DesignIntelligence, a bimonthly report for design leaders, annually releases a list of the top architecture and design schools and the most admired educators in the nation. On the 2014 list, Iowa State appears four times.

Each year, DesignIntelligence polls more than 2,000 design firms, students and department heads on which schools they believe prepare students best for a future design career.

Iowa State’s landscape architecture program has been named No. 11 on the list of the top 15 undergraduate programs in the country. The program has been ranked in the top 15 for eight of the past nine years.

Carl Rogers, associate professor of landscape architecture, thinks this is a great honor for the school in comparison to the size of other programs.

“We give students an incredibly unique experience here in the Midwest,” Rogers said.

The diverse faculty of the program builds a good foundation for students’ interests, according to Rogers.

“We all are committed to the mission of landscape architecture as a profession, the mission of the college and of the university,” Rogers said. “We’re all doing really good things here, and it’s nice to have that notoriety.”

Another program being honored by DesignIntelligence is the College of Design’s undergraduate architecture program.

In 10 of the past 11 years, Iowa State’s architecture program has been ranked in the top 20 schools. For 2014, the program was ranked No. 18 on the list. Jason Alread, associate professor of architecture, wasn’t surprised by the program’s honor.

“The reason our program does so well has more than anything to do with our students,” Alread said. “They are the ones who have to go out and perform which gives us the reputation we have.”

DesignIntelligence has also honored Alread as one of the 30 most admired educators in the nation.

As an ISU educator since 2002, Alread has been noticed for his ability to connect with students.

Alread said that when he teaches, he tries to remember what it was like to be a student and how sometimes even when you tried your best, it was still easy to fall short.

“It’s great to put enthusiasm in your job and then to see that come back,” Alread said.

Iowa State’s Lee Cagley, chairman and professor of interior design, was also honored as one of the 30 most admired educators in the nation. 

As an ISU graduate, Cagley has worked in the interior design industry for many years and started teaching at Iowa State in 2009.

“I’m keen on making sure students realize they’re designing for people, people that deserve to have a space that gives them hope,” Cagley said.

Cagley was recognized for his ability to inspire students and for his overall passion for teaching.

“It’s really great to have so many different people reaffirm the fact that Iowa State is a great school,” Cagley said. “It’s just a privilege and an honor to teach here and it’s amazing that somebody would honor me for doing that.”