The College of Architecture announces the appointment of David Karle to director of the Architecture Program. Karle previously served as interim director during the 2020 spring semester and assumes the director position August 17th.
Karle brings years of academic expertise and leadership to this position. He has been with the Architecture Program since 2010 teaching undergraduate and graduate architecture studios and theoretical courses such as Elements of Architectural Design, Urbanism and Project Territory.
Karle has been active building collaborations with a variety of stakeholders and professional organizations including developing a long-standing partnership with SGH Concepts and Dri-Design. The collaboration created a student scholarship/award program in 2014 which has brought in over $60,000 in additional funding to the college with 24 student scholarships awarded. The partnership bridges both theory and practice, bringing awareness to the university, the college and the construction industry.
Helping shape college and university policies and advance the discipline, Karle has served on the college’s Curricular & Student Affairs Committee (CSAC), representing the Architecture Program in reviewing changes to address topics related to undergraduate and graduate curriculum, scholarships, honors, awards and international programs. As program director and CSAC committee member, Karle aims to build strong connections with international and university partners to enhance student recruitment and faculty exchange; create more robust study abroad opportunities and student engagements and maximize the extent to which students pursue diverse degrees through new pathways within and across multiple disciplines.
Working to elevate the college’s contributions at the university level, Karle served on the ACE-10 Impact Project Committee helping shape course curriculum. Karle also represents the College of Architecture on UNL’s Faculty Senate, an essential element of the university's shared governance initiative.
Renown as an urbanism and architectural design scholar, Karle has presented at various design conferences, and his work has been widely published and esteemed by his peers. Karle’s writings have been published in the Journal of Architectural Education, MONU, Manifest, CLOG and Mas Context. Currently, he is a member of the editorial board at Magazine on Urbanism (MONU).
Karle has been awarded numerous accolades during his tenure with UNL including a Great Plains Fellowship by the Center for Great Plains Studies for his contributions in regional patterns of urbanism; the Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching by the College of Architecture for his sustained record of admirable teaching and innovative instruction; and the UNL Annis Chaikin Sorensen Award for outstanding teaching in the humanities. Among his peers, Karle is known for his tireless pursuit of student academic recognition, mentoring new scholars, helping them earn several awards annually in regional and national competitions.
“I am honored by this promotion and will work to sustain and facilitate current initiatives and build upon our program’s strengths and long-standing tradition of excellence,” said Karle. “I am dedicated to advancing our leadership and collegiality by supporting faculty, students, and staff.”
“David has served the Architecture Program tirelessly in many ways over the years,” commented College of Architecture Dean Katherine Ankerson. “I join the faculty with full confidence in his demonstrated leadership and look forward to watching the next chapter of the Architecture Program unfold.”
