “This fulfills part of our mission to support faith-based organizations,” Dotty said. “We wanted to create a more relaxed, accepting church that promotes diversity in all areas: culture, income, age, experience, etc. We now have about 30 members and it’s pretty exciting.” The Thurstons will be honored during Homecoming at the ISU Alumni Association’s 86th Honors and Awards Ceremony at 1:15 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, in Benton Auditorium, Scheman Building, Iowa State Center. Stan also will receive the ISUAA’s Alumni Merit Award at the event. All are welcome to attend. 5
A R T S O U T R E AC H
COMMON CHANNEL
By Heather Sauer
ISU artists’ work highlights value of Ledges State Park
Left: Curator Nancy Thompson, lecturer in art and visual culture, created six plein-air pastel paintings on location at the Ledges. Above and opposite: Graphic design Associate Professor Carol Faber’s “All That Glitters” and art and visual culture Professor Ingrid Lilligren’s “Tribute” capture the park’s color, light and sound. All photos courtesy of the artists.
An exhibition celebrating the geological history and landscape of one of Iowa’s state parks — and the elements that shaped it — opened in Clear Lake this month.
years ago,” said Thompson (BFA 2001 Integrated Studio Arts / MFA 2008 Integrated Visual Arts), who grew up on a farm near Woodward and visited the park frequently with her family.
“Common Channel: Responses to Ledges State Park” features three-dozen artworks by Iowa State University College of Design faculty and graduate students with a common interest in the Ledges and in nature art, said the show’s curator, Nancy Thompson, an ISU lecturer in art and visual culture.
“As a child, I spent many hours stomping the creek and hiking the trails, and I have enjoyed the park just as much as an adult. When the opportunity for an art exhibition presented itself, I discovered a shared appreciation for the park among colleagues and students,” she said.
The exhibition will run from Oct. 3 to Nov. 12 at the Clear Lake Arts Center and travel to other locations throughout Iowa. “Ledges State Park is unique among the state parks of Iowa. Water from glacial melt more than 13,000 years ago and the continuing erosion caused by Pease Creek, a Des Moines River tributary that flows through the park, have exposed the incredible sandstone cliffs that were created when the entire Midwest was covered in a vast ocean 300 million 6
“We hope our work will not only highlight the Ledges, but motivate Iowans to take a serious interest in all of our state parks so that future generations will be able to realize the common bond we share with the natural world.”
Different dimension The show includes a variety of media: black-and-white, color and digital photography; drawings and paintings in graphite, encaustic, watercolor, oil and pastel; and examples of mixed media, combining painting with found objects
and ceramics with mechanical devices, for example. Working mainly on Mondays from May to August, Thompson created six pleinair pastel paintings at various locations within the Ledges, a 1,200-acre park established in 1924 just south of Boone. She often works from reference photos in her studio, but for this project she completed her paintings entirely on site. “I felt like if I was on location it would bring a different dimension to the work. I’m out there experiencing the elements, and I only have a two- to three-hour window because the light changes. I was working larger than I normally do on site, so some pieces took me two or three sessions.” Thompson focused on “interesting rock formations,” moving from west to east through the park in a sequential narrative style. “My favorite is called ‘Reflections of Spring.’ I was standing in the
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shade looking south at this rock wall illuminated by the sun. All of the water in front of me was in shadow but reflecting these bright yellow-green leaves and the blue sky. It was almost fluorescent. You only see those kinds of colors in the spring.”
digital effects to evoke a feeling — “not how it really looked but a sense of what I experienced.”
Focus on water As suggested by the title of the exhibition, water is central to many of the pieces on display.
“I’m excited to share this work highlighting the beauty of Ledges State Park and to reach a broader audience beyond the university,” Thompson said. “I hope it resonates with people who know the park and love it, and inspires others to visit their state parks.”
“The inspiration for ‘Tribute’ came from Davis and Pease Creeks that carved the sandstone forming the gorges,” said Ingrid Lilligren, a professor and chair of the Department of Art and Visual Culture. “I made the pieces because I love the sound of water in the park; I wanted to provide exhibition viewers with an analogous experience.” The three ceramic forms are different sizes “to create variety in the resonance occurring inside each chamber,” Lilligren said. Each one has its own batteryoperated fountain pump and water system inside to mimic the burbling of a stream. The exterior references the layered sandstone.
