Personal Statement

William Sherman is an Associate Professor of Architecture, an Associate Vice President for Research, and the Founding Director of the OpenGrounds initiative of the University of Virginia. As an architect and educator, his teaching and design research examine dynamic cultural and environmental processes through synergies between architectural design and complex systems ranging in scale from human physiology to global energy flows. Having completed terms as Associate Dean for Academics and the Chair of the Department of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, he teaches studios and courses ranging in focus from sustainable buildings and cities to the design of spaces that encourage the teaching and practice of innovation across disciplinary boundaries. His work has been published internationally and has received numerous awards, including six from the American Institute of Architects, five for Design Excellence at the national, state and local levels and one for Excellence in Education. In 2010, he was awarded the Z Society Distinguished Faculty Award and the ACSA Creative Achievement Award. OpenGrounds will provide the places and programs that inspire creative research at the confluence of technology, science, the arts and humanities. New programs and spaces will serve as catalysts for cross-disciplinary research collaborations and new institutional partnerships to inspire the conception, development and implementation of transformational ideas.