When Michael Speaks first became dean of the University of Kentucky’s College of Design, he got in his car and drove through the then-unfamiliar state of Kentucky.

It took him weeks, but the trip allowed him to talk to people and make connections.

He was able to better understand the problems the state faced, and how architecture could help solve these issues.

Syracuse University named Speaks as the new dean of the School of Architecture on Tuesday. He will start in the position July 1. SU officials said Speaks will add to the school’s growth because of his ability to easily make connections and create new opportunities for the university and city of Syracuse.

“He’s a good fit because he brings experiences and opportunities that are new and exciting to the university,” said Ted Brown, vice chair of the dean search committee.

He added that Speaks’ other strengths include his ability to fundraise, alumni relations and past experience as dean of a design school.

Speaks said he was interested in SU’s School of Architecture because of its curriculum. In recent years, he said, many schools have switched from five-year programs to four-year programs. SU has remained a five-year program, with which Speaks said he agrees.

He added that he liked that the curriculum focuses on urban planning and urban design and development, in addition to its emphasis on studying economic development.

“I knew of the work of Mark Robbins and the university’s larger agenda,” Speaks said of the former dean of the School of Architecture. “That’s what really attracted me to the school.”

When he visited downtown Syracuse, Speaks said he felt a deep connection with the city and the university’s involvement with its development.

Brown said Speaks’ emphasis on the development of Lexington, Ky., during his time at Kentucky made him stand out among the five well-qualified candidates.

Speaks became dean of Kentucky’s College of Design in 2008, when the economy was weak. Despite the college’s scarce resources and funding, Speaks was “remarkably innovative and successful,” Brown said.

During Speaks’ time as dean, Kentucky professors and students participated in projects that benefited the city of Lexington and neighboring communities.

Such projects included students and faculty creating new ways for the struggling houseboat industry in southern Kentucky to reinvent itself, as well as bringing in accomplished architects to consult on projects in Lexington, Ky., for new designs on worn and abandoned factory buildings, according to a March 19 Kentucky.com article.

“It’s a complex time for higher education, with the emergence of digital education and globalization,” Brown said. “He is able to recognize yet be productive regarding the fiscal challenges and environmental challenges that exist.”

As the new dean, Speaks said he hopes to work with the other colleges, specifically the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science. He said he wants to work with other SU colleges on different projects and help architecture students become more well-rounded.

Because of the connections he has made during his career, Speaks has a broad sense of global relations, which will benefit the university, Brown said.

“These relationships are important for the school, but are more important for the students,” he said. “It’s very much a global world out there, and his resourcefulness in emerging technology will better the students’ education.”

Speaks said he is excited to come to SU and work with School of Architecture faculty and students to enhance the opportunities that already exist. He added that he hopes to continue the collaboration between the city of Syracuse and the university.

“My belief that the purpose of a school of architecture or design is not simply to build beautiful buildings,” Speaks said. “It’s for improving urban planning and developments in the communities we live in.”

Published on March 20, 2013 at 11:30 pm

Contact Meredith: mhnewman@syr.edu | @MerNewman93