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Alumni Awards List

GREG NELSON was first introduced to architecture as a discipline when his family built a new house in metropolitan Kansas City in the mid-1980s. He saw firsthand how design impacted the lives of the people who used the space. In his first year at K-State, he selected the interior architecture program because of its integrated approach to design and the career opportunities that could result.

Something significant happened midway through Greg's tenure at K-State when Diane Potts in the college dean's office hired him as a part-time graphic designer. An outside firm had designed the logo that the college still uses today, and it was Greg's job to translate this new identity into all aspects of the college's visual expression including signage, traveling exhibits, displays, posters, newsletters and other business collateral (some of which, Diane adds, are still in use today). It was this opportunity that influenced Greg to pursue integrating his side interest in graphic design into his professional career.

While at K-State, Greg held multiple leadership positions including secretary of the Environmental Design Students Association, vice president of the Interior Architecture Student Council and chair of the Dean's Student Advisory Council. He was a member of Tau Sigma Delta Honorary Society, acted as a College Ambassador and was a participant in Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Greg graduated cum laude and received the Outstanding Graduating Senior Award in interior architecture.

Greg spent two summers as an intern in the office of IAPD alum Hal Swanson where he worked on high-end residential and restaurant projects. After a final summer internship at Kansas City-based Gould Evans Goodman, Greg was hired there full-time where he practiced the design of interiors for nearly three years, during which time he completed the NCIDQ examination. While at Gould Evans, his work included design of multiple cafeterias at the Sprint World Headquarters Campus as well as the corporate offices for GeoAccess.

Desiring a large-firm experience, Greg took a position with HOK Sport Venue Event in their Kansas City office as an interior architect, and after less than a year he became one of the first members of the firm's environmental graphics studio as they began offering those services to complement their architectural projects. For the first time, Greg was able to integrate graphics with architecture on a large scale through complex signage programs for stadiums, arenas and convention centers. His projects included the Phoenix Convention Center, the Royals Spring Training Facility, the Iowa Events Center, Albuquerque Isotopes Stadium and the University of Missouri Arena.

Greg spent two years at the Kansas City studio of Workshop Design, which focuses on the design of storytelling environments. As senior designer within the firm, he led the design of the University of Kansas Hall of Athletics exhibit, a comprehensive signage program for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, a corporate brand exhibit for Silpada Designs and a wayfinding and sponsorship program for the Dunkin' Donuts Center.

Greg now practices in the Los Angeles office of Gensler as a senior designer. As part of the Brand Design studio, he is further exploring his interest of expressing identity and communication meaningfully within the built environment. He is currently working on branded workplace projects for Mars Food, Hyundai Capital, Beckman Coulter and the Port of Long Beach.

Continuing the service and leadership skills he developed at K-State, Greg has been actively involved in the design profession as well as his community. He has served as director of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) in Kansas City and also served on their Mid-America chapter board. He was vice-chairman of the board of the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA) Kansas City where he chaired the annual Dining by Design fundraiser. Greg is a member of the Society of Environmental Graphic Design and also serves on K-State's Interior Architecture and Product Design professional advisory board. While in Los Angeles, he has volunteered for AIDS Walk LA and Habitat for Humanity.

Greg attributes his varied career path directly to the faculty and staff within the College of Architecture, Planning and Design and the diversity they supported and encouraged. He currently lives in Venice, California, and spends most of his time outside of work exploring the local design and architecture scene as well as enjoying the sunny Southern California culture.