MAPP Honors Teaching Excellence, Exceptional Service with 2020 Commencement Awards

By Maggie Haslam / Jun 1, 2020 / Updated Jun 17, 2020

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Garth Rockcastle and student.

Thirteen faculty and staff from the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation were honored this spring for their dedication and unwavering commitment to the student experience as part of the school’s annual commencement award series. MAPP is pleased to honor the following individuals for their impact at the University of Maryland:  

Outstanding Teaching Awards

Each year, the school recognizes teaching excellence by professional track faculty, junior faculty and senior faculty with the Outstanding Teaching Award. This year, MAPP is pleased to recognize faculty who went above and beyond in transitioning the school to an online instructional platform, delivering supportive, engaging environments that foster collaboration and learning. 

 

MAPP’s 2020 Outstanding Teaching Award Recipients:

Professional Track Faculty: DTAG (Digital Technology Advisory Group) - Lindsey May, Alex Donahue, Ken FillerDouglas CrawfordBrittany Williams, and Julie Gabrielli

Senior Faculty: Peter Noonan (as part of DTAG Group)

Junior Faculty: Ariel Bierbaum

 

Dean’s Award and Outstanding Staff Award:

The Dean’s Award and the Outstanding Staff Award recognize the special contributions of one or more individuals each year to the overall mission of the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, by displaying outstanding leadership, teamwork and excellence in performance.

 

MAPP’s 2020 Dean’s Award Recipients:

Professor Garth Rockcastle is recognized for his significant contributions to the school over his 16-year career at the University of Maryland. Professor Rockcastle is a dedicated member of the architecture faculty, leveraging his award-winning creative practice to help shape the architecture curriculum and guide students through the process of making great places. He served as dean of the school from 2004 to 2010, and remains a sought-after mentor and advisor for both students and faculty. Garth led Maryland’s U.S. Solar Decathlon team to victory in 2017 with reACT, which took second place internationally and first in the United States. The project broke barriers in modular, scalable and affordable net-zero housing design. He continues to use reACT to inspire and engage students in experiential learning and has poised it to be UMD’s first interdisciplinary sustainability laboratory.

The school honors Clinical Assistant Professor Lindsey May for her leadership, vision and extraordinary efforts as interim assistant director of the Architecture Program. Lindsey was integral in shifting MAPP’s architecture curriculum online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic this past spring. Specifically, she led the school’s Digital Transition Advisory Group in creating an engaging virtual environment for Design Studio, capitalizing on digital tools of the practice to transform the studio experience with special consideration for the different student learning styles. Her creative problem-solving, “can-do” attitude, and resourcefulness helped deliver meaningful, collaborative experiences in the virtual environment. She worked tirelessly with students and colleagues to deliver the school’s first digital thesis review. Lindsey is a committed, inspiring part of the MAPP community.  

The School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation is pleased to honor Professor Carl Bovill for his decades of teaching excellence at the University of Maryland. Carl was the first architect of MAPP’s technology curriculum, redesigning course content to incorporate structural and environmental issues into the design process. His passion for the building sciences knows no bounds, most evident in his incredible generosity of time and spirit; he has been a guiding presence for junior faculty and students for over 25 years, in both professional development and expertise. He is an engaged, congenial member of the faculty community and a regular presence at school events. A gifted teacher, Carl is dedicated to his students and a nurturer of great ideas, going the extra mile to assure their proficiency in the design tools and technology that will bring them success as professionals.

 

MAPP’s 2020 Outstanding Staff Award Recipients

Assistant Dean of Internal Affairs & Budget Ingrid Farrell is recognized for her longstanding commitment to the administrative and business operations of the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, and the development and wellbeing of our community. For over 15 years, Ingrid has been guided by her “why,” a motto that defines her everyday actions at the university: pleasant, helpful and cooperative. Ingrid’s collaborative spirit and resourceful, calm approach to budgetary challenges has earned her a reputation across the university campus and the admiration of her colleagues. She is known for her boundless positivity, even in the toughest of circumstances. Ingrid is an ear and an advocate for the school’s staff and approaches conflict with wisdom and patience. Her commitment to the school and its mission has made MAPP an engaged and inclusive place to work.

MAPP is pleased to honor Career Services Advisor and URSP and PhD Program Assistant Kristen Tepper for her outstanding service. For five years, Kristen has built and grown the school’s Career Services, nurturing relationships with regional employers, organizations and alumni to connect emerging professionals to summer internships or their first post-graduate career. She adeptly guides students through the process of creating their first resume, interviewing and fine-tuning their portfolio to highlight their unique skills and passions. Kristen is generous with both time and encouragement. She is a fierce advocate and is deeply invested in each student’s post-graduate success. She has grown what was a modest annual career fair into an anticipated event for regional employers. As program coordinator for the Urban Studies and Planning Program, Kristen played a critical role in securing the program’s recent successful re-accreditation. Her resourcefulness, dedication and kind spirit are a boon to the school and the student experience.