Ruth Z. McCoy Professor Marsha Cuddeback has been named director of the LSU College of Art & Design’s School of Interior Design.

“Director Cuddeback’s appointment is a natural extension of her long and diverse service to the college,” stated College of Art & Design Dean Alkis Tsolakis. “Her experience, enthusiasm, and professionalism guarantee a bright future for the School of Interior Design.”

Cuddeback holds degrees in interior design, architecture, and design studies (sustainable design) from Ryerson University in Toronto and Boston Architectural College. She is National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) certificate holder, licensed architects, LEED Accredited Professional in Building Design and Construction, and is accredited by the International Living Future Institute.

Cuddeback’s administrative service stretches well beyond her directorial responsibilities at LSU. She has served as the teaching collaborative coordinator and chair of the Academic Integrity Task Force of the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC), as a member of NCIDQ Champions Task Force, and she currently serves as the director of teaching on the IDEC Board of Directors. She is also a practicing interior designer and architect in the firm Desmond Cuddeback Architects, which was awarded an American Institute of Architects Gulf States Regional Honor Design Excellence citation for the Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center exhibition building located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Her research interests include sustainable design theory and practice; ethics and the natural and built environment; a narrative approach to understanding the creation, selection, and application of materials; and the scholarship of teaching and student-centered learning. Cuddeback’s research support includes grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Louisiana’s Department of Social Services, Department of Transportation and Development, and Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. Her creative scholarship explores the relationship of natural and interior terrains. She has conducted research and published extensively on the subject of advancing teaching and learning pedagogy and was awarded the LSU Communications across the Curriculum (CxC) Outstanding Faculty Award in 2016. She is also the recipient of the LSU Tiger Athletic Foundation Teaching Award from LSU’s University College (2014), the Gulf South Summit Outstanding Service-Learning Faculty Award (2010), and the LSU Outstanding Service-Learning Faculty Award (2009).

Prior to her appointment as a faculty member in the School of Interior Design in 2012, Cuddeback served as director of LSU’s Office of Community Design & Development and was a faculty member in the School of Architecture. OCDD was established in 1999 as an interdisciplinary community outreach center funded through grants and sponsored research and committed to a practice-centered pedagogy strengthening the efficacy of student learning through a comprehensive approach to professional education, active learning, and assessment. During her tenure as OCDD director, the office was recognized by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards for creative integration of the profession in the academy.

For more than 10 years, Cuddeback served as Louisiana’s state intern development coordinator and as a member of the NCARB IDP Advisory Committee, and she was the IDP educator coordinator in the School of Architecture. Her efforts, in collaboration with the Louisiana State Board of Architectural Examiners and AIA Louisiana, were recognized with an AIA Grassroots Excellence Award for Component Outreach Communications. Before relocating to Southeast Louisiana, Cuddeback practiced in the office of Kallman, McKinnell & Wood Architects in Boston, Massachusetts and was associate director of academic affairs at Boston Architectural College. She was also the career advisor for the Career Discovery program at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design.

“Interior design is a growing profession rife with opportunities as we move further into the 21st century. How we design and build our interior environments to create innovative spaces that support human health, wellbeing, and productivity while respecting our natural environment is essential,” shared Cuddeback. “I am truly looking forward to addressing these challenges and opportunities with the students, faculty, and staff in the School of Interior Design as we continue to cultivate an outstanding professional degree program.”

Read more about LSU’s School of Interior Design at id.lsu.edu.