Donna W. Dunay, professor of architecture in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies at Virginia Tech, has been named the G. Truman Ward Professor of Architecture by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors at its quarterly meeting June 4.

The G. Truman Ward Professorship was established to honor a senior faculty a senior member of the architecture faculty.

Since joining the Virginia Tech College of Architecture and Urban Studies faculty in 1974, Dunay has dedicated her teaching and research to explore cultural and civic understanding in practice through design research. Her work has gained a wide audience through her leadership of the International Archive for Women in Architecture (IAWA).

As chair of IAWA, Dunay established the protocols through which the archive now operates. The IAWA collects and preserves the work of women architects throughout the word and is a critical source of information for researchers.

Active in town planning and policy matters for the Town of Blacksburg, she founded the Township Committee that has remained a strong advocacy voice for long-term planning for the past 20 years. She also led an international design competition focused on the Montgomery/Floyd Regional Library in down Blacksburg and has been recognized as an exemplary teacher in architectural design and town planning.

Dunay received her Bachelor of Architecture degree and her Master of Architecture degree from Virginia Tech.

The College of Architecture and Urban Studies is one of the largest of its type in the nation. The college is composed of two schools and the departments of landscape architecture, building construction, and art and art history. The School of Architecture + Design includes programs in architecture, industrial design and interior design. The School of Public and International Affairs includes programs in urban affairs and planning, public administration and policy, and government and international affairs. The college enrolls more than 2,000 students offering 25 degrees taught by 160 faculty members.

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