Morgan State University Newsroom Morgan State University
The great divide between Town and Gown, the academic ivory tower and the real world of practicing design professional seems to be shrinking all the time. Just last month, a group of architectural educators for across the state including the School of Architecture and Planning’s (SA+P) own Sanjit Roy, Pavlina Ilieva, Jeremy Kargon, and Gabriel Kroiz spent the evening with American Institute of Architects (AIA) leaders and practicing professionals at the Center for the Built Environment and Infrastructure Studies (CBEIS) on Morgan’s campus. Conversations which trailed well beyond the scheduled meeting time focused on the the many paths and byways that students travel on their path from school to the profession.
Highlights of the evening included:
Montgomery College professor, Randy Steiner’s Question ‘What are the skills for a shovel-ready graduate?’
Architect Lee Driscoll’s telling of the “Seven Things We look for When Hiring”
1. Critical Thinking (can you think on your feet)
2. Individual definition of what they mean by ‘Architect’
3. Skill Set (aptitude for programs)
4. Hand Sketching
5. Presentation Skills both verbal and graphic
6. Design
7. Articulate thought process – Parti
According to Undergraduate Department Chair, Gabriel Kroiz, “Town and Gown hold many similar beliefs and just don’t seem that far apart”.
