Dean's Welcome

On Sept. 23–24, 2016, we celebrated the reopening of Hayes Hall with hundreds of alumni, friends, faculty, students and members of our university and surrounding community. It was a grand affair that showed just how beloved Hayes Hall is to our community. Indeed, it is a spectacular facility fully equipped to support our teaching, research and service in the place-making professions. 

The Grand Reopening also kicked off our 50th anniversary, setting the stage for a packed program of events on the history and work of our school. With our fully renewed Hayes Hall and the energy of those gathered within as inspiration, we looked ahead to the next 50 years — and the imperative to mobilize our professions on the grand challenges of our time. Provoking and informing this very conversation are the stories herein — from new research in energy-efficient façades to global capacity-building in food systems planning. 

It is a momentous time for the school and the disciplines and communities we serve. The conversations had at the Hayes Hall reopening made clear this sense of urgency is shared widely by our alumni and friends. All of this represents an opportunity to move forward together with renewed focus and energy. We look forward to continuing the conversation with you as we set the agenda for the next half-century of the School of Architecture and Planning.