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Maia Wakefield

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Maia Wakefield

Maia Wakefield

Program Specializations: BARCH, B.A.A, BIAD

Maia serves as the director of Outreach & Recruitment at NewSchool of Architecture and Design, where she is committed to helping students discover educational pathways that align with their passions and career goals.

With over two years of experience as an Outreach Mentor at San Diego Mesa College, Maia worked directly with high school students to help them feel confident in their college decisions. She has a talent for breaking down the college application process, answering questions with clarity and care, and creating a welcoming space where students feel supported and empowered. Whether working with students one-on-one or speaking to classrooms, Maia brings energy, empathy, and a strong sense of purpose to every interaction.
With an extensive background in sales—emphasizing leadership, training and development, and retention—Maia combines strategic insight with a student-centered approach. She is passionate about building meaningful connections, guiding students toward the right program fit, and helping them take the first steps toward the career of their dreams.

Frederick Besancon

Education

  • Master of Landscape Architecture, Rhode Island School of Design
  • Bachelor of Architecture, California Polytechnic State University

Philipp Bosshart

Education

  • Master of Architecture, Southern California Institute of Architecture, Los Angeles, CA
  • Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences w/emphasis in Interior and Furniture Design, San Diego State University

About Philipp

Born and raised in Switzerland. The experience of working and studying architecture through a practical internship program in Switzerland, and the exposure to the production of architecture, has provided Mr. Bosshart with an opportunity to venture into the roam of Interior Design and Furniture Design at San Diego State University in southern California. While firmly settled in California he continued to expand his experience as a designer beyond the local traditions and environment. Continued collaborations with Los Angeles and Zurich based design firms, Mr. Bosshart has also studied under Ted Smiths Real Estate and Development program in order to pursue potentials in the entrepreneurial approach to architecture.

Current Projects

  • Several residential remodels and additions
  • Two self-initiated developments: 4-6 units

Chris Clark

Education

  • Master of Fine Arts in Advertising, Academy of Art University
  • Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Point Loma Nazarene University

About Chris

The grandson of a well-known author, musician, professor, and artist, Chris Clark grew up with art all around him. The fondest memories of his childhood include the sweet smell of oil paints from his grandfather’s art studio and the sounds of Spain coming from his flamenco guitar. These impressions left an indelible mark.

Recognizing a similar calling, Chris became enamored with the advertising arts while attending college at Point Loma Nazarene University. It was through being a professional skateboarder and recording artist that he discovered he also had a strong passion for writing and design. Following his heart, he relentlessly pursued a career that reflected his passions. That pursuit led him to a career as a hybrid advertising creative and professor. He loves every minute of it.

Chris has almost 20 years experience as an award-winning hybrid advertising creative, producing work for such brands as Intel, Qualcomm, Shure Audio, Red Envelope, Total Gym, and The Corky McMillin Companies, to name a few. Active in the industry, he currently works as a designer, copywriter, and commercial music composer.

Chris has 12 years experience as an award-winning creative advertising and design professor, having previously taught at The Art Institute of California – San Diego, Point Loma Nazarene University, UCSD, and the Academy of Art University, before joining NewSchool as their lead creative advertising and media design professor. In the almost 3 years he’s been leading NewSchool’s media design program, the program has had many successes including multiple wins at the American Advertising Awards.

Providing instruction from a real-world perspective, Chris passionately seeks to create the strongest of creative practitioners, ones that have both the design-mindedness to conceive strong conceptual solutions and the production skills to bring them to life.

Chris has an MFA degree in advertising from the Academy of Art University. He and his family live in San Diego, near the NewSchool campus. Still skateboarding and playing music, you might see him doing both around town after class.

