51ÁÔÆæ

Economic Impact of Eco Tourism: Year-round Destinations

Headshots of the speakers with a community setting in the background.

An Innovative Cities Lecture

Local events play a powerful role in strengthening city economies, generating activity from day trips to overnight stays. This session highlights how two Wisconsin communities attract visitors, host more than 80 events annually, and measure both economic and community impact.

Visit Eau Claire drives economic growth by expanding travel and tourism through destination marketing, strategic development, and strong community partnerships. Serving a wide range of markets—from convention delegates to sports groups and family leisure travelers—they operate year-round to support downtown businesses through targeted grants and marketing initiatives.

As a Wisconsin Main Street Community, the Downtown Racine Corporation produces more than 80 events each year. Each event is intentionally designed—free or ticketed—to draw visitors in every season with distinctive programming. Using attendance data, staff prepare detailed impact reports that document economic benefits and show where visitors come from.

Biographies

Kenzi Havlicek serves as the Executive Director of Visit Eau Claire, where she leads efforts to showcase and promote the incredible community she calls home. With a passion for highlighting Eau Claire’s vibrant arts, culture, music, and outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities, she works closely with community partners and alongside the talented Visit Eau Claire team to share the story of the Chippewa Valley.

Her marketing journey began at Iowa State University, where an internship promoting hospitality and tourism ignited her lifelong passion for business and marketing. After graduating, she joined Visit Eau Claire as a Social Media Specialist and, over the past 15 years, has steadily advanced within the organization to her current role as Executive Director.

Kenzi values collaboration and teamwork, believing that the strongest results come from working together to make the community the best it can be. She is actively involved in both the community and the tourism industry, serving on the Pablo Center at the Confluence Council and the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce Leadership Eau Claire Committee. At the state level, she serves on the Destinations Wisconsin Marketing Committee and the Travel Wisconsin Marketing Committee. She also contributes nationally through Destination International’s 30 Under 30 Alumni Committee. Kenzi takes great pride in promoting Eau Claire every day, a place she considers a true gem of arts, culture, and outdoor adventure.

Kelly Kruse is an accomplished creative professional and community leader with an MFA in Graphic Design and a strong passion for urban revitalization and visual storytelling. She serves as the Executive Director of the Downtown Racine Corporation, where she leads transformative programming, public art initiatives, and over 80 annual events that enrich the cultural and economic vitality of the district. In her role, she also manages Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) for both Downtown Racine and Douglas Avenue, helping local businesses thrive and shaping vibrant public spaces.

In addition to her leadership in community development, Kelly is an Assistant Professor at Carthage College, where she inspires the next generation of graphic designers by bridging professional practice with academic insight. Her multidisciplinary background allows her to blend strategic vision with creative innovation, making a lasting impact both in the classroom and throughout the Racine community.

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51ÁÔÆæ architecture alum wins awards, builds bridges for Black architects

Richie Hands stands at a window in his office looking outside to a view of the Chicago River and downtown Chicago.

As a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Richie Hands had a building-block moment. He’d completed an assignment for a studio class taught by James Shields, an associate professor of architecture. But this bit of feedback from Shields was different, and particularly to-the-point: “Good luck,” as Hands remembers it.

“I wasn’t giving him anything [that he could evaluate],” Hands said. “I think [his feedback] gave me a good challenge, knowing that where I was at just wasn’t up to snuff.” It inspired soul searching and a second crack at the assignment, this time winning high praise from his professor.

“That was one of those things that really stuck with me early in my career,” Hands said.

His career as an architect is not even 15 years old, but it’s already been defined by the prominent buildings he’s helped design. For example, he was job captain for the new Northwestern Medicine Bronzeville Advanced Outpatient Care Center in Chicago. Hands has also won prestigious national awards – he was one of just 30 in the nation given the Young Architects Award by the American Institute of Architects. He was one of the 51ÁÔÆæ Alumni Association’s Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) award winners in 2023.

Perhaps most importantly, he has opened doors for other architects from underrepresented groups. As the national chair of the National Organization of Minority Architects’ Project Pipeline, Hands leads architecture-themed summer camps for young people.

“Every single year, we’ve expanded the number of students involved,” he said.

Bridge work

Just 3% of U.S. architects who’ve passed the national licensing exam are Black. Hands has set out to improve that statistic. First, he had to pass the exam and get licensed himself. And now he’s opening doors for future generations of Black architects. He started as a member of the while a student at 51ÁÔÆæ.

