SPOKANE – John Turpin, associate professor and chair of the Department of Interior Design, has been named by DesignIntelligence (DI) one of 25 “educators and education administrators who exemplify excellence in design education leadership.”
DI is a bimonthly journal for architecture and design professionals. It annually publishes a list of top educators and education administrators based on “extensive input from hundreds of design professionals, academic department heads and students,” according to DI’s website. The list includes educators from all the design disciplines, including architecture, interior design, industrial design and landscape architecture.
“I am very much a reflection of the people who surround me,” Turpin said. “I am inspired every day by the dedicated faculty I work with at WSU.”
This is not the first time DI has recognized the excellence of WSU’s program in interior design. In 2008, WSU’s graduate program in interior design was ranked in the nation’s top 10. Rankings are generated based on surveys of professional design firms around the country.
“What the ranking suggests is that our graduate students are doing extremely well in entry level positions,” Turpin said.
WSU interior design students also have taken top honors at major design competitions. For instance, in June 2009, WSU students won the top three honors in a national Retail Design Institute competition.
“We’re really coming into our own as a major force in design education, not just in the U.S. but around the world,” Turpin said. “Our alumni take important positions in major firms, get elected to key positions in professional organizations, and themselves become excellent educators.
“This award isn’t just about me but the synergy of talent and expertise that is the driving force for excellence in interior design at WSU,” he said.