USC Professor James M. Steele ’65 Will Discuss Sustainability and Architecture April 14

Annual Landis lecture focuses on the integration of engineering and the liberal arts

James M. Steele ’65, professor of architecture at the University of Southern California, will present the 2008 John and Muriel Landis lecture at 8 p.m. Monday, April 14, in Oechsle Hall room 224.

Steele will discuss sustainability considerations incorporated in traditional designs. His talk will emphasize the integration of engineering and the liberal arts embodied in architecture.

Established by Trustee Emeritus John Landis ’39, the Landis Lectureship focuses on topics related to international aspects of technology and engineering. The lecture will be sponsored by the Architecture Studies minor and the English department.

Steele has been professor of architecture at U.S.C. since 1991, where he teaches history and theory of architecture. He is the author of 27 books and monographs such as Turkey: A Traveler’s Architectural and Historical Guide, The Hassan Fathy Collection, and Los Angeles Architecture: The Contemporary Condition, which won a Phi Kappa Phi Award. His book, The Queen Mary, won an AIA Publications Award.

Steele has a Ph.D. in policy planning and development from USC and an M.Arch. and a B.Arch. from University of Pennsylvania. He graduated from Lafayette with a degree in English.

The College established a minor in Architecture Studies last year. The intent of the minor is to provide a structured, focused curriculum for students interested in architecture and a mechanism for assisting those students planning to attend graduate school in architecture with development of their portfolios.