KENNESAW, Ga. | Oct 9, 2019

By Travis Highfield

More than 37 years ago, Rich Cole’s phone rang with a job offer.

On the other side was Dub Newman, the then-chair of the former Southern Technical Institute’s Department of Architectural Engineering Technology, asking if he’d like to interview to teach courses on professional practice and architectural history part-time while he continued working as a professional at a 15-person firm in Buckhead. He accepted and immediately shared the news with his wife, Lori.

“She said, ‘That’s great! Where’s it located?’” Cole recalled. “I told her, ‘I don’t know.’”

Eventually, he found the school using a paper map and was hired shortly thereafter, slowly ascending through the faculty ranks over the subsequent decades before becoming dean of the School of Architecture and Construction Management at the Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU), now Kennesaw State University. In July, Cole, who was named Professor Emeritus of Architecture, retired as the founding dean of KSU’s College of Architecture and Construction Management with nearly four decades of service to students on the Marietta campus.

Cole, who holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in architecture from the Georgia Institute of Technology, jokes that he has spent so much time in Marietta that he often forgets the name of his alma mater.

“Sometimes I’ll say Southern Tech and stop mid-sentence to awkwardly correct the record,” said Cole, who briefly served as SPSU’s interim vice president for academic affairs. “The fact of the matter is, SPSU and KSU have long been a part of my DNA.”

Prior to his tenure with the University, Cole said he felt he would someday pursue a career in academe, albeit it only temporarily. While at Georgia Tech, he grew to respect his professors’ commitment to teaching and practicing professionally. Upon graduation, he became a professional architect and continued to practice full-time until he accepted a position as a tenure-track assistant professor in 1987.

Though he received a great deal of satisfaction in the professional realm, few things compared to seeing his students succeed, he said. Having attended more than 100 commencement ceremonies, he still gets as emotional as his first.

“There’s nothing like seeing how proud the families and loved ones are of their graduates, and how proud the graduates are of themselves for reaching graduation,” he said. “They show such gratitude for those who have helped them along the way, and now some are coming back to tell me that I’ve taught their moms and dads. It still shocks me.”

Cole has often been on the receiving end of the students’ gratitude. He was thrice awarded the Outstanding Faculty Member Award in his academic career, once by his own peers and twice by the Student Government Association.

In 1992, he chaired a successful effort to grant the architecture program initial candidacy status with National Architectural Accrediting Board, ultimately receiving full accreditation beginning in 1995. As dean, he oversaw successful reaccreditations with the Department of Construction Management’s undergraduate and graduate programs.

Both programs have grown considerably over the years and have matured in their respective disciplines with regard to scholarship opportunities, research and community engagement, Cole said.

“I think it’s fair to say that 10 years ago our students were well-known for their ability to be a productive employee from Day 1,” he added. “That’s true now more than ever, and our graduates increasingly benefit from our status as a comprehensive research university with Carnegie R2 status.”

In retirement, Cole said he most looks forward to spending quality time with his family. A self-proclaimed “man of few hobbies,” he and his wife of 47 years are building a home on the Georgia coast where they plan to watch the sun rise. While he enjoys retirement, he plans to stay connected with the university and serve in whatever capacity he’s needed.

“Dean Cole will always be remembered for creating a collegial work environment for both the architecture and construction management departments,” said Khalid Siddiqi, former construction management department chair and current interim dean of the College of Architecture and Construction Management. “He always put the students first, leading the charge on improving and upgrading our facilities and was always kind and considerate toward his colleagues. We certainly commend Dean Cole for his service to the University.

Tony Rizzuto, the chair of KSU’s Department of Architecture who worked alongside Cole for more than two decades, said he will be sorely missed.

“I have had the pleasure to work with Dean Cole for 20 years,” he said. “In that time, he has been a mentor, colleague, supervisor and a great friend. I cannot think of anyone I have had more fun working with. I know we will miss him here. He is opening a new chapter in his life, and I am very excited for him.”