PULLMAN, Wash. – Ryan Smith has been named as director of the School of Design and Construction. His appointment will begin July 1.
Smith comes to WSU from the University of Utah’s College of Architecture and Planning, where he served as associate dean for research and community engagement. In that position, he encouraged the development of research teams, which led to a doubling of grant applications and an increase in externally funded projects over the course of three years. He also led the college’s research and outreach strategic planning process. Smith was the founder and director of the college’s Integrated Technology in Architecture Center, an interdisciplinary research center focused on sustainable building technologies.
His scholarship is focused on architectural production and, in particular, prefab design and construction. He has developed methods for quantifying the cost and schedule performance of panelized and modular built projects. Ryan also has worked to determine the amount of timber used and the ecological impact of wood prefabricated products.
Smith has conducted more than $3 million in research since 2005 with support from public and private agencies, including from the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Energy, and Veterans Affairs, and has authored or co-authored seven books and numerous journal articles.
He holds a Master of Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Arizona.
Contact:
- Tina Hilding, communications director, Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture, 509-335-5095, thilding@wsu.edu