His first NOMA conference was powerful. “Just being in a space with hundreds of Black architects and seeing, ‘There are more of us and a lot of them are doing absolutely phenomenal things,’” he said.

As a professional, he expanded his involvement, taking the organization’s to new heights. In 2015, during his first year as Project Pipeline’s program director, Hands grew its summer camp from a one-day workshop with fewer than 10 students into a four-day camp with 80 young people. Later, in 2020, he became the program’s national chair. He worked to revamp its curriculum and better connect every chapter around the country.

In the process, he met and mentored next-generation architectural leaders, like Erica Jones, then a middle-schooler at Project Pipeline’s University of Chicago site during Hands’ first year. She continued with the camp throughout high school, becoming a mentor to younger students.

When Hands was working on the Northwestern Medicine Bronzeville project, he called on Jones to help. The college student in urban planning helped throughout the design process and was crucial in getting development approval for the project.

“She was instrumental to the success of the project,” Hands said. “And she started her career in Project Pipeline, which is the best thing that could have happened.”

Award winner

By 2024, Hands had earned two architecture degrees – his bachelor’s from 51ÁÔÆæ followed by a master’s from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He’d also landed a role co-leading a studio at Chicago-based architectural firm Lamar Johnson Collaborative, which he held until the summer of 2025.

One day in 2024, Hands opened his email and was stunned. A message announced his selection for the Young Architects Award by the American Institute of Architects, the largest and most prominent industry group for architects. In addition to the buildings he’s designed – Hands was instrumental in the renovation of Horizon Therapeutics headquarters in suburban Chicago, which received a 2022 Illinois Real Estate Journal Award – the AIA lauded Hands’ work furthering the profession.

“Already, he has proven himself an exceptional leader through his commitment to diversify and advance the profession,” the AIA said in .

Hands immediately told his wife, Kelli. Next, he called his parents in Madison. Then, he saved the email.

“It’s flagged on my Outlook,” he said. “It’s going to stay there forever.”

Story by Ashley Abramson | Explore more inÌęMake New Waves

Kyle Reynolds participates in audio journal examining specific generation of architects

Associate Professor and Interim Head of School Kyle Reynolds recently participated in the audio journal . The issue is created and edited by Joseph Bedford and guest edited and produced by Tim Cox. “Talking about my Generation,” examines a new generation of architects in the United States who came to prominence between 2008 and 2018 and who have developed a unique approach to architecture that eschews high performance in favor of an aesthetic informality. The issue draws together the voices of thirty three young practitioners within this generation.

SARUP students awarded sponsorship to attend 2026 IIBEC International Convention & Trade Show

Architecture graduate students Sarah Paquette and Megan Winkler, along with BArch student McKenzie Halla, have been awarded full-ride sponsorships to attend the 2026 IIBEC International Convention and Trade Show, March 12–15, 2026, in Sacramento, California. The International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC) hosts this annual event for architects, engineers, design professionals and other experts in roofing, waterproofing, fenestration, cladding, building commissioning, and exterior wall technologies, featuring educational sessions, networking opportunities, and a two-day trade show.

According to Professor James Wasley, who recommended the students for the opportunity, the sponsorships cover travel, lodging, and registration expenses and include a one-year student membership in IIBEC for each student.

HPI students build on earlier work on fish hatchery in Bayfield

The Historic Preservation Institute is partnering with Friends of R.D. Pike on preservation efforts for the historic Les Voight State Fish Hatchery in Bayfield, building on prior work at the site that earned national recognition for 51ÁÔÆæ students. The collaboration follows the organization’s receipt of an Enbridge Community Investment Grant, which will support two projects, according to an Ashland Daily Press article: “recreating the front porch that was originally part of the building and restoration of the state crest that graced the top of the porch until the 1950s.” HPI will do the restoration work on state crest this spring.

Read the full article in the .

SARUP connections featured in Archinect’s Top Prize-Winning Architects and Design Leaders of 2025

A collage of headshots of architects with text that reads Top Prize-Winning Architects of 2025

A recent Archinect roundup of the most significant architecture and design honors of 2025 highlights several figures with notable ties to the 51ÁÔÆæ School of Architecture & Urban Planning. Among them is Dong Gong, principal of Vector Architects, who was named the 2025 Marcus Prize laureate. Awarded by SARUP, the Marcus Prize is one of the world’s most prestigious architecture awards, recognizing established architects whose work demonstrates design excellence and forward-looking impact.

