February 12, 2015
Ornelas earns Richard Upjohn Fellowship from American Institute of Architects
Submitted by Communications and Marketing
Wendy Ornelas, professor of architecture at the College of Architecture, Planning & Design, or APDesign, has received the Richard Upjohn Fellowship from the American Institute of Architects.
Ornelas received the fellowship for completing three years of service on the institute's board. She served as the national regional director for the Central States Region.
Richard Upjohn founded the New York Society of Architects in 1857, and formally changed the name to the American Institute of Architects, or AIA, shortly thereafter, creating the organization that many are familiar with today. Ornelas completed her board term in December 2014.
Timothy de Noble, dean of APDesign said, "I'm very proud of all of Professor Ornelas' achievements. Her commitment to her students and the profession of teaching are unwavering. She is a credit to the architecture industry locally, regionally and nationally, as is evident in her long list of awards and accomplishments. It is because of the dedication and commitment of professionals such as Wendy that APDesign is one of the highest profile design schools in the nation."
Ornelas, a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, earned her bachelor's degree from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and her master's degree from Oklahoma State University. She has taught studio, marketing and management courses in the college. A former associate dean of APDesign, Ornelas also was director of the architecture department's academic internship program and the college's interdisciplinary doctoral program in environmental design & planning. She is a principal with Condia + Ornelas Architecture.
Among Ornelas' many honors include being named a Distinguished Professor by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture; the New Faculty Teaching Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture and the American Institute of Architecture Students; and the Henry W. Schirmer Distinguished Service Award from AIA Kansas. Ornelas is past president of AIA Kansas, past director for the West Central Region of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture and past member of the Intern Development Program Coordinating Committee. She also was a member of the advisory committee for the 2005 Internship Conference: Designing Tomorrow’s Architect. She served a three-year term on the National Architectural Accrediting Board, representing the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture.