Leadership Team
Dr. Steve Altman—President
Dr. Steve Altman joined NSAD as its president in May 2006, bringing a wide range of academic and business experience to his new role.
He previously served as president of the University of Central Florida and Texas A&M University, Kingsville; was the provost and vice president of academic affairs at Florida International University (FIU); and held various other teaching and administrative positions at FIU and the University of Southern California. During his tenure, he developed the foundation for two new architecture schools and dozens of other new programs.
Dr. Altman is the author of 13 books and more than two dozen articles on management, leadership, education, health care, and organization development. He has won several awards for outstanding teaching and professional leadership and has been a neutral arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association.
In addition to a long history of accomplishments in academia, Dr. Altman holds a doctoral degree in business management from the University of Southern California and an M.B.A. from the same institution. He received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from UCLA.
contact Dr. Steve Altman
Kurt Hunker, AIA—Interim Provost
Kurt Hunker has been associated with NSAD since 1989 while continuing to be a practicing architect. He has won multiple design awards from the AIA and other organizations. He heads the school’s Design Clinic that pursues community projects with San Diego–based entities.
Mr. Hunker has been recognized as NSAD Teacher of the Year on two occasions, serves as guest lecturer to many local and regional organizations, and has had his designs published in regional and national periodicals.
Mr. Hunker received a Master of Architecture from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University and a B.S. in Architecture from the Ohio State University.
Avery Caldwell—Digital Media Arts Program Chair
As an experienced creator and educator of digital media and computer graphics, Professor Avery Caldwell integrates the creative process in all aspects of his life. He describes it as a happy symbiosis among life, love, and work—an approach that has positioned him at the leading edge of his field.
Approaching 20 years of progressive design, Caldwell has amassed a dynamic array of professional accomplishments that span digital media, architecture, graphic design, and visualization. A few notable positions in his past include founder and president of the Beverly Hills design firm From Form 2 Morf, art director for Art Connoisseur magazine, design coordinator for California Federal Bank, and curator of the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame as well as professorships at several colleges.
Professor Caldwell received his Bachelor of Fine Arts and a master’s degree in architecture from UCLA and is currently working toward his Ph.D. in Education Technology. His passion for his work and commitment to the creative processes of learning are evident throughout his personal and professional endeavors. His research interests include the use of design and technology as tools to shift pedagogical paradigms in order to bring about improved global conditions.
contact Professor Avery Caldwell
Vuslat Demircay, Ph.D.—Graduate Architecture Program Chair
Vuslat Demircay has been associated with NewSchool of Architecture and Design since 2003. Ms. Demircay received her Ph.D. in Building Science from Middle East Technical University in Turkey, where she was an associate professor as well as a registered architect and consultant for Tolar Architecture and German Embassy.
Dr. Demircay has a number of international publications, such as the editor of the Proceedings for Water, Supply and Drainage for Buildings, has participated in several research and working groups in Europe on Architecture Education, and has been an active juror in international student competitions. In 2010, Dr. Demircay was recognized with the prestigious President’s Award for her exceptional work in organizing and participating in the first ever Laureate Global Architecture and Design Summit. As NSAD’s newly appointed graduate programs chair, Dr. Demircay can share her international academic experiences to greatly enhance and benefit the overall graduate curriculum.
In addition to her doctorate, Dr. Demircay also received her Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture from Middle East Technical University.
Leonard Zegarski, AIA—Undergraduate Architecture Program Chair
Leonard Zegarski has been associated with NSAD since 1999. During his tenure here at NSAD, he has brought experience, leadership, and professionalism in and out of the classroom. As a result, he has been recognized as Teacher of the Year (2003) and also a recipient of the prestigious President’s Award (2008). He not only serves as a fulltime instructor, but he has also been the 5th Year Level Coordinator since 2007, with a recent appointment to Chair of the Undergraduate Architecture Program.
