I’m a professor in the Department of Historic Preservation at the University of Mary Washington. I have a PhD in urban and regional planning & design from the University of Maryland, an MS in historic preservation from the University of Vermont, and a BA in architecture studies and comparative literature from Brown University.
Some interesting things about me:
- I’m from Paris, France. I grew up there and came to the US as a teenager. Yes, I can do the fake accent. Yes, I’m a wine snob. Yes, I love pastries. And yes, I shower daily. Not all stereotypes are true.
- Having lived in some great places (Paris, New York, Winnoski VT among them) I deeply care about the built environment. I’ve lived in really unpleasant areas, too. It helps to not take things for granted.
- I’m mac-only since my Apple IIgs in 1984(?)
- My teaching is centered on the ideas that (1) wide dissemination is good, hence all materials are freely available on this site (2) metaphors work. The weirder the better. Ask any HISP student about unicorns or Mario Kart. They’ll tell you.
- I grew up taking Ligne 6 pretty much every day. I can still tell you all the stops in order.
- Industrial history and machines fascinate me. Ever seen a linotype machine in use? A functioning water wheel? They are mesmerizing. If you’re the kind of person who likes watching how it’s made, you get the idea.
- I have studied bumping posts. They are neat. Make fun of me if you will.
- My first name is pronounced “Ahn-dray-ah”, not “And-dray-ah”.
- My research is wide-ranging but I think it all hangs together around one concept: design matters. So that means the buildings around you, the streets and trees, but also the way a brochure or report is formatted.
- Comic Sans is NEVER a good idea. You cannot convince me otherwise.
- I have an extensive LEGO collection and include LEGO in some of my classes. Stop by my office if you want to see a small streetscape. I may even let you play with the minifigs.