The architectural publication DesignIntelligence has named Frances Bronet, dean of the UO School of Architecture and Allied Arts, and Anne Godfrey, career instructor in landscape architecture, as members of its 30 Most Admired Educators of the year.

Bronet is described as “a big picture thinker” who is respected and admired for her efforts and success in creating collaboration among design disciplines. She has implemented courses and curricula that combine disciplines including architecture, engineering, science, technology, dance, and electronic arts. Bronet was also named a Most Admired Educator in 2011.

Godfrey, a UO faculty member since 2004, is described as “nothing short of visionary” in the academic world of landscape architecture. She is credited for her knowledge of design, unique teaching techniques, and connections with her students. Her research includes photographic meaning in the fields of landscape architecture and environmental design, representation of memory and experience, and the relationship between agricultural patterns and design.

Godfrey is the fourth UO faculty member to be named to the annual DesignIntelligence list in recent years. David Hulse, a Philip H. Knight professor in landscape architecture and founding member of the university's Institute for a Sustainable Environment, was honored in 2012. Linda Zimmer, associate professor and former director of the Interior Architecture Program, was named in 2007.

Above: Frances Bronet (left), Anne Godfrey (right)

Along with the Top 30 listing, the DesignIntelligence 2014 issue of America’s Best Architecture and Design Schools released the rankings of architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and industrial design schools. The UO’s architecture program continues in the nation’s top three programs for sustainable design education; the highly ranked program has been recognized multiple times as a leader in sustainable design education.

The undergraduate architecture degree program at UO is ranked overall at number eleven, moving up two ranks this year, and among the top four of programs at public universities. There are 154 accredited architecture programs in the United States.

“The School of Architecture and Allied Arts’ sustainability leadership comes from decades of innovation, integrated and excellent design, rigorous work, and many partnerships that continually push the boundaries of what the very notion of sustainability means,” said Bronet. “Being fourth in North American public institutions for overall design excellence is extraordinary. This ranking reflects our deep commitment to rigorous and thoughtful design and the capacities of our incredible students and faculty.”

Other accredited UO programs secured prominent rankings as well.  The Interior Architecture Program undergraduate and graduate programs were ranked number one in the western states. This top recognition continues the program’s longstanding position in the top tier among the nation’s 150 interior design programs.

The Department of Landscape Architecture’s graduate program was ranked second place in the western states and the undergraduate program as third. The program has been recognized as a “program of distinction.”

Research for America’s Best Architecture and Design Schools is conducted annually by DesignIntelligence on behalf of the Design Futures Council. The selection process for its annual rankings includes input from thousands of design professionals, academic department heads, and students. The research ranks both undergraduate and graduate programs from the perspective of leading practitioners who complete survey forms coupled with reviews from deans and heads of all programs. More than 1,100 professional practice organizations participated in the research.