Steven R. Clayton

Education

  • Master of Business Administration, Chapman University
  • Bachelor of Science in Business Management, University of LaVerne

About Steve

Steve Matley has over 25 years of experience in leadership and management in multiple industries. His business management and project management experience was cultivated in real estate, land development, and construction, involving commercial, institutional, residential and public works projects. He has held positions as a General Building Contractor, a Senior Project Manager for an ENR top 50 rated agency construction management firm and Vice-President of Land Acquisition and Forward Planning for a production homebuilder. In these positions, Steve successfully planned and executed numerous projects including educational complexes, high-rises, master planned communities, production homes, custom homes, public works and infrastructure projects. He has been designated as an expert witness in real estate, development, and construction-related litigation cases.

As a business owner, Steve managed multiple companies of his own, including DCM Group Inc., a development and construction management consulting firm, which managed land acquisition, entitlement, and planning for projects valued at over a half billion dollars within an eight-year period. During this time, Steve personally managed dozens of projects, consistently performing above projected ROI expectations. He later was Owner and Principal of Building Solid Foundations, LLC, a leadership and business management advising and consulting firm. Currently, he serves as President of Coast 2 Coast Equities, Inc., a real estate investment, acquisition and development firm.

Steve is a member of the Construction Management faculty at NewSchool of Architecture & Design in San Diego, acting as Program Chair for the undergraduate and graduate degree CM programs and Associate Professor. He previously served as a professor for the Gordon and Jill Bournes School of Engineering at California Baptist University. Steve led the creation, curriculum development and WSCUC accreditation process for the Associates of Science Degree program in Construction Management at San Joaquin Valley College where he held various positions including Program Director, Division Manager and Student Dean.

Steve participates as a facilitator and speaker for educational seminars and workshops in both the construction / building industry and the general business environment. Notable presentations include expert panel facilitation for the CMAA (Construction Management Association of America), seminar and workshop presentations for the NAHB (National Association of Homebuilders) International Builders Show, and IVBCF’s Educational Speaker Series. The City of Temecula retained Steve to present the opening keynote for their inaugural Start-Up Week. In addition, he is the designated expert panel facilitator for the Business Leaders Summits, produced by BuildLeaders.org and FIRE Up Live Events produced by Finest Women in Real Estate. Steve is a certified trainer for the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) and presents as an expert for audiences in the education, real estate and construction industries, speaking for business workshops, seminars, conferences and symposiums.

Current Projects

  • NAVFAC Projects: NAWS China Lake – 180 buildings: fire/life safety retrofits and upgrades, Fire Alarm reporting and mass notification systems NSA Monterey Naval Post Graduate School – 3 buildings (educational research labs and offices), fire/life safety retrofits and upgrades
  • Land Development: Multiple land acquisition, forward planning, entitlement and development projects under Coast 2 Coast Equities, Inc.

Awards

Certificate of Recognition, California State Assembly, Melissa Melendez, 67th District Certificate of Recognition, Optimist International District 41, Outstanding Judging, Oratorical Contest Finals Certificate of Recognition, California State Assembly, Marie Waldron, 75th District District Champion, Toastmasters District 12 Speech Evaluation Contest Most Outstanding Employee Award, Gafcon, Inc. Advanced Communicator Gold (ACG) – Toastmasters International Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) – NAHB/HBI University of Housing Certified Green Professional (CGP) – NAHB/HBI University of Housing\ Certified Trainer – NAHB/HBI University of Housing Advanced Leader Bronze (ALB) – Toastmasters International Licensed General Contractor (B-inactive), State of California, CSLB

