Luis Rico-Gutierrez serves as Dean of the College of Design at Iowa State University, where 2,200 students and 150 faculty and staff in seven departments nurture a comprehensive design ecosystem determined to enhance how we live, work, and thrive. An architect whose career spans three continents, he previously served as Associate Dean at Carnegie Mellon’s College of Fine Arts, where he co-founded the Remaking Cities Institute, demonstrating the power of connecting academic expertise with community knowledge. As a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council, Rico-Gutierrez is recognized internationally for advancing excellence by connecting people, disciplines, and cultures.