Ornelas Elected to NAAB Board

Wendy Ornelas, FAIA, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).

She is one of three members nominated by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) to represent the organization on NAAB’s 14-person board for the 2007-2010 term. She will also serve as board president during 2010.

Currently a professor of architecture and associate dean of the Kansas State University College of Architecture, Planning and Design, Ornelas has been a member of the K-State faculty since 1989. She is a member of the graduate teaching faculty, director of the college’s PhD program in environmental design and planning, and director of the Department of Architecture’s internship program. She has also received widespread recognition for her teaching.

Ornelas is the first woman and first Latina in the State of Kansas to achieve Fellowship in the American Institute of Architects (AIA). AIA Kansas presented Ornelas with its 2006 Henry W. Schirmer Distinguished Service Award in recognition of distinguished leadership and service to AIA Kansas. She has also held numerous leadership and service roles in the ACSA.

The successful architecture firm of Condia + Ornelas, of which she is a partner, received design awards for Coco Bolo’s Woodfired Grille & Cantina and Thomas Joseph Studio One. Additional noteworthy projects designed by the firm include Mercado gourmet grocery store (the space was recently renovated), GAIA salonspa and della Voce Restaurant, all located in Manhattan.

Ornelas earned a bachelor of science in architecture from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, and a bachelor of architecture and master of architecture, both from Oklahoma State University.

The mission of the NAAB is leadership in, and the establishment of, educational quality assurance standards to enhance the value, relevance and effectiveness of the architectural profession. NAAB is the sole agency authorized to accredit US professional degree programs in architecture. Since most state registration boards in the United States require any applicant for licensure to have graduated from a NAAB-accredited program, obtaining such a degree is an essential aspect of preparing for the professional practice of architecture.

There are currently 140 NAAB programs housed in 115 institutions offering NAAB accredited professional programs in architecture leading to the Doctor of Architecture, Master of Architecture or Bachelor of Architecture degree.

For more information, contact:
Wendy Ornelas, 785.532.5950
Diane Potts, 785.532.1090