“The professors have clearly made a difference in the spirit and quality of the work produced by the student. The education I'm receiving is preparing me for the real world because we integrate and apply real life situations into our design projects.”
	- Samuel Odamah, Junior, School of Architecture

Vision
Ideally situated in the epicenter of a vibrant metropolitan laboratory, the UTA School of Architecture strives to provide students with a rich learning experience and to prepare them with the advanced knowledge and skills required to serve society.

Growth
Established in the 1960s, The School of Architecture offers the only Architecture and Landscape Architecture programs in north Texas and is the only school in Texas with accredited programs in Landscape Architecture, Architecture and Interior Design all within the school itself.

Named Dean of the School in 2004, Don Gatzke brings skills and expertise from years of experience both in professional and academic settings. School of Architecture faculty are nationally recognized and represent a broad range of approaches, knowledge and ideologies in design education and practice.

The Dean and faculty maintain close relationships with local and state architects through affiliations with the AIA, Dallas Architectural Forum and the Dallas Architectural Foundation.  Through this interconnection with practitioner partners, the School of Architecture has aggressively responded with distinction to both the academic needs of its more than 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students and the goals of its faculty and the professional community:

• A visiting team from the National Architectural Accrediting Board recently described the school as “one of the best design schools in the nation.”
• During the last decade, students have won more than 140 awards in regional, national and international competitions.
• Through the establishment of the Dallas Community Design Studio, the School furthers it commitment to regional partnerships and outreach.
• Virtually every design firm in the Dallas/Fort Worth region employs UTA architecture graduates, and many of the firms are owned or managed by alumni.
• The School has undertaken an ambitious visiting critic and professor program, of which the newly established H. Ralph Hawkins Visiting Professorship plays a key part.

Future Direction
On one scale, schools of architecture are increasingly measured by the extent of their scholarly and creative contributions to the international dialogue on issues pertinent to the discipline. On another scale, they are measured on the beneficial impact of their regional engagement.

At UTA, both priorities are addressed through the creation of programs and partnerships that directly impact the quality and relevance of the academic curriculum.  Distinguished faculty and students, community design centers, high school career programs, international symposia, and scholarly publications are all vehicles for achieving academic excellence and reputation.  Discretionary funding and endowments that support visiting faculty and critics, graduate fellowships, existing shop and lab facilities, and new project start-up costs are essential for the UTA School of Architecture, a program of the first rank.

Contact
Donald Gatzke AIA, Dean
School of Architecture
601 Nedderman Drive, Box 19108
Arlington, TX 76019
(817) 272-2801
http://www.uta.edu/architecture/

Diane Cooper
Director of Development for Leadership Gifts
School of Architecture
Davis Hall, Room 421
Arlington, Texas 76019
(817) 272-5276