Professors Jack Davis and Robert Dunay named Most Admired Educators of 2009

BLACKSBURG, Va., January 15, 2009 -- Jack Davis, College of Architecture and Urban Studies Dean and Reynolds Metals Endowed Professor of Architecture, and Robert Dunay, the T. A. Carter Professor of Architecture and Center for Design Research Director, have been named two of 26 nationally Most Admired Educators of 2009 by Design Intelligence.

Design Intelligence, the only national college ranking survey focused exclusively on design, annually selects educators and education administrators who exemplify excellence in design education leadership for this distinction. The disciplines of architecture, interior design, industrial design, and landscape architecture are included.

Davis became a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP) in August 2007 and a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) in 1999. He has received design excellence awards from the Blue Ridge Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), as well as from the Virginia Society AIA and the Virginia Masonry Council.
Since 1984, when he began teaching at Virginia Tech, Davis has been principal and co-principal investigator on more than $2.5 million in research grants. He continues to teach in the professional program in architecture. Davis had previously taught at the University of Florida and the Boston Architectural Center. In his professional career, he has worked in Cambridge, Mass., for the architectural firm of Cambridge Seven and Associates. He was the architect for the College of Architecture and Urban Studies Research and Demonstration Facility, a laboratory research center. Davis received a master’s and a bachelor’s in architecture from Virginia Tech.

Dunay is a member of the AIA and the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). He has previously served the college as an associate dean and director of industrial design. He is a primary faculty advisor for the 2002, 2005, and 2009 Virginia Tech entries in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon competition. Dunay’s most recent research centers on innovative fabrication techniques and processes. Exhibitions of industrialized furniture and material presence have been presented at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, and the Cologne Furniture Fair.
His recent awards include the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) Prize for creative collaboration between the academy and the profession; an International Design (ID) magazine award for innovative concepts; and the Virginia Tech Xcaliber Award for innovative technology. Dunay’s professional work has been published in national and international journals and has received five awards for Excellence in Architecture from the Virginia Society AIA. Recent contributions include testimony before the U.S. Congress regarding national energy issues and a unique challenge involving the design of a house for ABC TV’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The project was designed in one week, built in five days and includes design research integrating innovative building assemblies and architectural space.

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