Heather Roberge and William Murdock Recognized as 2018 College of Engineering Distinguished Alumni

Heather Roberge (BSARCH ’93, MARCH ’95) and William Murdock (MCRP ’99) will be honored as Distinguished Alumni of the College of Engineering at the 2018 Alumni Awards Reception & Dinner on November 2.

Heather Roberge and William Murdock Recognized as 2018 College of Engineering Distinguished Alumni

Two Knowlton School alumni, Heather Roberge (BSARCH ’93, MARCH ’95) and William Murdock (MCRP '99), will be honored as Distinguished Alumni of the College of Engineering at the 2018 Alumni Awards Reception & Dinner on November 2. The "Distinguished Alumnus" Awards were established by the faculty of the College of Engineering at The Ohio State University in 1954. Their purpose is to recognize distinguished achievement in one's profession by reason of significant inventions, important research or design, administrative leadership, or genius in production.

Heather Roberge (BSARCH ’93, MARCH ’95) is a nationally-recognized designer, architect and educator based in Los Angeles. In 1999, she co-founded the design practice Gnuform and, in 2008, founded the award-winning practice Murmur. She is currently the Chair of the Department of Architecture and Urban Design at UCLA, one of the top-ranked graduate architecture programs in the country.

Roberge has received numerous accolades including the 2017 Teaching Award of Excellence from the Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture. Other awards include the prestigious 2016 Emerging Voices Award from the Architectural League of New York, a 2015 AIA LA Merit award (En Pointe), a 2011 AIA Next LA design merit award (Succulent House) and selection as a Finalist in the 2006 PS1/MoMA Young Architects Program (Purple Haze).

Roberge has remained connected to the Knowlton School having twice presented as part of the Baumer Lecture Series, in 2010 and 2016. Her exhibit, En Pointe, an array of architectural objects that reflects on the historical and spatial significance of the column as both object and series, appeared in the Banvard Gallery in 2015-16. In 2018, she was a keynote speaker for the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) 2018 Midwest Quad Conference, hosted by the AIAS Ohio State.

William Murdock (MCRP ’99), serves as executive director of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), a voluntary association of more than 60 Central Ohio local governments and regional organizations serving the fastest-growing region in Ohio. As executive director, Murdock oversees innovative planning, services, and policies in transportation, energy, housing, land use, environment, and data.

In his time at MORPC, Murdock has reorganized MORPC’s committees and staffing team to sharpen its focus on collaborative partnerships and local government services. He is responsible for the development of MORPC’s long-range transportation plan that coordinates over $20 billion of transportation improvements across the region through 2040. Murdock spearheaded the launch of insight2050, a public/private initiative to prepare for Central Ohio’s significant growth and development. He also directed the creation of Central Ohio’s first Regional Energy Plan and strengthened MORPC’s advocacy efforts at the state and federal levels. Prior to joining MORPC, Murdock worked for over 15 years in state and local government in planning and economic development.

Murdock is actively involved in a number of local, state, and national organizations. He is currently past president of The Ohio State University Knowlton School Alumni Society, secretary/treasurer for the Ohio Association of Regional Councils, chair of The National Association of Regional Councils’ (NARC) Executive Directors Council (EDC) and vice president of NARC for 2017-2018, and a board member of Partners Achieving Community Transformation (PACT).