Carl W. Matthews, professor and head of the Department of Interior Architecture and Design at the U of A, has been honored with the 2024 Keith Hooks Volunteer Excellence Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) and interior design higher education. 

Matthews began his service with CIDA in 2006 as a program review site visitor and was appointed to the Board of Directors as liaison to the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC) from 2009 through 2014. Following his two consecutive terms on the CIDA Board of Directors as an advocate for interior design programs and educators, he continued to volunteer for CIDA returning to program review service. Since 2006, Matthews has conducted 18 accreditation reviews and continues in this exceedingly impactful volunteer role today. 

In 2024, Matthews also served on a special task force examining the structural efficacy of CIDA's accreditation standards, making recommendations for future strategic development that support evolving program contexts in higher education. This kind of "above and beyond" service is emblematic of Matthews' contribution to both interior design higher education and to CIDA's quality assurance mission. 

"The board applauds Carl Matthews' long-term, exceptional leadership in the profession and as a CIDA volunteer," said CIDA Board Chair Rachelle Schoessler Lynn, FASID, CID, LEED Fellow. "Carl's focus on meaningful, strategic evolution is a hallmark of his service. His expertise, vision and generous collegiality are inspiring and worthy of the Keith Hooks Volunteer Excellence Award. The CIDA Board is absolutely thrilled to recognize him, and we congratulate him on his numerous achievements."

CIDA established the Keith Hooks Volunteer Excellence Award as a legacy to former Director Keith Hooks, whose 20-plus years of volunteer leadership immeasurably impacted thousands of students in CIDA-accredited programs.

"Congratulations to Carl Matthews on receiving this deserved recognition," said Peter MacKeith, dean of the Fay Jones School. "Carl has been a transformative leader for the Department of Interior Architecture and Design since his arrival to the school in 2012, but he has been a significant leader in the discipline for much longer. I am very glad for this honor accorded to Carl by his national colleagues. The Fay Jones School is privileged to have him on our academic leadership team and as a faculty colleague and mentor. Well done, Carl!"

Matthews joined the Fay Jones School in fall 2012 as a professor and coordinator of the interior design program. The program officially became a department in July 2013. As department head, Matthews provides leadership and vision for the future of the department; oversees its academic and administrative operations; coordinates curricula, coursework and teaching schedules; and mentors and recruits faculty.

Matthews came to Arkansas from the University of Texas at Austin's School of Architecture, where he was an associate professor in interior design and historic preservation. Prior to Austin, Matthews taught at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for 10 years. Before transitioning to academia, he practiced large-scale commercial design primarily in New York City and Chicago.

His research focuses on gender and identity issues related to the profession of interior design. His teaching focuses on upper-level design studios with a concentration adaptive use and preservation. Recent studio projects have proposed revitalizations for buildings in Hot Springs and Pine Bluff, Arkansas; Detroit, Michigan; and Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The Phnom Penh project was awarded the Council of Interior Design Accreditation Award of Excellence for outstanding practices in design education. View a video of the project here.

Matthews received a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from Oklahoma State University in 1983 and a Master of Science in Interior Design from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, in 1993.