Memberships

Professional Member, National Speakers Association Member, NSA-GLAC (National Speakers Association – Greater Los Angeles Chapter) Gold Level Member, Fire-Up Connect Professional Resources Member, CMAA (Construction Management Association of America), San Diego Chapter, San Diego, CA Officer/Member, Rock Toastmasters Club, San Diego, CA Member, BNI Temecula 1 Chapter, Temecula, CA Officer/Charter Member, Toastmasters Professional Speakers, Advanced Club, Murrieta, CA Bootstrappers, Entrepreneurs Mastermind & Networking Group, San Diego, CA President, IVBCF (Inland Valley Business and Community Foundation), Temecula, CA Board Member, BIA (Building Industry Association) – Baldy View Chapter, Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino County, CA Member, BIA-SC (Building Industry Association of Southern California), Irvine, CA Member, NAHB (National Association of Homebuilders), Washington DC Affiliate Member, SRCAR (South Riverside County Association of Realtors), Murrieta, CA Club Advisor, Helper/Speaker, Student Venture, Vista Murrieta HS, Murrieta President / VP Membership, Toastmasters #7917, Temecula (Toast of the Valley) Area Committee Member, Young Life, Temecula Founding Board Member, Anza Valley Building Association, Anza, CA Leadership Council/Moderator, CBMC Forums, San Diego, CA Founding Member, Building Foundations, San Diego, CA Founding Member / Facilitator, Leadership Forums Professional Mastermind Professional Member, ICBO (International Conference of Building Officials – now ICC), Whittier, CA

Additional Information

  • Community Service & Affiliations: Steve has served as a Board Member for the Building Industry Association (BIA-SC, Baldy View Chapter), a Member of CMAA (San Diego Chapter), an Area Committee member for Young Life (Temecula Valley), a member of NAHB, an Affiliate Member of SRCAR (South Riverside County Association of Realtors), a member of ASC (Associated Schools of Construction), and is President of the Inland Valley Business and Community Foundation, a non-profit 501c3 organization.

Mitchell Dec

Education

  • Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, University of Portland

About Mitch

Mitch works for Brightworks Sustainability leading their building energy services practice. The energy services team focuses on holistic energy engineering solutions working with architects and the other engineering disciplines to develop strategies & solutions for real-world performance improvements. Prior to joining Brightworks, Mitch spent 13 years working for Glumac where he was an Associate Principal. Mitch has been highly active on projects across the west coast from Seattle to San Diego, with highlights including multiple net-zero energy projects, and more than 15 LEED Platinum certified projects. This includes multiple projects earning the National AIA Committee on the Environment Top Ten Projects of the year, including Edith Green Wendell Wyatt earning the 2016 Top Ten Plus designation.

Awards

  • 2011 Building Design + Construction Magazine “40 Under 40”
  • 2012 Portland Business Journal “40 Under 40”
  • 2012 Oregon / SW Washington BetterBricks Special Judge’s Award

Additional Information

Representative project experience includes:

  • Wilshire Grand Tower, Tallest US Building West of Chicago
  • Indigo Twelve West, LEED Platinum Certified and first US urban high-rise to integrate wind turbines
  • Vestas North American Headquarters, LEED Platinum Certified
  • Daimler Trucks North American Headquarters, LEED Platinum Certified
  • Edith Green Wendell Wyatt Renovation, LEED Platinum Certified
  • Hassalo on 8th Mixed Use Development in Portland, LEED Platinum Certified featuring a manmade constructed wetland for 100% of water treatment onsite
  • University of Oregon Lewis Integrated Science Building, LEED Platinum Certified
  • University of Oregon Student Recreation Center, LEED Platinum Certified

Vuslat Demircay

Education

  • Ph.D. in Building Science, METU in Turkey
  • Master of Architecture
  • Bachelor of Architecture, METU

About Vuslat

Vuslat is a long-time member of the NewSchool faculty. Raised in Germany, studied, licensed, practiced in Turkey, Vuslat made a shift from practice to academia in her early career years. She earned her Ph.D. from Middle East Technical University and taught architecture at this top-ranking university until she moved to the US. She continues her academic career in the United States at NewSchool since 2003.

Vuslat has been teaching architecture and design for over 30 years in multiple countries and the composition of her experiences span almost every area of design. Throughout her academic career she has developed and taught courses with an emphasis on instructional strategies and methodologies applicable to design studies, ranging from product and furniture design to regional planning including interior, building, neighborhood, urban, and city scale. Over the last 16 years at NewSchool, Vuslat taught courses in the areas of communication (graphic, oral, written), research methodology, building construction technology, construction history, professional practice, and thesis studio in graduate and undergraduate Architecture Program.