Memories and emotions Color and light figure prominently in the work by Carol Faber, who sought to convey the emotional quality of the Ledges with her digital images. “Nothing is a direct representation of a particular place. It is combined imagery that encapsulates memories about Iowa and its landscape,” said Faber (MA 1990 Drawing, Painting, Printmaking / MFA 2004 Integrated Visual Arts), an associate professor of graphic design. “I’m a collector of images and materials, which I merge and manipulate to create a mood.” Faber captured all of her original digital photos while walking through the park one very hot, humid summer afternoon. “There was a beautiful blue sky and the sun sparkled on the water. I used a really fast shutter to capture the brilliant light and reflections.” Faber used water in each of the four resulting artworks, layering, intermingling and rearranging images with different
Water figures less directly but still plays a role in Robert Jinkins’ graphite drawing, “Totem.” Jinkins, a graduate student in integrated visual arts from Rewey, Wisconsin, found his subject — the remains of a deer carcass scattered along a streambed — while hiking down a ravine on the east side of the park. “I was looking for something unexpected. This deer with the detritus brought by the spring flood reminded me of Robert Rauschenberg’s sculpture, ‘Monogram.’ The whole scene — a collage of human, animal and natural interaction and intersections — inspired me to create this work.”
Broader reach Twelve artists will exhibit their work in the inaugural installation in Clear Lake. Additional faculty and students will participate in the show when it travels to the Boone County Historical Society in March and April 2018. Thompson is consulting with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources about incorporating the exhibition into the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Iowa state parks in 2020; she is also coordinating other venues throughout Iowa.
“Totem” by integrated visual arts graduate student Robert Jinkins.
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B E AU T I FI C AT I O N I N I T I AT I V E
CAMPUS CONNECTION By Heather Sauer
Collaborative project enhances college entrance plaza
“The crabapple trees had outgrown their slots in the pavement. Together with the bike racks in that location, the trees created a physical and visual barrier that impeded views and discouraged full use of the space,” she said. Above, left to right: A new earthen mound better defines the entrance space; field boulders provide informal seating and aspen trees frame the view. Photo by Chris Gannon. Landscape architecture Department Chair Carl Rogers helps determine placement of the boulders around the central staircase. Photo courtesy of Chad Hunter.
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In the past few years, the west side of the Iowa State University campus has seen significant changes, with several new buildings completed or under construction. Visitors to the College of Design this fall are being greeted with a greener, more welcoming entrance plaza intended to enhance the connection with its growing neighborhood and invite people in.
“President and Mrs. Leath believed that you’re inspired by your landscape and being outdoors, and we should help inspire students with the campus environment,” Martin said. “We thought some of the funding would be well spent on improving the front entrance to the College of Design to make it more inviting.”
Funding for the project — a collaboration between facilities planning and management, campus services and the college — came from former ISU President Steven Leath’s three-year campus beautification initiative, said Rhonda Martin (BLA 1986 Landscape Architecture), a landscape architect with facilities planning and management who led the entryway redesign effort.
While the college has expanded with additions completed in 2000 and 2009, no major changes to the approach from campus had been made since the building opened in 1978. The vast expanse of concrete contributed to harsh glare and a heat island effect, and over the years, “it had settled at least four or five inches and was cracked and broken in several places,” Martin said.
Martin and her team worked with landscape architecture Department Chair and Community Design Lab (CDL) Director Carl Rogers, CDL Design Fellow Chad Hunter (MLA 2014 Landscape Architecture) and landscape architecture students (now alumni) Alex Robinson and Rose Tashjian (both BLA 2017) to develop a design they hope will serve the college well for decades to come. Goals for the project included •
improving accessibility by bringing the slope into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act;
•
repairing/replacing broken and uneven concrete to enhance safety;
•
reducing the overall amount of concrete, thus reducing glare and heat gain at the entrance while making it more attractive;
•
greening the space with trees and native plantings;
Safety and accessibility
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•
providing informal seating to encourage interaction and make the space more welcoming.
