Advisory Council
The Advisory Council provides a partnership between the architecture profession and the MSU School of Architecture (SoA). Members are alumni and friends of the SoA who possess an excitement and passion for the MSU School of Architecture and are associated with well-regarded firms and related industries across the country. Twice a year the council meets in Bozeman to foster engagement with the MSU and Bozeman communities while assisting with fundraising and the creation of endowment funds. Additionally, monthly meetings take place online.
The purpose of the Advisory Council is:
• To establish a network of individuals, organizations, institutions and businesses that expands opportunities in instruction, research and outreach.
• To act as a catalyst in bringing together individuals, organizations, institutions and businesses seeking greater understanding, college collaboration, and involvement in higher education.
• To provide financial support for the betterment of the School of Architecture.
What it Means to Be an Advisory Council Member
History
On April 17, 1998, the first Advisory Council (AC) meeting was held at MSU’s School of Architecture and included six alumni — Wayne Berg, Warren Dean, Bill Hoy, Larry Hurlbert,Jerrily Kress, and Keith Rupert — invited by the Director of the school, Clark Llewellyn. Since that first meeting, theSchool of Architecture has hosted meetings each year and built a membership of over 50 architects and professionals. The AC now includes industry professionals in its membership and includes emerging professionals to support the school's relationship with recent graduates.
View the Advisory Council By Laws
Advisory Council's Impact
The AC provides a professional perspective on the academic topics of curriculum, design, innovation and architectural trends. The council participates in fundraising activities, lectures, competitions, design studios, and foreign travel. With the help of the MSU Alumni Foundation, the AC established the Endowment for Excellence which creates a sustainable future for the school. In addition, alumni on the council have been leaders in fundraising for the Visiting Professorship Endowment that was initiated when approval was given by the MUS Board of Regents for MSU to retroactively award Master of Architecture degrees to MSU graduates who received a Bachelor of Architecture degree prior to 1997. The Visiting Professor Endowment allows the school to invite a visiting scholar to teach in the school every year.
In 2023, the professional architecture program — Master of Architecture— received an eight-year term of continuing accreditation from the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). In 2014, the NAAB accreditation team highlighted the advisory council in its visiting team report:
"...It [Advisory Council] has been instrumental in establishing and funding a number of endowments. The council is active in advising students, conducting lectures and studio critiques, and providing internships. The SoA has a very strong connection with the alumni...and with...professionals...These professionals also help students prepare their resumes, mock interviews and provide employment."
2014 NAAB Accreditation Team
Advisory Council Committees
Each Advisory Council member sits on one of three working committees which support the School of Architecture across a spectrum of areas. These committees are:
Provide communication and liaise between the profession and the School of Architecture. Areas of responsibility include but are not limited to:
- Assisting the lecture and exhibits committees of the School in identifying, contacting and bringing lectures and exhibits to the School of Architecture.
- Maintaining the mentoring program.
- Supporting studio classes by participating and identifying professionals to sit on studio reviews in School of Architecture.
Faculty contact: Zuzanna Karczewska
Advisory Council Co-chairs: Laura Dornberger, Jesse Graden, Sid Scott, and Sam Ankeny
Engage the alumni of the School of Architecture in support of the School. Areas of responsibility include but are not limited to:
- Promoting, among firms, the School of Architecture Internship Program for fourth-year undergraduate students and graduate students, and supporting students in their pursuit of internships.
- Promoting and managing Advisory Council membership and annual giving.
- Identifying and leading fundraising campaigns in support of the School of Architecture.
Faculty contact: Michael Everts
Advisory Council Co-chairs: Mitch Conner, Steve Kwok, and Lauri Moffet-Fehlberg
Support the School of Architecture and the profession of architecture by increasing the social, cultural and economic diversity of students seeking an architectural education. Areas of responsibility include but are not limited to:
- Supporting the School of Architecture’s recruitment strategies through contact and engagement with high schools, community and tribal colleges and students.
- Identifying strategies to support recruitment visits to the School of Architecture for students whose social, cultural and economic circumstances would otherwise prevent travel to Bozeman, Montana.
- Identifying strategies and seeking funding within the profession and allied professions in support of scholarships and mentorship to increase the social, cultural and economic diversity of students and their success in the School of Architecture.
Faculty contact: Christopher Livingston
Advisory Council contact: Whitney Ward, Kurt Fehlberg, Sean Shearer, and Levi Wilson
How to Join the Advisory Council
The Advisory Council for the School of Architecture invites our alumni, industry professionals and friends of the school to consider joining the Advisory Council. The membership process begins with an invitation to one of the Advisory Council's meetings to see the Advisory Council in action. For those interested in joining the Advisory Council, contact the Director of the School of Architecture at architect@montana.edu.
Advisory Council Members
Across the nation, council members act as a conduit and “cheerleaders” for our school within the profession. They express their pride in the numerous awards the students, faculty and staff have received, in the quality of our graduates and in the continuous innovation that the school has demonstrated.
Every council member has an individual story to tell of why they attended MSU or why they have joined forces with the school. They take pride in being graduates of MSU and express their gratitude through their membership, generosity and participation in school events. The industry professionals who serve on the council work to connect allied professions to the School of Architecture. This alliance provides students and faculty with an awareness and understanding of industry trends while linking professionals with future architects. Council members range from principles in a firm to allied businesses to emerging professionals. The members offer advice to students based on their experiences in professional practice. Council members' presentations and workshops respond to student questions about life after graduation and address issues of work schedule, firm differences, salary, licensure, professional expectations, and employment opportunities.
Join us as we begin the next leg of the School's journey that began many years ago!
Advisory Council Officers
President
Lynn McBride
Partner, Mithun
Secretary
Jason Egeline
Vice President, CWG Architects
President-Elect
Whitney Ward
Principal, VCBO Architecture
Past President
Jim Beal
Principal, Cushing Terrell