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Eric Stroud

Biography

Eric Stroud began painting as a child. With meticulous attention to detail, he never drew outside the lines. In life, however, "I was able to think outside of the box, continually questioning everything about my life and surroundings." That is great grounding for an architect who wants to bridge "the conceptual and pragmatic" and develop his own design philosophy to "understand the discipline cross-culturally."

Eric saw the construction industry firsthand from his father, who suffered devastating injuries from a workplace accident when Eric was eight. Despite severe disabilities and chronic pain, his father refused to give up and later became vice president of the construction company. Eric's mother took on extra jobs and remained the rock of their family. Professors talk of Eric's mission-directed goals and his incredible will to succeed. He says his parents' courage has empowered him to take risks and to do his best.

At Iowa State, Eric became a campus leader, and served as a fraternity president. He also won a national award that enabled him to travel to Greece and study architecture and philosophy. That experience meshed well with his growing commitment to architecture, a field in which he aims to "find the balance between design and sustainability, knowing one can create beautiful solutions to design problems while being considerate of the environment."

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