A fruitful collaboration The design was developed late last spring and installation took place over the summer. Rogers and Hunter served as design leads and site managers on the project, with considerable student input. “We asked the students to create a space that would engage and invite people to linger and interact,” Hunter said. Robinson and Tashjian, who produced many of the sketches and computer renderings for the project, continued as CDL interns for a few weeks after graduation in May to help finalize the design. Landscape architecture student and facilities planning and management intern Shibani Debnath, New Delhi, India, also worked on the project, taking GPS measurements to determine the slope and preparing the quote document for the contractors, among other contributions. And architecture Professor Arvid Osterberg assisted with interpretation of ADA guidelines. “It wasn’t easy because of the site being diagonal with the circular opening for
the staircase inside all these angles,” Martin said. “We shared ideas and revised as necessary based on budget, time frame, long-term maintenance and other constraints. It was a great collaboration with lots of give and take.” In the end, 621 square yards of concrete were removed and 358 square yards were poured. Three crabapple trees were removed and bike racks were relocated. To better define the space, a new earthen mound was created, which will be sown with a no-mow, fine-leaf fescue mix. Fifteen large field boulders were added for informal seating and visual interest. Nine aspen trees and a range of native perennials and grasses — including butterfly milkweed, little bluestem, bee balm and blue grama — were planted. “The lifespan of a healthy crabapple is 30 to 50 years, so these had had a long life,” Hunter said. “They were so lowspreading that they interrupted the view; we replaced them (in different locations) with aspens, which have narrow trunks and a higher canopy. This helps frame the building and how you see out, increasing the connection between the college and the rest of campus,” he said. “We wanted to be sure it was something people would use and enjoy,” said
Robinson, now a landscape architectural coordinator and urban planner with HDR in Omaha. “We cut up the hardscape to bring some comfort into what was a cold space, and the plants really bring it to life.”
Enhanced environment The existing flow of traffic helped generate the design, Rogers said. “We stood outside during class-change periods to see where people were walking, so we could enhance those areas,” he said. Meeting ADA requirements also shaped the overall design. For instance, the site didn’t permit the necessary elevation transitions for an accessible route adjacent to the retaining wall on the plaza’s east side, so that became an opportunity to introduce native plantings, Martin said. The team completed the project in time for fall semester. The new bike racks, trees and perennials were installed the week before classes resumed in August. “It was a great project to cap off my Iowa State experience,” Robinson said. “I loved working as a team, doing the design and analysis and knowing what we did will be a part of the college environment for years to come. I think it’s a good improvement.”
Below: The redesign reduced the amount of concrete by nearly half and created a welcoming new entrance with grass, trees and perennials. Photo courtesy of Chad Hunter. Right: Native plantings soften and green the space. Photo by Alison Weidemann.
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O U T S TA N D I N G A LU M S
HOMECOMING AWARDS College, university honor distinguished alumni ALUMNI MERIT AWARD Established by the ISU Alumni Association’s ISU Club of Chicago in 1932 to recognize ISU alumni for outstanding humanitarian efforts that transcend purely professional accomplishments and bring honor to the university
Stanley G. Thurston BArch 1969 Architecture Des Moines, Iowa Stan Thurston has exhibited a lifelong dedication to service. A U.S. Army Vietnam veteran who earned the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service in 1971, Thurston’s commitment to improving the lives of others has been a lifelong mission. Thurston, who earned a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University in 1974, is the retired president, CEO and board chairman of Life Care Services. He began his tenure there in 1977 as director of project development and spent 29 years in service to the company before retiring in 2006. He earned the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Seniors Housing Association in 2007. Thurston also has been incredibly active with Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity and Foundation as an alumnus, including service to the Iowa State House Corporation from 1978-2013 and leadership roles on the Grand Council of the National Fraternity Board of Directors, Foundation Board of Directors and Board of Advisers. He received the fraternity’s Delta Beta Xi award for sustained alumni service in 1977, its Distinguished Service Award for lifetime 10 10 10
service in 2000 and its Distinguished Merit Award recognizing professional success in 2007. Other beneficiaries of Thurston’s leadership and generosity are Anawim Housing, LifeQuest Ministries, the Nature Conservancy of Iowa Board of Trustees and the Alzheimer’s Association. Thurston has been a member of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Greater Iowa Leadership Council since 2007 and was a member of its national board of directors from 2014-2016. Thurston, who has been a member of the ISU College of Design Advancement Council since 2005, is an ISU Alumni Association life member with his wife, Dotty (BS 2000 Marketing).
