CAVAD's Built Environment Department Welcomes New Department Chair Susan Duemer

As things begin gearing up for a new school year, a beloved CAVAD faculty member steps into an exciting new role. Architecture professor Susan Duemer begins her new responsibilities as Department Chair of CAVAD’s Built Environment (BE) Department. Professor Duemer has a long history with CAVAD and the CBU Architecture program, making her a fantastic and qualified person to fill this role. 

Professor Duemer grew up in Ohio, inheriting her appreciation for Architecture from her late grandfather who always wanted to pursue that profession. For her, it just made sense to pursue Architecture and lean into the mutual interest she shared with her grandfather, despite never meeting him. “I remember my grandmother saying, ‘Well, he always wanted to be an architect, but he never got the opportunity,’ and from that moment I thought, ‘Well, that’s what I’m going to do,” Duemer shares. 

After her education at Judson University’s Architecture program and working at one of the world’s largest architecture firms, SOM in Chicago, she felt a call on her heart to go in a different direction. An unexpected opportunity came as an offer of teaching at her alma mater, Judson University. This ignited a passion within her for teaching and higher education.  

During her time teaching at Judson, she connected with now former CAVAD Department Chair, Keelan Kaiser, who was also teaching at Judson at the time. He convinced her that CBU’s developing Architecture school would be a great place of opportunity for her. Ultimately, Professor Duemer came on board as the first full-time faculty member, and Professor Kaiser later followed to help establish what is known today as CAVAD’s Architecture program. 

In the whirlwind Summer of 2013, Professor Duemer got married and two weeks later moved from Chicago to Southern California to begin a brand-new job forming the architecture program. So many things were happening all at once, but it was Professor Duemer saw how it was all part of a bigger plan. “So, it worked out, and God truly paved the path for us,” she shares. 

She recalls the early days of forming the Architecture program, “It was a lot in a short amount of time. Those early years it was just Katie and Mark [Dr. Papineau & former Dean Roberson], so it was a wild ride.” When it came time to pursue accreditation for the architecture program, Professor Duemer served as the lead coordinator for each of the subsequent accreditation visits. In addition to serving as a professor, she has also been an advisor to students, assisting with recruitment efforts, and served as the founding advisor for the CBU chapters of Freedom by Design and the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS).  

Professor Duemer’s extensive experience helping build the college from the ground-up and maintain its longevity more than adequately prepared her for this new role, as she knows the Built Environment Department from front to back.  

When asked what she most looks forward to as she enters her new role, she shares, “I’m looking forward to working with students and faculty in a different capacity and being able to listen and help in bigger and broader ways. I am grateful for the opportunity to support our faculty and students, strengthen communication and work collaboratively with college and university leadership. I feel very blessed to step into this role and advocate in a way that helps the Built Environment Department continue to grow and thrive.” 

Dean Dirk Dallas expressed his excitement in Professor Duemer’s leadership and the future of the department. 

“Professor Duemer has played a foundational role in shaping CBU’s Architecture program and the Built Environment Department into what they are today,” Dallas shares. “Her leadership in accreditation, curriculum development, industry partnerships and the cultivation of a positive Christian studio culture has had a lasting impact on our students and faculty. Professor Duemer understands what makes our Architecture and Interior Design programs so special and she cares deeply about our students, our faculty and our Christ-centered mission. I am grateful for her willingness to step into this role and confident that the Built Environment Department will continue to grow, collaborate and thrive under her leadership.” 

CAVAD is excited and honored to have Professor Duemer stepping into the role of Department Chair. If you’re interested in learning more about CAVAD’s Architecture program, click here to learn more.