D K presently holds an Auburn University Alumni Professorship and is the Streeter Wiatt Chaired Professor in Architecture at Auburn University. He holds an undergraduate degree in Architecture from Auburn University and a Masters Degree in Architecture from Harvard University. He has inactive architectural registrations in Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama as well as an NCARB certificate.

Selected as the recipient of Auburn Universities highest humanitarian award for 2003/04, the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, D.K. has been both the Head of the School of Architecture and the Interim Dean of the College of Architecture Design and Construction at Auburn University. He has been selected as the recipient of over twenty Teaching and Architectural Design Excellence awards and has delivered over thirty inspirational talks to audiences as diverse as the Architectural Program at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and Ruad Afrikaans University in Johannesburg, South Africa.

D. K. is proud of three firsts in his career.

1. He was the first faculty hired to begin a new School of Architecture at Mississippi State University when that program began under the leadership of Dean William McMinn.

2. D.K. along with then Professor James Barker began the Pella Design competition at Mississippi State University. This competition now has a national participation.

3. In 1992 he co-founded along with Sambo Mockbee the Auburn University Rural Studio co-directing and then directing that program from its inception until becoming Director Emeritus in 2003. As Director of The Rural Studio, it was his responsibility to co-ordinate the Studio’s efforts on the main Auburn campus. This responsibility included developing and monitoring course work, developing grant opportunities, and supervising proposals for grants; developing and monitoring budgets; serving as a liaison with the main campus and its curriculum; and providing the inter-connection with the Associate Provost and Vice President for Outreach at Auburn University. He interacted with the Auburn University Foundation, and delivered proposals when necessary to the appropriate foundations.

As of fall 2003 when he became Director Emeritus of the Rural Studio over $3,000,000.00 had been raised to support the efforts of this studio. These grants and gifts were awarded from more than twenty corporate and private donors and foundations. Some of the better known are the Graham Foundation, Alabama Power Foundation, Jessie Ball du Pont Fund, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Potrero Nuevo Fund, Alabama Historical Commission, The Nathan Cummings Foundation, Auburn University Outreach, Interface Carpets and The John T. and Dorothy S. Illges Foundation.

D.K. and Professor John Mouton are presently developing a three semester Masters Program in Design-Build which will begin admitting students this summer, 2005. This program will be the construction arm of a community outreach center which will design and build projects serving underserved population groups in the State of Alabama while simultaneously awarding a Masters Degree in Design-Build from the College of Architecture Design and Construction at Auburn University.

Throughout Professor Ruth’s career he has held that there are four key issues to excellence in architectural education:

1. Rigor in the way we explore creative education

2. A social responsibility which honors our environment and explores shelter for all people

3. An understanding that design is an inclusive, not exclusive, process

4. That we are all part of one community