DESIGN ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Established in 1988 to recognize outstanding creative and professional achievements of alumni in all of the college’s disciplines
Patrick Dillon BA 1986, Graphic Design Studio City, Calif. An entertainment professional for more than 25 years, Patrick Dillon is an owner and one of the creative directors of B O N D, a Los Angeles creative services firm with clients including 20th Century Fox, Disney, Focus Features, Freeform, HBO, Lionsgate, Marvel Studios, Sony Pictures, Starz, Universal Pictures and Warner Brothers, among many others. Since launching B O N D in 2012, Dillon and colleagues have produced print and digital art and audiovisual elements for
television (Black Sails, Empire, Game of Thrones, Vikings, American Gods, etc.), film (Divergent, Doctor Strange, Mad Max: Fury Road, Passengers, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Straight Outta Compton, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Wonder Woman, etc.), HE and gaming (Batman Arkham Origins, Borderlands, Battleborn, etc.). Dillon previously served as art director of Enigma Records (1986-1990), Restless Records (1990-1995) and Dawn Patrol Inc. (1995-1999). In 1999 he co-founded creative boutique agency Art Machine LLC, quickly growing the startup into an award-winning print industry leader that merged successfully with Trailer Park in 2007. Dillon served as principal of Art Machine, a Trailer Park Co., from 20072010 and as executive creative director of video games for Trailer Park from 2010-2012. Dillon was honored with 2011 PromaxBDA MI6 Competition Gold Awards for Standout Print Campaign and Print Advertisement for Batman: Arkham City; 2009 Key Art Awards Teaser Poster for Terminator: Salvation; 2007 Key Art Awards Drama Poster, Golden Trailer Awards Drama Poster and Posterwire.com Poster of the Year, all for Hard Candy; and 2006 Key Art Awards Action Adventure Poster and Golden Trailer Awards Teaser, both for Lord of War.
Larassa Kabel BFA 1992, Craft Design Des Moines, Iowa Larassa Kabel is a visual artist who often uses photorealistic drawings, paintings and prints to address issues of loss, fear, compassion, gender and feminism. She wants her
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work to start conversations about the “sad, hard parts” of human experience and help people “support one another in a difficult world.” Her work — which also includes mixed media, sculpture and collaborative projects with other artists — has been exhibited in museums and galleries throughout Iowa and the US, including Chicago, Cincinnati, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, New York City, and other cities in Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana and New York. In 2015 Kabel co-founded Chicken Tractor, a nonprofit organization that creates professional development, exhibition, networking and microfunding opportunities for emerging and mid-career Iowa artists. In 2016, she received the first Dave Hurd Innovator of the Year Award from the Des Moines Arts Festival. The new award recognizes an individual or organization that demonstrates the pursuit of innovation in the arts. Kabel was an Iowa Arts Council Artist Fellow in 2015 and one of the Des Moines Art Center’s Iowa Artists 2010. Her painting of the Obamas’ dog, Bo, was selected for the White House Christmas card in 2012, and her colored-pencil portrait titled “Don’t Stop Believing” was acquired by the Des Moines Art Center for its permanent collection in 2014. Kabel is married to Christopher Snethen (BA 1992 English).
