NewSchool of Architecture & Design Names Renowned Architect and Global Design Leader, Marvin J. Malecha, as President and Chief Academic Officer

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- NewSchool of Architecture & Design (NewSchool) is pleased to announce that world-renowned architect and global design educator Marvin J. Malecha, FAIA, has been named President and Chief Academic Officer, effective Jan. 1, 2016. Malecha, who most recently served as the Dean of the College of Design and Professor of Architecture at North Carolina State University, has more than 40 years of experience in academic leadership, architecture and global design education. Since 2010, he has served as an important member of the NewSchool Board of Directors.

"President Marvin Malecha has long been an advocate of NewSchool of Architecture & Design, and as a Board member, he has been deeply committed to our mission and the success of our students, faculty, and alumni," said Vivian Sanchez, Interim President and Chair, NewSchool Board of Directors. "As a highly awarded architect and educational leader, President Malecha's proven transformational leadership has instilled our confidence in his ability to guide NewSchool as we fulfill our ambitious plans for innovation in global design education and continued academic excellence. President Malecha brings a strong vision that will propel NewSchool forward as a leading global design institution."

Malecha served as the Dean of the College of Design for North Carolina State University from 1994 until December 2015, and for 12 years prior, was Dean of the College of Environmental Design at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

"I am eager to join NewSchool of Architecture & Design in this leadership capacity and look forward to fostering an environment where design-thinking is considered essential language of the creative discipline," said President Marvin Malecha. "As an intimate, tight-knit university community, I've witnessed how NewSchool has a certain agility, which is critical during a time when design and innovation are all about agility. The faculty and students here have a thirst to push design in new directions and to innovate.

San Diego itself is an emerging new urban center that's truly unique and an interesting mix of high-tech, high education and research, paired with a young population that's remaking the image of the city. I see a real convergence of energy here and look forward to pushing open the doors so practitioners and instructors can collaborate freely in discourse, connecting students with the practice of their discipline and broadening their perspectives."

Malecha is a highly awarded architect, thought leader and academic innovator, and has received the Excellence in Education Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), California Council and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards' Prize for Creative Integration of Practice and Education in the Academy. Malecha was ranked second nationally in 2005 for his influence on practice among architectural educators in the U.S. by Design Intelligence magazine and in 2006 the magazine named him Architectural Educator of the Year.

He is the only American educator to have been recognized as an honorary member of the European Association for Architectural Education and was also named Distinguished Professor by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) in 2002 for creative achievement in the advancement of architectural education through teaching, design scholarship, research or service. He received the prestigious 2003 Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education from the AIA and ACSA and, in 2006, was inducted into Sigma Xi, the scientific research society.

As an educator, Malecha has devoted considerable energy to international studies and integrating a global view in architectural and design academic programs. He has conducted seminars and lectures at universities abroad including in Belgium, Chile, Italy, Japan, Korea, Romania, and Spain, and recently conducted lectures and seminars in Antwerp, Belgium and Santiago, Chile, as well as in Bucharest, Romania, where he was presented with an honorary degree, the Professor Honoris Causa. Malecha founded a bi-annual conference between the Architecture Research Centers Consortium and the European Association of Architectural Educators (EAAE). He was recognized as the 1980 Rotch Traveling Scholar, a prestigious honor, established in 1883 and bestowed annually to a top scholar, allowing them to travel the world, documenting the experience in images, drawings and text. In addition to Malecha, the roster of Rotch Scholars includes many of the country's most distinguished architects.

Malecha earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Architecture from Harvard University. He has served on the National Architectural Accrediting Board, is a member of the California Council of Architectural Education, a Fellow in the AIA and has served as President of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA). Malecha also previously served as the Vice Chair of the AIA/ACSA Council on Architectural Research and as First President/President Elect (2008-2009) of the AIA. He also served AIA as the National President in 2009.

Malecha is a published author, and his most recent book, Being Creative: Being a Creative (Kendall Hunt Publishing, 2015), published this past June.

"I am excited and energized for the future of both NewSchool and of design education," said Malecha. "It's one of my goals to promote that design is a continuum, and we as educators are setting students on the path to be always learning and always innovating."

To read Malecha's full biography, visit newschoolarch.edu/president. For more information on NewSchool, visit newschoolarch.edu. 

About NewSchool of Architecture & Design:

Located in downtown San Diego, NewSchool prepares students for career success in design fields through an emphasis on interdisciplinary and global design skills, industry collaborations and real-world projects. Programs of study include architecture, construction management, product design, media design, game development, and interior architecture & design. The school's design environment provides inspiration for the school's students and faculty, recognized for their work regionally and internationally. NewSchool is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission. NewSchool's Bachelor of Architecture, Master of Architecture and Executive Master of Architecture programs are accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).

NewSchool is a member of the Laureate International Universities network – a global network of more than 80 campus-based and online universities in 28 countries. Through this network, students at NewSchool are prepared to work in a global and diverse work environment through the school's collaborations with sister institutions in the Laureate network, including award-winning schools such as Domus Academy in Milan, Italy and Media Design School in Auckland, New Zealand. For more information about Laureate International Universities, visit www.laureate.net.

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SOURCE NewSchool of Architecture & Design

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