COLUMBUS -- The Association of University Architects recently honored The Ohio State University and Jill Morelli, university architect and assistant vice president for facilities planning and development.

Morelli was presented with the prestigious Case Study Award for her innovative program on design and planning process improvement entitled "Rite of Passage: A Design Review Board's First Crisis" at the association's recent annual conference at the University of Chicago.

"It's always exciting to have your peers recognize the very good things that are going on at Ohio State. The AUA offers an opportunity to introduce some of the fine projects and their issues to the membership," Morelli said. "This is truly an honor."

The main objective of Morelli's program was to look at Ohio State's design review board, which reviews all construction and renovation plans and reports to the university architect. The program addressed problems between the board, and architects and their projects; and the relationship between the board and the university architect -- all in a way that is instructive to other university architects.

Morelli, who was named university architect in October 1992, came to Ohio State from Florida, where she was a senior architectural and project administrator with the Dade County Public Schools.

The Case Study Award was established to celebrate unique university planning and design problems and to further the growth of professional knowledge in the field.

###

(LO)