D. Jason Miller, Associate Professor and Program Director for Building Science in the Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, has been named Associate Dean for the College of Fine and Applied Arts.
Miller has served as Interim Dean for the college since January 2020 and, prior to that, as a Dean’s Fellow. He is a 2019 recipient of the UNC Board of Governors Teaching Award, given to outstanding faculty members from UNC System institutions of higher learning, and an Appalachian State University Excellence in Teaching Award from the Board of Governors in 2014. Miller holds a Master’s in Architecture from the College of Design at NC State University, a B.A. from Washington and Lee University and is the owner/principal of his architectural practice David Jason Miller Architect PLLC. He began teaching as a lecturer at Appalachian in 2009.
“Jason offers tremendous thought leadership in analytics, a keen understanding of who we are as a college combined with a fresh perspective of how we can adapt to better serve our students during unprecedented times as an institution of higher learning,” said Dr. Janice T. Pope, Interim Dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts. “We’re excited to formally welcome him into this role, and continue the momentum we are building.”
At Appalachian, Miller has taught more than 20 unique building science, graduate and selected topics courses, including applied research projects associated with the 2011 US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, Solar Decathlon Europe 2014 and, since its inception, the IDEXlab. The IDEXlab (Integrative Design Experience Laboratory) affords Appalachian students the opportunity to partner with local government agencies and nonprofit organizations to design, plan and build structures that enhance local communities, creating sustainable design for good.
Past IDEXlab projects have included award-winning projects such as the Valle Crucis Community Park Welcome Center (Valle Crucis, North Carolina), the Alleghany County Farmer’s Market (Sparta, North Carolina), the 2019 Solar Decathlon Design Challenge project for local non-profit group LIFE Village, and the design for the App Builds A Home partnership with the Watauga County Habitat for Humanity.
“The College of Fine and Applied Arts is a diverse academic group of storytellers and story-makers, a group dedicated to charting new ways forward through innovative pedagogy, inspired scholarship, and integrated service in our local and global communities,” said Miller. “I see this role as an opportunity to advance our collective commitment to interdisciplinarity, inclusivity, and academic inquiry. In my view, the work of an associate dean is to seek, and then solve, problems. Given the current circumstances in which we find ourselves, we all have much to learn and much to do. I look forward to the challenges ahead.”
Miller plans to continue teaching TEC 4738 Architectural Design Studio III and working with community partners on projects in the fall semester.
About the College of Fine and Applied Arts
Appalachian State University’s College of Fine and Applied Arts is a dynamic and innovative group of seven academic departments, bringing together a variety of perspectives, experiences and real-world education to provide unique opportunities for student success. The college has more than 3,000 undergraduate and graduate majors. Its departments are Applied Design, Art, Communication, Military Science and Leadership, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, and Theatre and Dance. Learn more at https://faa.appstate.edu.
About the Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment
One of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment at Appalachian State University features an integrated array of programs spanning the fields of sustainable design and technology. Its mission is to foster a strong and vibrant culture of inquiry, discovery and innovation that integrates theory with application, problem seeking with problem-solving, local issues with global perspectives and technological progress with environmental stewardship. It offers bachelor’s degrees in sustainable technology and building science, and a master’s degree in technology. Learn more at https://stbe.appstate.edu.
D Jason Miller
D Jason Miller