Kennesaw State University President Pamela Whitten and Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Kathy Schwaig have named Andrew Phillip Payne as dean of the College of Architecture and Construction Management, effective January 1.

As dean, Payne will provide academic and scholarly leadership for the College of Architecture and Construction Management. He will also work with faculty and staff to advance the goals of the College and its reputation at the local, state, and national level. Reporting to the Provost, Payne will lead external funding efforts and further relationships within the architecture and construction management professional communities.

“With this position, we sought someone who could bring a bold vision for the College and a commitment to fostering an inclusive learning environment for our students, all of which have been demonstrated by Dr. Payne,” Whitten said. “We believe his extensive industry experience and strong research background will galvanize our mission of becoming a top R2 institution, and we are excited to have him join the University.”

Payne currently serves as chair and professor at Indiana State University’s Department of Built Environment, positions he has held since August 2013. At Indiana State, Payne worked extensively with the Department of Built Environment’s assessment and accreditation process, earning recognition for his university service and community engagement in the classroom with the 2019 College of Technology Faculty Service Award. With more than 12 years of professional experience in architectural design firms across the Southeast, Payne has been an invited speaker at numerous conferences and has contributed to several written bodies of work.

Prior to joining Indiana State, he served as an architecture professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design, teaching and serving as a graduate and undergraduate coordinator while researching building materials and construction.

“I am pleased to have Dr. Payne lend his leadership and experience as dean of our College of Architecture and Construction Management,” Schwaig said. “We were impressed by his student-first approach to academe, which will undoubtedly make a profound impact on our students’ educational journeys and eventual careers in and around the built environment.” 

Payne earned a Bachelor of Environment Design, Master of Architecture and Ph.D. in Design from North Carolina State University’s College of Design. His academic research centers around visually impaired pedestrians’ ability to navigate their environments. Payne also specializes in campus planning and design, human use of space and accessibility. He is an honorary member of construction management honors fraternity Sigma Lambda Chi and has received the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) National Educator Honor Award.

“Kennesaw State’s College of Architecture and Construction Management is well known across the region for the quality of its graduates, and I am overjoyed to play a role in supporting our faculty and staff in bolstering this first-class educational experience for our students,” Payne said. “The built environment is ever-growing and the demand for professional architects and construction managers remains unquenched. It is my goal to ensure KSU is at the forefront of meeting that demand.”