December 16, 2015
Ankerson continues leadership role at APDesign
Enhancing the interior architecture & product design department's lead as one of the College of Architecture, Planning & Design's top programs ranked among the best in the nation and continuing to make significant contributions to the K-State 2025 plan to be a Top 50 public research university are among Kathy Ankerson's many goals.
Ankerson will head K-State's interior architecture & product design department for another five years, doubling her time in the leadership role.
Ankerson was the 2014-2015 president of Interior Design Educators Council. She previously served the council as the academy administrator, director at large, and editor of the Interior Design Educators Council Record, and is currently the past president. Ankerson arrived at Kansas State from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln where she was an associate dean and professor. Before that, Ankerson also held academic positions at Radford University and Washington State University after spending many years as a practicing architect and designer.
A strong proponent of design education, Ankerson believes in the potency of interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary engagement, the value of design plus making, and embracing new technologies in addition to strengthening traditional design tools. She understands that design education today must prepare global design citizens who foster synergy, embrace successful collaboration, and recognize interconnectedness with an awareness of the responsibility of individual and collective actions in personal, social and environmental arenas.
Ankerson is an active author and has written multiple books published by Fairchild Books. Her book, "Illustrated Codes of Designers: Residential," received the 2013 Interior Design Educators Council's Book Award. She was the lead of the 20th Anniversary Nuckolls Lighting Grant activity harnessing nine other educators representing four major universities to initiate and produce the Web-based resource, Lighting Across the [Design] Curriculum, including a series of seven interactive modules. This resource was awarded the 2013 IDEC Media Award.
"Through leadership and deed, Kathy is an exceptional leader of exceptional program," said Tim de Noble, dean of the College of Architecture, Planning & Design. "She has marshaled the traditional strengths of IAPD in crafting a forward focused department and curriculum. She is a force at all levels — local to national — as evidenced by her leadership in the academy and the profession."