The article also underscores the broader global reach of the Marcus Prize through former Marcus Prize laureates. The 2023 Marcus Prize laureate, Tiantian Xu, was named the recipient of Le Prix Charlotte Perriand at the 2026 CrĂ©ateurs Design Awards and also won the 2025 Wolf Prize from the Israeli Wolf Foundation. Francis KĂ©rĂ©, who received the 2011 Marcus Prize, earned the 2025 Richard Neutra Award for Professional Excellence presented by Cal Poly Pomona’s Department of Architecture.ÌęTogether, these recognitions reflect SARUP’s ongoing role in shaping contemporary practice worldwide.

Read the full article on .

Wisconsin Association of Energy Engineers invites Jim Shields to talk about efficiency in design

Jim Shields, FAIA, recently presented before the Wisconsin Association of Energy Engineers (WAEE) at the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center. The Sailing Center is a highly efficient building using both geothermal and photovoltaic on-site energy sources to heat and cool the building. Shields designed the building in 2008.

WAEE invited Shields to talk about the design with a focus on energy efficiency and the geothermal system. After the presentation, he and the engineers had an extensive discussion session about the building and its systems while standing inside the structure.

Nikole Bouchard interviewed by Jeanne Gang for Harvard Design Magazine

A magazine rests on a table open to a bright yellow page introducing an article about the state of reuse in architecture schools.

Associate Professor Nikole Bouchard was interviewed by 2017 Marcus Prize laureate Jeanne Gang for the recent issue of Harvard Design Magazine No.53: Reuse and Repair edited by Jeanne Gang and Lizabeth Cohen.

“Reuse requires students to see their built environment, which they may have preconceptions about, through a new lens,” Bouchard said. “It cultivates a deep sense of curiosity, and a level of empathy with the material, building, and/or community they are working with.”

Bouchard was joined in conversation by Dean Deborah Berke (Yale University), Dean Renee Chow (University of California–Berkeley), Dean Ned Crankshaw (University of Kentucky), Professor Jeffrey Day (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), David Fixler (Harvard University), Director Francisco Javier RodrĂ­guez-SuĂĄrez (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), Director Cathi Ho Schar (University of HawaiÊ»i at Mānoa), and Chair Stephen Schreiber (University of Massachusetts–Amherst).

They discussed the following topics:

  • Building New or Reuse: What Educators are Thinking About (+ Teaching)
  • Barriers to Integrating Reuse into Curricula
  • The Challenge and The Promise of Accreditation
  • Sympathies and Differences: Reuse and Historic Preservation Pedagogy
  • Why Educators Care about Reuse
  • Why Might Students Care about Reuse

Read the full collection of conversations in .

Dong Gong of Vector Architects awarded 2025 Marcus Prize for Architecture

Dong Gong stands with light and shadow behind him.

Dong Gong, founder and design principal atÌęBeijing-basedÌę, has been named the recipient of the 2025ÌęMarcus Prize, one of the world’s leading architecture awards honoring emerging international talent. The prize is administered biennially by the School of Architecture & Urban Planning.

This award marks the 20th year of the Marcus Prize, established in 2005 through the generosity of  Foundation. The prize totals $100,000, with $50,000 awarded directly to the winner and $50,000 supporting a collaborative, semester-long design studio at 51ÁÔÆæ with architecture students, focusing on a Wisconsin-based project.

“We believe in crafting specific architecture for a specific place and a specific way of life. The Marcus Prize is a profound encouragement for us to persist,” Gong said.

Gong was selected by an international jury from a pool of accomplished nominees representing 13 countries and four continents.

“Vector Architects offers a statement about the value of the architect and of architecture to our contemporary condition,” said jury member Hans E. Butzer. “Their work appears to beautifully explore questions of tradition, place, and global drifts, while still being comfortably restless and aspirational.”

The international jury also included:

  • Juhani Pallasmaa, former professor of architecture and dean at the Helsinki University of Technology
  • Alex Timmer, associate professor at 51ÁÔÆæ
  • David Marcus, CEO of Marcus Investments
  • Winifred Elysse Newman, dean of the 51ÁÔÆæ College of the Arts and Architecture

Gong’s practice has earned international recognition through projects such as Seashore Library (Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China), Yangshuo Sugarhouse Hotel (Guilin, Guangxi, China), renovation of the Captain’s House (Fuzhou, Fujian, China), Pingshan Art Museum (Shenzhen, China), Haibing Center at Nankai University (Tianjin, China), Jingyang Camphor Court (Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, China) and Liyuan Foreign Language Primary School (Shenzhen, Guangdong, China).

