Architecture & Design Homecoming Week events

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design will welcome back Jayhawks during KU Homecoming Week for two days of events that will celebrate the work of students, faculty and alumni. 

Events will begin Thursday, Oct. 24, with a Welcome Party and Alumni Awards ceremony at the Eldridge Hotel from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. This year’s award winners include Rick Embers, Jamie Koval and Kate Renner. David Hill, 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award honoree, will provide keynote remarks. 

Friday, Oct. 25, is 12K Day, a full day of events designed to develop connections between alumni and the school. The “School of 12K” represents the greater network of 12,000 students, faculty, staff and alumni connected by KU and design. 12K Day is a moment to share ideas and highlight the work produced by this community of designers, makers and creatives. The day will start with the 12K Alumni Design Forum: the Intersections of Education & Practice. 

The forum consists of eight fast-paced presentations by a multidisciplinary group of alumni design leaders punctuated by faculty and student-led discussions exploring the ways educational institutions and the design professions can work together to drive innovation. The speakers include David Altis, executive design director at VMLY&R; Amber Goodvin, social content leader at Hallmark; Stephen Hopkins, president of Shield Healthcare and Sport; Dana Karwas, director of the Center for Collaborative Arts and Media at Yale University; Brandon Kent, associate principal of Gould Evans; Shaun Lang, photographer with the Ayzenberg Group; Tony Marin, creative director at VMLY&R; and Douglas Pancoast, head of research & development for urban mobility at Robert Bosch LLC. 

After the forum, food trucks will be parked between Chalmers and Marvin halls from 12:30 to 2 p.m. 

At 1:30 p.m., afternoon sessions begin with a student leadership panel where student organizations will be available to present membership information to current students and share their organizational missions with alumni. 

Four demonstrations are scheduled to showcase school facilities and tools. Letterpress and Robotics Lab demonstrations will take place at 2:30 p.m., followed by Risograph and virtual reality at 3 p.m. 

Faculty will give 10-minute presentations on their research at 4 p.m. during the Gallery Talks session. 

12K Day will wrap up with the Final Friday Networking Event at 5:30 p.m. Students, alumni, faculty and staff will have the opportunity to gather for happy hour in downtown Lawrence. 

All events are free. See event site for more information and to RSVP.