UF's College of Design, Construction and Planning's research showcase to honor the 150th anniversary of Morrill Act

January 24, 2013

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida’s College of Design, Construction and Planning sixth annual research showcase kicks off at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 1 in the gallery in the Architecture Building. In honor of the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act, the showcase will explore how being part of a land grant university has affected research in the college throughout the years. This year’s theme is, “Crossing Disciplines: DCP in a Land Grant Institution.”

“Since DCP’s faculty have a long tradition of serving the state through applied research and through professional training that brings real world challenges into the classroom, we wanted this year to highlight those connections to the celebration of the Morrill Act that helped create UF,” DCP Dean Christopher Silver said.

The showcase includes a poster session, faculty presentations and panel discussions, providing an opportunity for alumni and professionals to engage in discussions with faculty and master’s and doctoral degree students about the state of research conducted in the college and how it impacts the professions. The panel discussions will cover topics in architecture, building construction, historic preservation, interior design, landscape architecture, sustainability, and urban and regional planning.

This year’s keynote speaker is Jack Payne, UF senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, who will discuss, “Crossing Disciplines within a Land Grant Institution: the IFAS Perspective.”

“We look forward to the research showcase every year as a time for faculty and students to share our collective research initiatives,” said Margaret Carr, DCP’s associate dean for undergraduate students and academic affairs. “This year, in honor of the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act, we’re pleased to add a focus on the role of land grant institutions in research including the participation of UF’s vice president for natural resources and the environment and UGA’s dean of the college of environmental design. Both these individuals have much to say about the interface between our research agendas and our role as public servants.”

As part of this year’s showcase, the college’s historic preservation program will scan and document UF’s Century Tower using a 3D laser scanner, resulting in a three-dimensional “point cloud” model of one of UF’s most treasured landmarks. This model of Century Tower is part of the Envision Heritage initiative.

The initiative launched in 2012 to explore new and emerging technologies that can be used to document, preserve and interpret historic sites. The initial research projects of Envision Heritage utilize a 3D laser scanner to quickly and accurately record the physical design and conditions of historic buildings.

For full event details, view the schedule, and to participate in the rest of the Research Showcase, register online for $25.