AMES, Iowa -- An Iowa State University architecture professor is one of three in the nation to receive the Distinguished Professor Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture.
Professor Gregory Palermo was recognized for sustained creative achievement in the advancement of architectural education through teaching, design, scholarship, research or service. More broadly, the award honors faculty members for inspiring and challenging students, contributing to the architecture profession's knowledge base and extending their work beyond the borders of academia into practice and the public sector.
"Gregory's dedication to teaching through several innovative course offerings as well as his scholarly work on ethics in architecture make him a model of an active, engaged and passionate professor, continually growing intellectually and helping his students understand architecture in new ways," said Tom Fisher, dean of the University of Minnesota College of Design and president-elect of the ACSA, in a letter nominating Palermo for the award.
"I feel privileged that ISU colleagues nominated me and that a national peer panel recognized me with this award," Palermo said. "I'm also gratified that my work has made a difference in various academic communities, and feel fortunate that I can continue to contribute."
Palermo received a certificate and an engraved medal at the ACSA 96th Annual Meeting in Houston at the end of March. He also took part in the inaugural meeting of the College of ACSA Distinguished Professors, whose mission is to advance architectural education by mentoring junior faculty; identify and advocate for best practices in architectural teaching, research, creative work and service; and identify significant trends in architecture and nurture discourse about them at ACSA venues.
A member of the Iowa State architecture faculty since 1992, Palermo has devoted his teaching career to the ideal that architecture is a collaborative, "people-centered" profession involving socio-cultural, political, ethical and personal connections. This is reflected in his scholarship, including "Ethics and the Practice of Architecture" (John Wiley & Sons, 2000), co-authored with Barry Wasserman and Patrick Sullivan, which has become a standard in professional practice courses at institutions nationwide. He is also the author of numerous papers and essays presented at conferences and in publications such as the "Architectural Design Portable Handbook" by Andy Pressman and Contemporary Justice Review, and editorial board contributions to the Journal of Architectural Education.
Palermo is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, a past director and national vice president of the AIA, a past president of AIA Iowa, and a past director and president of the National Architectural Accrediting Board. He is an associate editor of Iowa Architect magazine, and recently completed a term as president of the Iowa State University Faculty Senate.
Prior to joining the ISU faculty, Palermo was engaged in architectural practice full time for more than 20 years. He was also an instructor, visiting architect and affiliate assistant professor at Washington University in St. Louis from 1975 to 1990.
ACSA is a nonprofit, membership association founded in 1912 to advance the quality of architectural education. All 125 schools of architecture in the U.S. and Canada are members, and 100 other universities worldwide are affiliates.
