A professor in the LSU School of Architecture has been named a recipient of a highly-coveted national award given by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Marsha Cuddeback will travel to Washington D.C. next week to receive the Component Excellence Award from the AIA, one of just five such awards being given out nationwide.

Cuddeback, who is also director of LSU”s Office of Community Design and Development (OCDD), is sharing the award with Lynn Robertson, executive director of the AIA Louisiana chapter; and Will Tegre, the state chapter’s president-elect. They are receiving the award for work they did last January organizing an Intern Development Program (IDP) Forum, which was hosted by the LSU College of Art and Design and brought together professionals, interns and students from across the state to discuss how to improve the efficacy of the intern development program. The IDP is one of three requirements for becoming a licensed practicing architect.

“This was the first time something like that had ever been done in a statewide initiative,” says Cuddeback. “The AIA and the State Board of Architectural Examiners got together and provided the resources for us to be able to facilitate that type of outreach.”

Cuddeback’s award is a testament to the School of Architecture’s engagement with professional practice and is a wonderful networking opportunity for School. More than 800 AIA leaders will participate in the AIA conference next week where the award will be given. It will provide opportunities for continuing education, networking, advocacy, celebrations, leadership skills development, and knowledge sharing among members and groups within the AIA family.

“We are honored to receive this award and thrilled to have the opportunity to represent the School of Architecture and the LSU College of Art and Design in Washington,” Cuddeback says.

Besides being a professor in the School of Architecture, Cuddeback is the director of OCDD, an interdisciplinary community outreach center in the College of Art and Design that provides technical assistance to non-profit organizations and communities in need. She is also the intern development coordinator for the La AIA chapter.