Cassias Chosen as 2009 Alumni Fellow

Kansas State University has selected Charles S. “Casey” Cassias, Jr., as the 2009 Alumni Fellow of the College of Architecture, Planning and Design. Cassias will visit the campus on February 25 and 26, 2009, to meet with members of the academic community in a variety of settings.

Cassias will present a slide-illustrated lecture about his work entitled

Architecture: The Art of Making and Collaborating

on Wednesday, February 25, at 1:30 p.m. in the Pierce Commons of Seaton Hall.

A 1974 K-State recipient of the bachelor of architecture, Cassias joined a leading Kansas City architectural firm, BNIM Architects, in 1984, was named Associate in the firm in 1985, Vice President in 1991 and Principal in 1994.

For more than 30 years, Cassias has been entrusted with BNIM’s major projects, and he is leading the firm’s vision for architectural excellence. He has led the design, implementation and planning of numerous notable projects, most recently including the Bloch Building Expansion and Renovation at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (in collaboration with Steven Holl Architects), the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts (in collaboration with Moshe Safdie and Associates), the new K-12 school in tornado-devastated Greensburg, Kansas (LEED Platinum), and a new Performing Arts Complex at Princeton University (also with Steven Holl), among many others. His firm’s work has consistently been recognized for its design excellence and integrated sustainable design solutions through many local, regional and national awards.

A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Cassias is also a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council of the K-State College of Architecture, Planning and Design. He and his wife Barbara reside in Kansas City. He has been active in his community, serving on many local not-for-profit boards as well as a variety of elected and appointed positions in various municipalities in the Kansas City region. He is currently serving on the Kansas Energy and Environmental Policy Advisor Board (KEEP), having been appointed to this position by Governor Sebelius in 2008.

The Alumni Fellow program is celebrated annually by all Kansas State University academic colleges and is coordinated by the Kansas State University Alumni Association.

For more information, contact:
Peter Magyar, 785.532.5953
Diane Potts, 785.532.1090