Vector Architects’ work has been honored with numerous awards including:

  • Architects Regional Counsil Asia Gold Award (2022)
  • Royal Institute of British Architects International Award for Excellence (2021)
  • Archmarathon Awards (overall winner, 2016)
  • Inclusion in Domus’ “100+ Best Architecture Firms” (2019)

“As we celebrate the 20th year of the Marcus Prize, we are honored to recognize Dong Gong for work that shows how thoughtful, site-specific design can enrich communities around the world,” David Marcus said. “Marcus Corporation Foundation created this award to connect global architectural talent with Milwaukee, our hometown, and our partners at 51ÁÔÆæ. Vector Architects’ commitment to place, material and human experience embodies that vision. We look forward to the ideas that will emerge from Dong’s collaboration with 51ÁÔÆæ students and the lasting impact this work will have on Wisconsin and beyond.”

A hallmark of the Marcus Prize is its integration of design excellence with education. As part of the award, Gong will travel to Milwaukee for a public lecture and exhibition and will co-teach a design studio alongside 51ÁÔÆæ School of Architecture & Urban Planning faculty, giving students direct access to world-class architectural talent.

“I am thrilled to welcome the newest Marcus Prize recipient, Dong Gong, to the university and the city of Milwaukee. We look forward to sharing our rich history and vibrant city,” Newman said. “The Marcus Prize is one of the most significant awards given by a university in the United States. It allows our local community to be part of the global design community. This is great for everyone, but especially our faculty and students.”

Since its inception, the Marcus Prize has honored some of the world’s most influential architects of our time, including Alejandro Aravena (2009) and DiĂ©bĂ©do Francis KĂ©rĂ© (2011) – both later recipients of the Pritzker Architecture Prize. Past winners also include Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries (MVRDV); Frank Barkow and Regine Leibinger (Barkow Leibinger); Sou Fujimoto, Joshua Ramus, Jeanne Gang, Tatiana Bilbao, AntĂłn GarcĂ­a-Abril and DĂ©bora Mesa (Ensamble Studio) and Tiantian Xu (DnA_Design and Architecture).

Learn more about the Marcus Prize.

Transit Priority: Improving Public Transit Through Collaboration

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An Innovative Cities Lecture

The Milwaukee Priority One Transportation Initiative is a bold, collaborative effort to improve regional mobility, connect workers to jobs, and ensure equitable access to opportunity across Milwaukee. This initiative prioritizes innovative transit solutions—such as on-demand workforce services, improved public transit connections, and first/last mile strategies—to address the region’s most pressing transportation challenges. 

In this session, you’ll hear how Priority One is bringing together business leaders, transit agencies, local governments, and community partners to create a coordinated approach that strengthens the economy while reducing barriers for residents. Case studies and early outcomes will demonstrate how Milwaukee is redefining transportation as a driver of workforce participation, economic development, and community well-being. 

Biographies

Kevin  Muhs serves as the City Engineer for the City of Milwaukee. As City Engineer, Kevin leads the Infrastructure Services Division of the Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW) and is responsible for the design, operation, and maintenance of City-owned streets, lighting and underground conduit, sewers, green infrastructure, bridges, and buildings. At the direction of Mayor Cavalier Johnson and the Milwaukee Common Council, Kevin and his colleagues at Milwaukee DPW are working to transform City streets to provide high-quality public space for residents and serve all users. Kevin is both a planner and engineer, and strongly believes that a robust multimodal transportation system is needed for the Milwaukee area to be economically competitive, resilient, and equitable. 

Dan Adams has been a Transit Specialist with the Milwaukee County Transit System for 2 years. In this role Dan manages MCTS’s 3,700 bus stops, 630 bus shelters, and serves as a liaison to street construction projects. Prior to MCTS, Dan worked for 10 years with two different community development nonprofits in Milwaukee and 3 years with a private real estate and construction company. Dan is a native Milwaukeean with a Masters in Urban Planning from UW-Milwaukee, a proud Milwaukee Public Schools graduate, and lives on the Near West Side with his wife and two daughters. 

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