A Man of Vision

Intervention

BILL PERKS: A MAN OF VISION
Bill Perks

A Man of Vision

by Walter Jamieson
 

Selected as founding Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Design in 1971, Bill Perks arrived at the Faculty with-significant private as well as public sector expertise and experience. While the idea of environmental design was the product of a considerable amount of collaboration, Bill demonstrated the leadership, energy, and vision necessary to ensure that this idea had both an administrative as well as academic direction. Bill was also responsible for hiring many of our initial faculty members which helped to provide form to the emergence of Environmental Design as a leading school within the country.

While providing sound direction and management of the Faculty, Bill Perks has always been involved in forging links with our professions and participating in academic endeavors. He has demonstrated a willingness and ability to collaborate with colleagues in both non traditional and more traditional academic output in terms of his book with Ira Robinson, his many articles with colleagues and on his own, and in more recent years, in the leadership and direction he exercised over the livable sustainable design project. This project has attracted national as well as international attention in providing physical form to the ideas of sustainability.

Bill Perks' influence an the overall design and development of the Faculty is still felt and we all look forward to working with him in his new role as Professor Emeritus. On a personal note, I still see a significant level of energy and concern for the idea of environmental design from Bill and while we will miss his full-time participation in this Faculty his ongoing involvement is something that we all look forward to.


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