When Victoria Meyers was an undergraduate student, she pursued a double major in art history and civil engineering. As dean of the Graduate School of Architecture, Meyers would use her experience in the arts and architecture to enhance the U’s program.
Meyers addressed students, faculty and local architects Monday afternoon during her visit. Meyers is the second of four candidates for dean of the Graduate School of Architecture to visit the U. During her lecture, she discussed some of her past projects, as well as changes she would like to bring to the school if selected as dean.
As programs Meyers would like to institute as dean, she mentioned a materials lab developed in conjunction with local industries, continued support of technologies, travel and study in the United States and abroad, and a dean’s council created for the discussion of the arts. Although Meyers offered a list of ideas for her tenure as dean, she was only trying to give a “very broad sense” of what she would do if selected for the position.
“It is not possible to say what I would do in a position,” she said.
Meyers said the U was in “very good shape” with computers and technological support for architecture students, and believes it is important for the U to remain at the “forefront of new technologies.”
She talked about a laboratory for the development of new materials and methods to create “sustainable cutting edge buildings,.” Meyers believes this would create a good “buzz” that would attract students and funds to the school.
Meyers has participated in fundraising before and feels up to the challenge of development.
“Fundraising is something I’m quite used to,” Meyers said. “I enjoy it a great deal.”
Meyers gained fundraising experience as an architect designing buildings for the performing arts. Many clients would approach Meyers wanting a building, but they did not have any funding for it .
“Raising money is a major aspect of these projects,” Meyers said.
Meyers also said the contacts she has gained from these fundraising efforts will help her raise money for the U.
Meyers has designed many buildings for galleries and the performing arts, and she thinks art is very important to architecture. As dean, Meyers would create a dean’s council to facilitate discussion among community artistic leaders.
Meyers believes in emphasizing the basics in teaching. Her studio projects have asked students to address the passage of time, look at landscapes as text and confront the ideas of memory, death and sacred space.