The University of New Mexico

NEWS RELEASE


Contact: Carolyn Gonzales 277-5920
cgonzal@unm.edu

Jan. 18, 2007

Two UNM Architecture Faculty Receive National Awards

Two faculty in the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning are receiving awards from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture.

Geraldine Forbes Isais, director of the architecture program, will receive ACSA’s Distinguished Professor Award, the highest honor ACSA awards. It recognizes “sustained creative achievement in the advancement of architectural education through teaching, design, scholarship, research or service.”

Forbes Isais, who was ACSA’s first Hispanic woman president in 2002-03, said, “I’m phenomenally honored because I know this is one of the highest awards ACSA bestows on anyone.”

The award is generally given to a senior faculty with extensive experience within the profession and in teaching. Forbes Isais submitted professional work she had done and wrote about how her career has been a “zigzag because I go back and forth between being in the profession and in architectural education.”

Forbes Isais’ area of expertise is in the practice of architecture and how to translate it into architectural education. “I bring ideas that we experiment with in the office into the school,” she said.

Tim Castillo, assistant professor with an emphasis in architectural design and digital information systems, is the recipient of the ACSA/AIA New Faculty Teaching Award. The award recognizes “demonstrated excellence in teaching performance during the formative years of an architectural teaching career.” This national award is an honor bestowed upon the most talented young faculty in architecture.

“I am extremely honored, humbled by the fact that I was able to get the recognition,” Castillo said.

“I teach architecture with emerging technologies,” he said. He submitted a PowerPoint presentation demonstrating a body of work done in the past semester at UNM. It included a lot of digital video. “My students are learning to use digital technology to create new space and how to create architecture in that environment,” Castillo said. One of his students received an international award this year for his use of Form-Z software, he said.

“I use technology and revisit its use in my pedagogy,” he said.

Castillo is a native of Silver City, NM. “I came back to New Mexico because I am committed to the students here. I think we are headed in the right direction.”

Ric Richardson, acting dean of the school, said, “I am extremely proud of Geraldine and Tim, not just for winning these awards, but for bringing an attitude of commitment and excellence to their students and colleagues in the UNM School of Architecture and Planning. These awards bring national recognition not only to the school, but also the university as a whole.  We are lucky to have such talented faculty.”

Castillo and Forbes Isais will head to Philadelphia in March to the 95 th annual ACSA conference where they will receive their awards.

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The University of New Mexico is the state's largest university, serving more than 32,000 students. UNM is home to the state's only schools of law, medicine, pharmacy and architecture and operates New Mexico's only academic health center. UNM is noted for comprehensive undergraduate programs and research that benefits the state and the nation.

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