UPDATED: March 19, 7:33 p.m.

Michael Speaks has been named the new dean of Syracuse University’s School of Architecture.

Speaks, who is currently the dean of the College of Design at the University of Kentucky, will start in the position July 1.

“The School of Architecture at Syracuse is among the most highly regarded in the country and the world,” Speaks said. “It always has very high rankings, the faculty are terrific, the students are terrific.”

Mark Robbins, former School of Architecture dean, stepped down in May of 2012. He was replaced with interim dean Randall Korman, who started July 1, 2012.

Vice Chancellor and Provost Eric Spina, who made the announcement of Speaks’ appointment, said Speaks was an excellent candidate because of his collaboration, ability to connect the School of Architecture to other colleges at SU, and the entrepreneurial leadership he has demonstrated.

“His sense of the world of architecture and his own accomplishments in terms of his scholarship, of his connectivity across this country and internationally, can really help position Syracuse University to continue to grow in terms of external connectivity,” Spina said.

The selection of Speaks closes a dean search that began early in the summer of 2012. Ann Clarke, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, chaired the search committee, and architecture professor Ted Brown served as vice chair.

Outside consultants Mirah Horowitz and Ilene Nagle from Russell Reynolds Associates assisted in the search.

Speaks was proposed as an option when the search committee first began creating a pool of potential candidates, Spina said.

Spina stressed the enthusiasm Speaks is bringing with him to SU.

“He’s really very, very enthusiastic about the position,” Spina said. “He understands very well that Syracuse architecture is one of the premiere schools of architecture in the country and around the world.”

Speaks said he was impressed by the work Robbins did in partnerships with Chancellor Nancy Cantor and the city of Syracuse. He said he hopes to continue these collaborations in the future.

Speaks is eager to speak with faculty, students and university officials to determine what opportunities exist and which ones SU will pursue.

“A lot of what we can do there is going to depend on what the faculty and students see as opportunities themselves,” he said.

After spending more time at the university and assessing the program’s strengths, Speaks will be able to determine how best to enhance them. He said this is what he did at his current position at Kentucky.

Speaks said he and Robbins share similar views on where the School of Architecture should go in the future.

“There are certain things I’m interested in, but so much of what Mark Robbins was already doing parallels the work I’ve been doing here in the state of Kentucky, and we want to continue that,” he said.

Speaks has taught courses in architecture and graphic design at universities like Harvard, Columbia and Yale. He also served as director of the graduate program at the Southern California Institute of Architecture, according to a Tuesday SU News release.

He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi and his doctorate from Duke University, according to the release.

Though Speaks has already visited campus, he said he would like to schedule a visit in the near future to begin discussions with the School of Architecture community.

Said Speaks: “I feel very honored, thrilled and happy to be coming.”

Published on March 19, 2013 at 4:37 pm

Contact Casey: cffabris@syr.edu | @caseyfabris