Auburn University School of Architecture Head David Hinson received the Educator Honor Award at the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) Grassroots national convention in Washington, D.C.

The award was one of many for Hinson in 2007. Hinson’s work on the DESIGNhabitat 2 manufactured home collaboration with Habitat for Humanity garnered him and his students’ American Institute of Architects (AIA) awards on the state and national level, including the Special Housing Award at the AIA’s national convention.

“It is a great honor to be nominated by our students for national recognition and I’m surprised and pleased to receive the Educator Honor Award,” Hinson said. “Recognition like this is one of the most satisfying experiences any teacher can have.”

The Educator Honor Award comes as a result of Hinson’s efforts as a professor in the classroom and as faculty advisor to the Auburn AIAS chapter.

“Many former students cite him as the professor that they learned the most from,” Auburn architecture graduate Cayce Bean said in her letter supporting Hinson’s nomination. “When teaching, it is clear that Professor Hinson’s philosophy is that the student should be the center of the discussion. He is here to educate the students and through that process educate himself. I can think of no other professor at Auburn that is more dedicated to the quality of student life and education than Professor Hinson.”

Hinson joined the College of Architecture, Design & Construction (CADC) in 1997 after working in private practice in Philadelphia and was named head of the School of Architecture in 2007.

Hinson teaches upper-level design studios, lecture courses in construction technology and professional practice, and seminars on leadership and civic engagement. In addition, he is actively engaged in research into the evolving challenges of architectural practice and how higher education can best prepare students to succeed as professionals and as community leaders.

Hinson has also been active in local, regional and national AIA programs and initiatives – including leading the effort to establish the Young Architects Forum, co-founding AIA Philadelphia’s Community Design Collaborative, leading the AIA’s Educator-Practitioner Network, and serving as an IDP Educator Coordinator.

Hinson holds a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Auburn University. He is a registered architect in Alabama and Pennsylvania and holds an NCARB Certificate.

The Auburn University chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) received three awards including the Community Service Honor Award and Chapter President Honorable Mention Award at the AIAS 2007 National Honors Awards held at the Grassroots leadership conference in Washington, D.C.

Senior Anna Bevill was awarded an Honorable Mention award for her work as chapter president, while the chapter’s fifth grade architecture project won the Community Service Honor Award. The Auburn AIAS chapter also received Honorable Mention in the Chapter Honor Award category.

Auburn has the largest AIAS chapter in the country with more than 200 members. This year marks the third consecutive year the Auburn chapter has earned honors in the AIAS national awards program.

“This tradition of winning national awards illustrates that our AIAS chapter has outstanding leadership and a solid commitment to service,” David Hinson, School of Architecture Head and AIAS Chapter Advisor, said. “Our AIAS chapter is known across the country as one of the best student organizations to be found in any architecture program.”

Bevill, a senior from Houston, Texas, is earning a dual degree in architecture and interior architecture and received the award in the Chapter President Honor Award category of the event. Bevill was instrumental in organizing the Auburn AIAS Internship Fair that featured a record number of 58 firms on campus to interview students. Bevill also led the chapter’s efforts to host the AIAS South Quad Conference, the annual Pumpkin Carve and the chapter’s collaboration with Auburn area fifth grade students.

The chapter earned the Community Service Honor Award for their work with the Auburn City Schools in the fall of 2006. The project allowed 40 architecture students to share their experiences as students with children in each fifth grade class in the Auburn community. As a result, the children were exposed to an understanding of the built environment and the rewards of working in the field of architecture.

Due, in part, to the Auburn chapter’s work with area fifth graders the chapter received the Honorable Mention award in the Chapter Honor category. The award jury noted the chapter’s many community service projects, including Pumpkin Carve and Beaux Arts Ball, along with the its continued growth and financial stability in presenting the award.