Fay Jones School Dean, Design Programs Recognized in 'DesignIntelligence' 2019 Survey

University Relations

Dean Peter MacKeith was named as one of 29 "Most Admired Educators - Architecture" for 2019 in the annual survey conducted and published by 'DesignIntelligence.'

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The dean of the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design and all three of the school's design programs have been recognized in the annual survey conducted and published by DesignIntelligence.

Dean Peter MacKeith was named as one of 29 "Most Admired Educators – Architecture" for 2019. This is an annual recognition of excellence in architecture and design education, and education administration, by naming outstanding professionals from these fields. The most admired educators are selected by DesignIntelligence staff with input from thousands of design professionals, academic department heads and students.

This is the second time the publication recognized MacKeith with this distinction, having been selected previously in 2017. Three other current and former Fay Jones School faculty members have been named among DesignIntelligence's "Most Admired Educators": David Buege, professor (2013); Marlon Blackwell, Distinguished Professor and E. Fay Jones Chair in Architecture (2015); and Jeff Shannon, professor and former dean (2011 and 2016).

As DesignIntelligence noted, "Dean MacKeith has a tremendous understanding of the big picture. He exemplifies this in pushing the limits not only locally, but nationally in design conversations and current construction methodology. He constantly has a pulse on the greater good for architecture and the impact that it makes. He is an encourager and challenges the status quo of the professors, students and profession alike."

MacKeith was recently reappointed for a second five-year term as dean of the Fay Jones School at the University of Arkansas.

"Dean MacKeith has been a leader in innovation at the university as a champion of cross-laminated timber in architecture and design," said Jim Coleman, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. "His leadership and work engages the state and creates life-changing opportunities for our students."

The survey of "America's Top-Ranked Architecture and Design Schools" is conducted annually by DesignIntelligence on behalf of the Design Futures Council. The research ranks undergraduate and graduate programs from the perspective of leading practitioners. DesignIntelligence has conducted surveys to determine the top ranked schools in architecture and design since 1999.

The Fay Jones School also improved in the 2019-20 rankings for the "most hired from" schools of architecture, landscape architecture and interior design, and it was noted as a "most admired architecture school," as reported through the DesignIntelligence 2019 School Rankings Survey.

The school again ranked No. 28 among the most admired architecture schools. With this listing, the leaders and hiring managers of design firms and other organizations offered a perspective on the relative strengths of architecture schools and how well graduates are prepared for professional practice.

The Fay Jones School was included in the listings of the most hired from architecture, landscape architecture and interior design schools. Schools were grouped into size categories based on the average number of graduates each year in their combined undergraduate and graduate programs.

Among architecture schools with 50 to 69 graduates, the Fay Jones School ranked at No. 10, up from No. 20 in last year's survey. For interior design schools with fewer than 20 graduates, the school ranked No. 8, up from No. 16 last year. Among landscape architecture schools with fewer than 20 graduates, the school ranked No. 14, up from No. 17.

A full explanation of the publication's approach to these rankings is available on the methodology page of its website.

MacKeith became dean of the Fay Jones School in July 2014, coming to the University of Arkansas from Washington University in St. Louis. Since his arrival on the Fayetteville campus, he has expanded academic and outreach programs, cultivated relationships with external partners and enhanced connections with alumni - all with the goal of adding value to the learning experiences of students, building resources for faculty and contributing positively to the economic development of the state and region through design.

In his first five years, he has raised the profile of the school in the design professions across the state and beyond, by fostering initiatives that generate design thinking, practice and research in service of critical problems of the made and natural environments, with particular focus on resiliency and sustainability, preservation design, retail and hospitality design, design for health and aging, and harnessing timber and wood resources.

As part of his five-year reappointment as dean, MacKeith will also now carry an important additional title of Special Advisor to the Chancellor for Campus Architecture and Design, recognizing the value placed on the insights and guidance that the dean of the Fay Jones School can provide toward creating and maintaining a functional, beautiful and inspirational built environment on campus.

Among the initiatives of the Fay Jones School is the creation of the Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation. Launched with a $7.5 million gift made by John Ed and Isabel Anthony in 2018, this planned $15 million facility will be a center of excellence for innovation in wood design and product development to expand the use of wood in architectural design, construction techniques and product design.

This fall, the school welcomed its inaugural group of graduate students under the Master of Design Studies, which has initial concentrations in Resiliency Design and Retail and Hospitality Design. The concentration in Integrated Wood Design will enroll students in fall 2020.

The school also recently established the U of A Resiliency Center, which is housed next to the U of A Community Design Center in downtown Fayetteville.

About the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design: The Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas houses professional design programs of architecture, landscape architecture and interior design together with liberal studies programs. All of these programs combine studio design education with innovative teaching in history, theory, technology and urban design. A broad range of course offerings equips graduates with the knowledge and critical agility required to meet the challenges of designing for a changing world. Their training prepares students with critical frameworks for design thinking that also equip them to assume leadership roles in the profession and in their communities. The DesignIntelligence 2019 School Rankings Survey listed the school among the most hired from architecture, landscape architecture and interior design schools, ranking 10th, 14th and eighth, respectively, as well as 28th among the most admired architecture schools. For more information visit fayjones.uark.edu.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs.