Architect and educator, Marvin J. Malecha, FAIA, dean of the College
of Design at NC State University, Raleigh, was named the 2003 recipient
of the Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education by the
AIA and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA).
The Topaz Medallion honors an individual who has made outstanding contributions
to architecture education for at least 10 years, and whose teaching has
influenced a broad range of students and shaped the minds of those who
will shape our environment.
In
selecting Malecha for the award, Jury Chair David Watkins, FAIA, and jury
members A. James Gersich, AIA (representing the AIA); Lawrence J. Fabbroni
(representing the American Institute of Architecture Students); and James
Chaffers, AIA, and Melvin Mitchell, FAIA (representing ACSA), commented,
Marvin Malecha has gained significant peer recognition, and his
efforts are supported by architecture school deans. He pioneered the practice
of using drawing as a method of instruction, and his case-studies approach
has bridged academia with practice. Marvin manages to keep all areas of
education in perspective, and his global bridging is noteworthy. He understands
the intrinsic value of international studies and has displayed vision
in that regard.
Deans Dean
In supporting Malecha for the Topaz Award, Frances Bronet, professor of
architecture, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, writes, Marvin Malecha
has a presence that is, in many ways, heroic. Among deans, faculty, and
ACSA Board members, he is described as a Deans Dean.
This refers to his mentoring of junior and senior faculty, his leadership
in administration, and his insatiable desire to help and be at the forefront
of national leadership in architecture education. His presidency of ASCA,
his 25 National Architectural Accrediting Board visits, and his chairing
of NAAB are just beads in the chain that make him a true leader in architecture
education.
For
12 years prior to his tenure at NC State, Malecha served as dean of the
College of Environmental Design at California State Polytechnic University,
Pomona. During that stage in his career, he wrote a series of published
essays entitled Interchange, which
defined the role and rights of students and faculty as they relate to
personal and professional development. His students and colleagues consistently
speak of Malecha as someone who strives to establish an environment of
free inquiry and acceptance. An example of his commitment lies in his
authorship of The Right of Inquiry.
Originally developed from a debate at a student-faculty meeting at Cal
Poly, the document has since been adapted by the American Institute of
Architecture Students as policy and forms the basis from which NC State
is developing a handbook of expected ethical practices. Malecha is also
well-known for a passionate belief in the absolute right of access to
an education for every individual. And despite his duties as dean, he
continues to teach classes every semester and expects the same of his
entire administrative team.
Malecha has served as president of the ACSA and the California Council
of Architectural Education, as well as vice chair of the AIA/ACSA Council
on Architectural Research. This year, Malecha was recognized as a distinguished
professor by ACSA, a national distinction that recognizes creative achievement
in the advancement of architecture education through teaching, design
scholarship, research, or service. As a Fellow of the AIA, he was instrumental
in establishing the Womans Initiative Task Force and the African
American Task Force for Diversity.
Bridging
education and practice
In his work with the Institute, Malecha has led the effort to promote
development of the Case Studies in Architecture program, as a teaching
tool to present fundamental tenets of practice. As cochair of the AIA
Case Study Workgroup, Malecha is working to facilitate growth of the professions
body of knowledge and increase collaboration between academic institutions
and professional offices.
He also has served as a visiting speaker and advisor for the European
Association for Architectural Education (EAAE). He is the only American
educator to have been recognized as an honorary member of the EAAE, and
it is through his efforts that the EAAE began holding a yearly conference
that seeks to bridge the gap between educational developments in Europe
and the U.S. He has also served as a member of the National Institute
for Architectural Education Teaching Office Task Force, and National Architectural
Accrediting Board, and as chair of the AIA Architects in Education PIA.
As a practicing architect, Malecha worked for many years for Hugh Stubbins
and Associates. In his nomination statement, his peers report that the
notion of education and practice lying along the same continuum is at
the heart of his philosophy, and he has encouraged others to find the
connections between the two. Malecha continues to maintain a design consulting
practice that informs and influences his work in the academy. The
search for knowledge forms the basis of a life in the academy, he
has said. This search is reflected through teaching, research, and
practice. It is a lifelong search.
Copyright 2002 The American Institute of Architects.
All rights reserved.
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