In her mid-career years, architectural pedagogy appeared as another major interest for Vuslat and as a subject matter expert in this area she has been assigned the ambassador by Architectural Schools in Turkey and participated in national and international professional organizations and commissions. She has presented several papers on pedagogy at conferences, symposia, and panels at European Association on Architectural Education EAAE, and ENHSA. These include the 2nd Workshop on Construction Teaching Methods, France in 2003, 19th International Conference on Re-integrating Theory & Design in Architectural Education, and 2nd International Conference on Changing Cities, Greece in 2015. She has been an active member of the Chamber of Architects in the development of curriculum basics towards the architectural registration process in Turkey.

The wide range of courses she teaches and her international/multicultural life and work experience bridging the two completely different parts of the world has shaped her personality for a life-long commitment as an avid learner. She is passionate to spread her inspiration to her students, whether those in their early years or those who are late in their journey, looking for new paths for themselves.

Vuslat has supervised around 150 graduate thesis studies in the past 16 years, both in teaching thesis seminar and design studio. Some of the graduates continue their thesis topics in doctoral programs, several thesis studies have been awarded by AIA- American Institute of Architects, San Diego Chapter and by other organizations, and others work in related fields. Her pedagogy prioritizes a trans-disciplinary approach and thorough analysis of a complex problem in its minor components and provides a learning experience by new ways of creative and critical thinking towards appropriate solutions through experimentation and developing an intellectual and innovative world vision.

Her scholarship includes journal publications, public lectures, conference presentations, edited books, book reviews, and contributions as a reviewer to peer-reviewed journals and international conferences. Vuslat was an invited juror, guest speaker, and keynote speaker at several schools in Turkey and in the US.

Vuslat was recognized with the prestigious President’s Award for her exceptional work in organizing and participating in the first ever Laureate Global Architecture and Design Summit.

Another path in her career -since 2011- is managing at a larger scale. In the past several years she served in many different capacities, among these were the positions of Acting Chair of Graduate Architecture Program, Chair of NCAP-Faculty Governance Council, Assessment Leader, Thesis Coordinator for Graduate Architecture Program, and Area Coordinator of Research for Undergraduate and Graduate Architecture. This exposure allowed her to investigate the intricacies of various programs.

She worked as a project designer and technical consultant in Turkey on national and international projects. Among those were the German Embassy Campus historic preservation project, German School, Goethe Library renovation project, residential, office, retail projects in Turkey, and residential remodeling projects in the US.

Vuslat speaks Turkish, German, and English fluently.

Awards

  • NewSchool President’s Award

Raúl Díaz

Education

  • Mater of Urban Planning, City University of New York
  • Bachelor of Architecture, University of Southern California

Memberships

  • Member, American Institute of Architects

Kristian Anders Gustavson

Education

  • Master of Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
  • Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, University of California, San Diego

About Kristian

With a master’s degree from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD, Gustavson leads a variety of projects aimed at driving innovation from the lab to the market for clean water and clean energy projects. He is the current land-speed record holder for an algae-fueled motorcycle and has entered it in the Baja 1000. Through his consulting company, North American Explorations, Gustavson also works closely with policymakers, researchers, and business leaders to develop market solutions to environmental problems. When he is not surfing or paddling rivers, Gustavson can be found at training for various projects by advancing his skydiving and SCUBA certifications among other operational skills.

Additional Information

  • Co-Founder, Director of Research and Explorations, Below the Surface
  • Associate, U.S. Department of the Interior
  • Honorary Member, American Legion
  • “Hero of the Heartland,” American Red Cross
  • Chief Inspiration Officer, Outside Magazine
  • Land-speed record holder for an algae-fueled motorcycle
  • Riviera Magazine’s “Men of Style,” 2013

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