Rodney Hill, a professor of architecture who has emphasized the importance of creativity, exploration and self discovery to his students since joining Texas A&M’s faculty 43 years ago, has been elevated to the American Institute of Architects’ College of Fellows, one of the highest honors the AIA bestows on its members.

Hill will be invested during a ceremony in May at the 2012 AIA convention in Washington, D.C. He’s an award-winning architect, an expert in environmental psychology and a futurist whose lessons prompt students to connect the dots and draw their own conclusions from emerging global conditions, innovations and imagined possibilities.

Throughout his career, Hill has garnered a universe of awards from state and national organizations as well as nearly every major teaching honor awarded by Texas A&M. His recent honors include a designation as one of the “25 Most Admired Educators” by the Design Futures Council (2012), the Texas A&M Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence Award (2010), the Texas Society of Architects Award for Outstanding Educational Contributions in Honor of Edward J. Romieniec (2000), Texas A&M’s Eppright Professorship in Undergraduate Teaching Excellence (2005) and the David Tanner Champion of Creativity Award (2006) from the American Creativity Association.