Statement of Purpose

“We are the designers of the quality of life,” they said: A professor here, a high-achieving senior there, a glossy pamphlet slid into my back pocket. As a recent high school graduate and a lifelong fan of the towering overpasses in Fort Worth and the glassy towers of Dallas, I believed the Civil Engineering department at Texas A&M University was where I would learn how to make the world a better place. Fast-forward to the present, where I am employed by an elite structural engineering firm, and I find myself still fascinated by the city but questioning the impacts of development, the lifestyles that fuel it, and, most importantly, whether or not it is proceeding in a manner that can be sustained. I now see that each structure is inextricably linked to the natural environment and society that encircle it, and, rather than designing discrete buildings, I would prefer to focus my energy on understanding the relationships between these elements.

Seeking to expand my understanding has led me to take action both within and outside my career: Within, and sponsored by my employer, I have taken and passed the LEED accreditation exam and attended the U.S. Green Building Council’s Greenbuild Conference; independently, I have completed a History of Consumerism course, taught by an environmental historian, as well as devoted time to reading scholarly articles, books, and other relevant articles in general interest publications. These interests have also spilled over into my enjoyment of art: I relish John Updike’s descriptions of a transforming town over decades and Colson Whitehead’s poetry about life in New York City. The desire to synthesize these interests into a path of study and a career that I can pursue with my heart and mind has led me to the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. programs at the University of Washington. I am applying to both programs because my interests range from the scientific to the abstract and each program seems to accommodate these types of interests differently.

Although I am undecided as to exactly the course of study I want to pursue, there are several viable research paths that interest me: the influence of consumerism on the built and natural environments; the revitalization of urban centers through retail development and the resulting displacement of venues for high and low culture; or, at the abstract end of the spectrum, the representation of the transforming built environment in popular art. Drawing on my study of consumerism last spring, it would be interesting to examine how suburban and urban development is perpetuated by the American propensity toward consumerism and consumption.

The United States has a long history of consumption and, in retrospect, the American penchant to consume is understandable. As the continent was settled, pioneers were confronted with a vast expanse of natural resources, land, and immigrants eager to work toward a better life. Over time, consumption and improving technology proved to be such a successful economic driving force that it is now the backbone of our economy. With economic growth as a continual objective, consumption will likely continue to increase; it is therefore important to examine the ancillary effects of this economic system.

In conducting this research, an important preliminary step would be to define the scale of the subject of the study; it could range anywhere from the household to the neighborhood, up to the national and international levels. Secondly, defining the spatial boundary of the subject’s influence would be critical. It would be then be possible to trace the path of a given quantity of a product, through space and time, and the effects of manufacture and transport, such as carbon emissions and requisite infrastructure, could be extrapolated. A qualitative dimension would be a valuable addition to the quantitative results. By interviewing a relevant sample of consumers about their purchasing habits and performing textual research on their responses, it would be possible to find trends relating their perception of consumptive behavior to the physical effects it causes. Results of this research could then be disseminated in parallel to both professionals involved in the design process and the general public. For the former group, introducing this human behavior could help sustainable development strategies evolve toward considering broader patterns of use rather than just the sustainability of a building, or neighborhood, itself; for the latter, if it is found that citizens are unaware of the collateral effects of their lifestyles, and are interested in alternatives, a public outreach program, through articles in local publications and town hall style meetings, could be proposed. Momentum from these two groups could possibly coalesce into the seeds of social and economic change, or perhaps legislation to help mitigate negative effects of consumption. This pattern of addressing issues through academic, public, professional, and ultimately governmental veins is a strategy I would want to utilize throughout a career as an academic and perhaps a consultant for firms and governmental agencies.

The interdisciplinary nature of each program is appealing because it is paramount to obtaining insight into these relationships that inherently defy traditional classification. After speaking with many faculty members, I believe that my interests and personality especially jibe with Dr. Dan Abramson, Dr. Branden Born, and Dr. Anne Vernez Moudon. The genesis of my proposed path of research came from a conversation with Dr. Abramson, where we discussed sustainable design at scales beyond the individual building; Dr. Born’s interest in food systems could be described as a more specific version of my interest in consumerism; Dr. Moudon’s focus on healthy built environments leads me to thinking about the mental health impact of consumer society on marginalized individuals and groups. However, I believe my analytical talents, which have been refined through engineering, coupled with my wide interests and willingness to learn independently would be beneficial to any research project.

So, it seems that I have not strayed far from my original goal of improving the quality of life through development but have merely shifted my focus from designing to encouraging that informed design decisions be made. With the popularity of the sustainable mentality, especially in the northwest, now would be a very exciting time to pursue studies such as these.