Mr. Zegarski has been a licensed architect for over 3 decades. In 1999, his work as a professional was honored by the San Diego Architectural Foundation by awarding Mr. Zegarski with an Orchid Award for his achievement in both Architecture and Fine Arts.
Mr. Zegarski received his Master of Architecture from the University of Texas, Austin receiving a Certificate of Achievement for outstanding academic performance (4.0 GPA). He completed his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Cincinnati.
Leslie Ryan—Landscape Architecture Program Chair
Leslie Ryan is a registered landscape architect and academic. She joined NSAD in 2008 as an assistant professor in architecture, and has established a new Master of Landscape Architecture program that concentrates on sustainable urban landscapes and the unique landscape of the San Diego/Tijuana region. As program chair for landscape architecture at NSAD, she recently welcomed the incoming cohort of graduate students.
Ms. Ryan earned a research degree (M.E.D.) from Yale University’s School of Architecture in 2006 and a B.S. in Landscape Architecture from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo (1988). Her thesis at Yale received the Porter Prize, the top university-wide award for original scholarship on a subject of general interest. Ms. Ryan was the recipient of the prestigious Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture in 1995, and she recently received a Graham Foundation Grant for research on a book on the ecological artists Helen Mayer Harrison and Newton Harrison. She has published research work in Places Journal and the Journal of Environmental Philosophy, and she has received public recognition for her work as a landscape architect and public artist.
Ms. Ryan was a visiting assistant professor at the University of Oregon in the Landscape Architecture Department from 2006-08; prior to that, she was an adjunct instructor in architecture at Woodbury University, San Diego; in landscape architecture at University of California, Berkeley; and in art and landscape at the American Academy of Landscape in Auvergne, France.
contact Ms. Leslie Ryan
Michael Stepner, FAIA, FAICP—Faculty Coordinator
Michael Stepner is a former San Diego city architect, San Diego chief planner, and dean of NSAD. He also served as president of the San Diego AIA Chapter and the San Diego Council of Design Professionals.
Mr. Stepner is a frequent speaker on various subjects, including urban planning and design, land use, and social roles of architects. He is a fellow of the AIA, Institute for Urban Design, and the American Institute of Certified Planners. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Illinois.
Linda M. Thomas-Mobley, J.D., Ph.D.—Construction Management Program Chair
Dr. Linda Thomas-Mobley recently joined NSAD as the chair of the new construction management program. Prior to joining NSAD, Dr. Thomas-Mobley served as the associate director and professor of the building construction program in the College of Architecture at Georgia Tech. Prior to her tenure at Georgia Tech, Dr. Thomas-Mobley was instrumental in leading design, construction, and facility re-purposing efforts for the Atlanta Olympic Village in 1996.
Dr. Thomas-Mobley also holds distinction as an officer in the U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps, in addition to having practiced construction law and business litigation since 1992. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering; a Master of Science in Civil Engineering; a Juris Doctorate (Law) cum laude; and a Ph.D. in Architecture with an emphasis on Management of the Indoor Environment.
contact Dr. Linda Thomas-Mobley
Bruce Matthes—General Education Program Chair
Bruce Matthes has been part of NewSchool of Architecture and Design since 2009. Since joining NSAD, Mr. Matthes has been integral in the development of the General Education department, teaching a variety of courses in English Composition, Literature, Advanced Communication, and Introduction to Research. Prior to joining NSAD, Mr. Matthes gained an extensive amount of teaching experience from several higher education institutions, including his alma mater, California State University, Chico.
He has been active professionally as the co-author of two books, including a recent text, Evidence Based Design: A Process for Research and Writing, with fellow NSAD faculty members DAK Kopec and Edith Sinclair, and has conducted numerous lectures and completed several works of fine art. He also currently serves as an Advisory Board member for Studentfilmexchange.org, a nonprofit platform for students to participate in international cultural exchange via the powerful mediums of film and the Internet.
Mr. Matthes received his Master of Arts in English and his Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Food Science from California State University, Chico.
