Joshua Nason loved to draw from an early age, often sketching album covers and clothes to think and express himself. It was not until high school that he thought about a career in architecture. After taking a few years to find himself after high school, he discovered exactly who he wanted to be: an architect.

“What’s really excited me about architecture is I realized I want to make things, and I want to make good things, but I want to make things that do good things,” says Nason. Since his decision to study architecture, his passion for the field has only grown through his education, publications, and especially towards his career in teaching.

Nason knew academia was the right choice for him when he saw the moment his students truly understood their potential as architects, capable of creating something significant. “I want to see this moment,” Nason comments. “And I want to share this moment with students.”

His drive and enthusiasm as an architect are evident in the way he talks about his profession and showing students that anyone can study architecture.It is not about having all the skills needed to study architecture but bringing the talents students already have and learning the rest by professors, who will provide them with the tools needed to succeed.

In July of 2024, Nason became the Dean of Architecture at Drury University after 12 years teaching at the University of Texas in Arlington. It was a big change, but one Nason was happy to make one he saw how special Drury was as a liberal arts university.

“The liberal arts perspective where there’s flexibility through the electives and how students craft their degree plan,” says Nason. “I think, is the future of architecture education.”

As dean, Nason wants to help continue to foster the feeling of community engagement at Drury and be able to push the work, technology, and practice to make advancements without losing quality of work in the process.

“It is a really exciting time to be in architecture. There are so many changes in the world and architecture is a way to engage those changes and have a voice for the betterment of society,” says Nason.

At Drury, students studying architecture receive a broad understanding of what it truly means to be an architect and their ability to make an impact. “Students come in as this beautiful gem and then they leave with all this opportunity to see how that gem impacts all of these other things.”

Photo courtesy of Drury University