2016 Professional Mentors

Each semester a wide variety of mentors come in our classrooms to expand the design students understanding of the design profession.  They come from around the region to pass on their expertise.

Junior student mentors:


Calvin Clawson, Facilities Designer, James H. Quillen VA Medical Center, was a mentor for the Junior Studio, discussing programming for the Children’s Optometry and Radiology Clinic.  His discussion included how to plan for MRI zones as well as government guidelines as well as safety and requirements for this type of facility.

Dr. Chris Dula,Professor of Clinical Psychology, discussed in detail the psychological components of designing a children’s spaces in the built environment.  He elaborated on a number of issues including theory, openness versus privacy, communication, sense of community, patient centeredness, perceived personal control, gender specific versus indigenous and noise reduction.

Both of these mentors will serve as a juror for the final presentation.

Sophomore mentors:


Tessa Jones, South Zone Color & Design Manager, PPG Architectural Coatings presented Color and Design Forecast 2016 to the Materials and Finishes students.  She discussed the in depth research that is involved and the global ramifications the paint industry has on design and the built environment.

Kent Kile, Kent Kile CSI, CCPR Architectural Manager, PPG Architectural Coatings presented Paint Specifications 101 to the Materials and Finishes and Studio students. Kent went into great detail about the 4 C’s of Specification Writing as established by Construction Specification Institute:  Clear, Correct, Complete and Concise. He also discussed paint systems and selection. ARCAT and the “how to” create a specification was explained.