LINDA NELSON KEANE, AIA, was nominated by her peers for the 2019 AIA ILLINOIS NATHAN CLIFFORD RICKER AWARD FOR EDUCATORS. The award was presented to Keane at a private event on Wednesday, November 13th, 2019, at the Leroy Neiman Center at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Linda Nelson Keane, AIA, was nominated by her peer and previous Nathan Clifford Ricker awardee, Anne T. Sullivan, to receive the Nathan Clifford Ricker award for her outstanding service as an educator in the architecture field. As a professor of Architecture and Environmental Design at the School of the Art Institute and Design in Chicago, Illinois, Keane has been revolutionary in designing new undergraduate curriculum in the field of Interior Architecture. She was at the forefront of the development of a MArch program at the School of the Art Institute, which is one of the only Graduate architecture curriculum offered in the City of Chicago.
Linda, along with her partner, Mark Keane, have contributed to great strides in the field of architectural education, utilizing the internet, video, and film media to create more accessible resources. They developed a nationally and internationally recognized interface, NEXT.cc DESIGNopedia. This Interface introduces a STEAM By Design web dialogued adventure, promoting stewardship of the environment for the K-12 community – that blurs learning with fun.
Linda is an exemplary leader in the field of architectural and design education, influencing the field of Interior Architecture at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and developing groundbreaking digital design and environmental education for the K-12 community. Her dedication to communicating the essential role that design holds in society illustrates her being more than qualified to receive this award.
All award winners have positively impacted citizens throughout the state of Illinois by helping create communities in which people are drawn to live and work, and to live healthier and happier.
"Although it was cold night it was a wonderful and warm, packed-filled reception to honor SAIC Professor Linda Keane." - AIA IL EVP Stacey Pfingsten