School of Architecture | Dean to take on second role as part of chancellor's administration
Mark Robbins to serve as advisor for architecture and urban initiative
By Megan Hess
Posted: 3/18/08, 1:03 AM EST Section: News
Mark Robbins, dean of Syracuse University's School of Architecture, has a second role to play.
Robbins was appointed as the university's senior advisor for architecture and urban initiatives March 4. He will continue as dean, but in his new role will also advise Chancellor Nancy Cantor and Vice Chancellor and Provost Eric Spina on SU's design and architecture initiatives on campus and downtown.
The appointment formalizes Robbins' role in raising awareness and highlighting the significance of architectural design during the past four years. The position was created specifically for him.
"It's not totally out of new cloth," Robbins said. "Chancellor Cantor has always recognized the importance of architecture design and its ability to shape the university."
Yet it's more of a role than a full position, Cantor said. The university has been involved in many signature architectural projects, which made Robbins' appointment to senior advisor natural.
"He will be an interface between (the university) and the world," Cantor said.
This additional role emphasizes the importance of architecture and the university's commitment to revitalizing Syracuse. The potential for downtown development will now be taken more seriously, Cantor said.
Robbins will also serve as a liaison for the university, architectural consultants in the city and developers in the region regarding matters of urban initiatives and campus planning.
Specifically, there are three projects that Robbins has led in the past four years that form a "triumvirate," said Randall Korman, associate dean of the SOA - the Seinfeld Studios, the Community Design Center and UPSTATE: A Center for Design, Research and Real Estate.
The Seinfeld Studios focus on adaptive housing and bringing visionary critics to speak to architecture students, giving them direct contact with real-world issues.
Shannon Sturm, a second-year graduate student in the architecture program, is working on the Near Westside Initiative. As a branch of the Seinfeld Studios, it helps revitalize deteriorated areas of the west side of Syracuse.
Robbins was appointed as the university's senior advisor for architecture and urban initiatives March 4. He will continue as dean, but in his new role will also advise Chancellor Nancy Cantor and Vice Chancellor and Provost Eric Spina on SU's design and architecture initiatives on campus and downtown.
The appointment formalizes Robbins' role in raising awareness and highlighting the significance of architectural design during the past four years. The position was created specifically for him.
"It's not totally out of new cloth," Robbins said. "Chancellor Cantor has always recognized the importance of architecture design and its ability to shape the university."
Yet it's more of a role than a full position, Cantor said. The university has been involved in many signature architectural projects, which made Robbins' appointment to senior advisor natural.
"He will be an interface between (the university) and the world," Cantor said.
This additional role emphasizes the importance of architecture and the university's commitment to revitalizing Syracuse. The potential for downtown development will now be taken more seriously, Cantor said.
Robbins will also serve as a liaison for the university, architectural consultants in the city and developers in the region regarding matters of urban initiatives and campus planning.
Specifically, there are three projects that Robbins has led in the past four years that form a "triumvirate," said Randall Korman, associate dean of the SOA - the Seinfeld Studios, the Community Design Center and UPSTATE: A Center for Design, Research and Real Estate.
The Seinfeld Studios focus on adaptive housing and bringing visionary critics to speak to architecture students, giving them direct contact with real-world issues.
Shannon Sturm, a second-year graduate student in the architecture program, is working on the Near Westside Initiative. As a branch of the Seinfeld Studios, it helps revitalize deteriorated areas of the west side of Syracuse.
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