RON DIRSMITH, NA Architect NA 1999 Architect and Engineer, Fellow in Architecture, American Academy in Rome. It is Ron Dirsmith's dedication to architectural and environmental design that pays homage to the natural world around us that is the driving aesthetic behind the firm's designs. Mr. Dirsmith received both a B.S. in Architectural Engineering and a Master of Architecture in Design from the University of Illinois. Beginning his career at Perkins and Will, then became a principal at Ed Dart and Associates. In 1971, he, along with Suzanne Roe Dirsmith, founded the Dirsmith Group. Licensed as an architect in the states of Illinois and Florida, and holding national NCARB certification, his combined training in architecture and engineering has proven a unique asset in the firm's design projects. The Dirsmith Group's International Traveling Exhibit The Creative Human Environment is designed to address their belief that built environments can and must nuture lives and expand human potential...the essence of the Dirsmith Group's approach. Mr. Dirsmith is a Fellow in Architecture of the American Academy in Rome which for over 100 years has been a research and study center for America's most promising artists and scholars. Only 172 architects have been granted this prestigious honor. He was recently elected to the National Academy of Design in 1999. For more information on Ron Dirsmith, please visit http//www.dirsmithgroup.com.