The 15-minute walk from Carmichael Hall to North Quad may not seem so far to Ball State University students when compared to the 613 miles Branko Kolarevic, 43, travels to work as a distinguished visiting professor in the Department of Architecture.
Kolarevic pays thousands of dollars a semester to fly between Indianapolis and Philadelphia weekly to teach architecture and digital design classes.
"It is not unusual to live one place and work in another," he said. "It may not be completely ecological, but it is a perfectly logical arrangement."
Kolarevic leaves Philadelphia Monday mornings, arrives in Muncie around 1 p.m. and returns home Wednesday nights around 11 p.m. While on campus, he stays at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center Hotel and teaches second-year digital design, third-year studio and advises thesis students. He also works with Kevin Klinger, associate professor of architecture, in advising the Ball State Center for Media Design on the Institute for Digital Fabrication and Rapid Prototyping, funded by a $20 million grant from the Lilly Foundation.
Kolarevic is an asset to the Department of Architecture, Joseph Bilello, dean of the College of Architecture, said. Kolarevic helps develop new areas of study in the college, including digital fabrication and rapid prototyping, Bilello said.
Professionally, Kolarevic said he saw no disadvantages to working far from home, as he uses his commuting time effectively.
"I don't lose time," he said. "I use my time on the plane and in the airport to work."
When he returns home to Philadelphia, his work is not finished, he said. He works on lesson plans, grades assignments and remains in contact with his students, promising a response to all e-mails within 24 hours.
"In the age of online communities, there is still a value in having face-to-face meetings," he said. "On the days I'm not here, we extend our face-to-face conversations."
But the arrangement is not ideal, Kolarevic said.
"The only disadvantage I see is that I have a five-year-old son, but I think he can cope with my three-day absence," he said. "He gets a toy every time I return."
His wife is also a professor of architecture at Temple University in Philadelphia.
Kolarevic began teaching at Ball State University in 2005 when Klinger asked him to be a visiting professor. They met at academic conferences, and Kolarevic preceded Klinger as the president of the Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture. In Fall 2005, Kolarevic made six visits to the university, and in the spring, he made 15 visits. This school year, he will make about 15 visits each semester. A typical week can cost him between $300 and $400. However, he said, the arrangement is not financially burdensome.
"It is an inexpensive age in air travel," he said.
Originally from Yugoslavia, he came to the United States in 1988 on a full-ride scholarship to Harvard University, where he obtained his master's degree and doctorate in architectural design. He then taught at eight universities, including Harvard and Northeastern University.
"He comes to us with impeccable credentials," Bilello said.
This semester, Kolarevic will speak in the Netherlands, Portugal, Louisville, Ky. and at Yale University.
Ball State is comparable to the other universities where he has taught, he said.
"Both the school and the [Architecture] Department have high-quality leaders," he said. "Ball State provides a very excellent environment where one can devote himself or herself to learning."
Next semester, Kolarevic will teach a graduate studio and seminar. Past that, he said, he has not made any firm commitments.
"It is a complex equation," he said. "However, I have to say I'm very satisfied with my position at Ball State, the relationships I have with my colleagues, the support I have from the administration and the work I get from the students. This is a way to do what I like to do and live in a city I like."
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