Vaughn Rinner BS 1974 Landscape Architecture Seattle, Wash. Vaughn Rinner, FASLA, recently completed her term as president of the American Society of Landscape Architects, the 15,000-member professional organization for landscape architects in the United States. A pragmatic visionary with a collaborative leadership style, Rinner has spearheaded the society’s effort to increase diversity
and broaden the understanding of landscape architects’ role in addressing climate change through green infrastructure and resiliency planning and design. Rinner’s involvement in the ASLA has been an integral part of her landscape architecture practice. She served as president-elect in 2015-2016 and vice president for finance and investments from 2010-2012. She previously chaired the finance and audit committees and the Professional Practice Network Council. Her chapter involvement includes service as chair of various committees as well as treasurer, president and trustee of the Virginia chapter. Since relocating from Norfolk, Va., to Seattle in 2014, she has been an active member of the Washington chapter. During her 40-year career, Rinner — who retired from private practice in 2014 — worked for firms small and large, including as owner of Vaughn Rinner Landscape Architect and vice president of LandMark Design Group in Virginia (1987-2010). She was active on the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards and served six years on the Virginia landscape architecture licensing board (2004-2010). She is a past president of the Virginia Urban Forest Council and former member of the Council for New Urbanism and Urban Land Institute Hampton Roads District Council management committee. Rinner has received numerous honors and awards, including the Virginia Chapter ASLA President’s Award (1992, 1993, 1995, 1996), Virginia ASLA Distinguished Service Award (2002), Virginia Beach Stewardship Awards (2009, 2010), Hampton Roads Woman of Achievement Award (2012), election to the ASLA Council of Fellows (2013) and ASLA President’s Medal (2014). Rinner and her husband, landscape architect Timothy Bell (BS 1974 Landscape Architecture), have two adult children, Vaughn Bell, an artist, and Jordan Bell, also a landscape architect.
College of Design alumni will be honored during Homecoming at the ISU Alumni Association’s 86th Honors & Awards Ceremony, Friday, Oct. 27. The public event will begin at 1:15 p.m. in Benton Auditorium, Scheman Building. A dessert reception will follow.
inspire Inspire is published twice per year by the Iowa State University College of Design and is mailed to more than 16,500 alumni and friends. Newsletter Staff Writer & Editor Heather Sauer Photographers Chris Gannon, Alison Weidemann Graphic Designer Alison Weidemann Contact Us 134 College of Design 715 Bissell Road Iowa State University Ames, IA 50011-1066 designews@iastate.edu design.iastate.edu facebook.com/CollegeofDesign Twitter: @ISUdesign Instagram: @isucollegeofdesign
Alumni Updates Have you married, moved, changed jobs, published or exhibited your work or earned an award? Let us know at http://www.design.iastate.edu/ alumni/share-your-news/. On the Cover Lee Cagley, professor and chair of the Department of Interior Design, has used funding from alumna Dana Wilkinson’s expendable gift to support studio experiences leading to award-winning student projects. Photo by Chris Gannon.
Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to Office of Equal Opportunity, 3410 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, Tel. 515 294-7612, email eooffice@iastate.edu
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Office of the Dean 134 College of Design 715 Bissell Road Ames, IA 50011-1066
VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 2 | FALL 2017
Three design programs ranked in top 25 nationally Iowa State University’s programs in interior design, landscape architecture and architecture are ranked in the top 25 in the United States, according to the latest survey of practitioners by DesignIntelligence. DesignIntelligence is a quarterly publication for leaders in design professions. The magazine’s annual report, “America’s Best Architecture and Design Schools,” is the only national college ranking survey that focuses exclusively on design. The report placed Iowa State’s graduate interior design program in the top 10 — ninth in the nation — for 2017-18. The program ranked 10th in 2008-09 and 15th in 2007-08. Savannah College
of Art and Design ranked first this year, followed by Rhode Island School of Design and Pratt Institute. Because few graduate interior design programs are accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, many nonaccredited programs were listed as choices in the survey, and write-in responses were allowed. ISU’s undergraduate landscape architecture program placed 11th this year and has rated among the top 15 programs for 12 of the past 13 years. (DesignIntelligence began ranking landscape architecture programs in 2005.) Harvard University ranked first, followed by the University of Pennsylvania and Louisiana State University. There are 43 accredited landscape architecture
undergraduate programs in the US, of which 28 — like Iowa State’s — are professional BLA programs. Iowa State’s undergraduate architecture program is ranked 22nd. It has rated in the top 25 for 13 of the past 15 years. The list this year was led by Cornell University, followed by California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and Syracuse University. There are 55 accredited undergraduate architecture programs in the U.S. and two in Puerto Rico.