L. Rudolph Barton, professor of architecture at Portland State, will be traveling to Glasgow, Scotland, next year to take advantage of a unique opportunity to let the knowledge he’s gained at PSU serve those overseas by receiving the Fulbright Visiting Professorship from the US–UK Fulbright Commission.
During the 2014–15 academic year, professor Barton will have the opportunity to do six months of research with the Urban Lab of the Mackintosh School of Architecture and Urban Design. The primary goal for Barton and his research associates is to develop an urban case study of Glasgow.
“The city of Glasgow and Scotland itself are major success stories in innovative urban design,” Barton said in a press release. “Glasgow has transformed itself from something of an industrial wasteland into one of Europe’s most energetic, creative cultural centers. I hope to bring back a few ideas so that Portland, and Oregon, can learn from Glasgow’s example.”
The program he is participating in only accepts one individual per year. Barton will be embarking on his journey to Glasgow in early January, and will be coming back to the United States sometime in June. The purpose of this particular program is to “contribute to the development of curriculum and research agenda of the Glasgow Urban Lab,” according to the commission’s website.
This partnered research will also hopefully create a reciprocal exchange program between PSU and the Glasgow School of Art, according to a press release.
In the same press release mentioned above, Barton said, “I am so grateful to the US–UK Fulbright Commission for this opportunity to study urban transformation in Glasgow.”
Barton graduated with a bachelor’s in architecture from Tulane University in 1971, then received his master’s degree at Harvard University in 1981. Barton has over 25 years of experience in the public, private and academic sectors, and was considered a prime candidate to receive such an award.
The Glasgow School of Art was founded in 1845 as a Government School of Design, and has grown to become one of the United Kingdom’s major institutions for the study of fine art, design and architecture.