Marsha Cuddeback has been named the Ruth Zimmerman McCoy Professor in Interior Design at LSU for the 2013–14 academic year. The recipient of this professorship is selected annually by the School of Interior Design and approved by the Dean of the College of Art + Design. The professorship provides support for research, teaching, and academic activities to a distinguished faculty member within the LSU College of Art + Design School of Interior Design.

The professorship was established in 1998 by Charles W. “Chuck” McCoy as a Christmas gift to his wife, Ruth, who received her bachelor of science degree with an emphasis in interior design from Ohio State University. The McCoys came to Baton Rouge in 1959, and soon after, Mr. McCoy became the president of Louisiana National Bank. In 1998 he was inducted into the Greater Baton Rouge Business Hall of Fame.

Marsha Cuddeback is an architect, licensed interior designer, and LEED accredited professional, and was formerly the director of the LSU School of Architecture Office of Community Design and Development. She is a principal of Desmond Cuddeback Architects, and has worked with John Desmond & Associates Architects/Planners in Baton Rouge and Kallmann, McKinnell & Wood Architects in Boston. Cuddeback has received degrees in interior design from Ryerson Univeristy and architecture from the Boston Architectural College. Currently, she is completing an MDS sustainable design degree from Boston Architectural College.

Prior to her faculty appointment last year in the LSU School of Interior Design, she was a professional in residence for eleven years at LSU: ten years in the School of Architecture and one year in the School of Interior Design. Her overall interests include the scholarship of teaching and non-traditional, student-centered learning; sustainable design theory and practice; ethics of the natural and built environment; and design for at-risk populations.

“The School of Interior Design is grateful to Chuck and Ruth McCoy for their generous support of our program. Professorships such as theirs provide recognition for exemplary faculty and vital resources to engage in research and scholarship. Marsha Cuddeback exemplifies the outstanding faculty in the School of Interior Design.  Her work on sustainable design theory and practice in interior design, funded by the professorship, will advance the program and make an important contribution to the discipline and practice of interior design,” said Jim Sullivan, Chair of the LSU School of Interior Design.

About LSU School of Interior Design
The LSU School of Interior Design program emphasizes creative problem solving, research and analysis, and graphic skills. Student activities are supported in the design studios, which form the core of the educational experience. Liberal arts, business, communication, and technical courses are required and complement the program’s strong emphasis on design. For more information, visit interiordesign.lsu.edu.

About LSU College of Art + Design
The LSU College of Art + Design supports programs in studio art, art history, architecture, graphic design, interior design, and landscape architecture. The college brings together a focus on creativity and expression, talented faculty, specialized concentration areas, outstanding studio and gallery spaces, and a connection to the community to create a dynamic program. For more information, visit design.lsu.edu.