Ryan Mullenix

Describe the work you do. What are some of your recent and current projects that excite you? What inspires you about the future of your chosen field?
I am fortunate to be involved in multiple facets of NBBJ’s design practice. I lead the design of workplaces, lab and office buildings, master plans, and non-profit spaces with companies like Brooks Running, Starbucks, Alexandria Real Estate, and Gage Academy of Art. I also lead our corporate practice, helping form ideas and approaches that shape the future of workplace thinking and design. Finally, I lead NBBJ’s research efforts with leading academics and universities, including an award-winning partnership in neuroscience with a molecular biologist. At its core, our industry is built around creative design thinkers – we have the ability to help society address many mounting issues through thoughtful processes, moving experiences, innovative materials, and eco-conscious mindsets. Our education has put us in a beautiful position to be drivers of meaningful change.

Why did you choose Taubman College for your education?
I felt the need to be pushed, to elevate my personal awareness of the full reach and impact of design. In turn, I wanted that exposure to amplify my opportunities as I stepped forward into practice. The breadth of faculty perspective, the dedication to fabrication and materials, the ability to attract top students, and the program’s international acclaim at Taubman were impressive both then and now, and a perfect platform for realizing my ambitions.

How did Taubman College prepare you for your career? What experiences beyond the classroom (internships, research assistantships, teaching opportunities, or other external experiences) provided additional value?
I graduated with a strong balance of deep conceptual foundations, a heightened appreciation for critical thinking and processes, and highly improved oral and visual communication skills. Those skills plus the building blocks offered through internships, initial job placement, and research partnerships quickly shaped both my career interests and trajectory.

How has being part of the alumni community impacted you, personally and professionally?
I am deeply inspired to see how Taubman has shaped the careers of those within our alumni community. We all choose our paths for varying reasons – and that path is rarely straight or the same as another’s – but the talent, intellect, commitment, and creativity of those in our community to find the route that ultimate leads to resonant professional, personal, and social impact is moving.

What did you like best about attending Taubman College?
I sensed a tacit agreement at the student and faculty level that we were at Taubman to tirelessly pursue a better form of ourselves and the architectural industry. It wasn’t about perfection, but rather how to instill a constant drive for inward and outward curiosity, ensuring we left with both a strong personal grounding and the desire to keep learning.

What advice or important lesson would you share with someone considering Taubman College?
Use the resources around you to find yourself, to improve upon that image, and just when you think you’ve figured it out, to force you to stretch again in life and practice.

Other thoughts, advice, or knowledge you would like to share?
Do not miss the opportunity to build personal relationships in your years at Taubman. Much of what you are doing may feel individualistic, but you are never alone. Live outside of your head and yourself. The camaraderie that is forged in moments of stress and respite is powerful. These bonds will be foundational for how you attack your first years out of school.