College of Architecture Outstanding Graduate Student: Dennise Castillo
May 15, 2014 | posted by The Institute
Dennise Castillo is the recipient of the 2013-14 College of Architecture Most Outstanding Graduate Student award at UTSA. The scholarship is given to recipients who show a commitment to their field and have demonstrated academic excellence.
Who: Dennise Castillo, M.Arch
Hometown: Brownsville, TX
Background: My family comes from a long line of medical professionals and therefore I always thought I had to go into a medical career. However, as a child I always enjoyed building makeshift sheds with any materials I could get a hold of. When I visited my grandparents they always had blocks, wood and other small tools waiting for me to help explore my creativity. Once in college I majored in Psychology to go into Occupational Therapy in graduate school. My graduate school plans changed when I was introduced to the field of Architecture while taking an undergraduate art course. This is when I realized the only field in which I would be happy would be Architecture. I came to UTSA as soon as I graduated from Texas Woman’s University.
Interests: I have a dog that keeps me on my toes and helps me explore all the new greenways and trails San Antonio has to offer. I also enjoy traveling and photography.
Any specific accomplishments you’d like to mention? Recently received the Cultural Sustainability Award for my thesis project from the College of Architecture’s Center for Cultural Sustainability.
How long have you worked with the Institute? I have been working at the Institute office since June 2013.
What do you do at the Institute? What does receiving this award mean to you? At the Institute I worked in the Energy Efficiency and SmartLiving Research Program under Dr. Gomez and Dr. Nakat. Our team did preliminary comparative analyses to assess the energy performance of single-family detached homes in the San Antonio area. One of the outcomes was being able to submit a paper to a journal for publication.
What do you hope to accomplish in the future? In the near future I hope to be employed by a local architecture firm. In a couple of years I expect to be able to take the ARE exams to obtain my license to practice architecture in Texas.
Contact information dennise.castillo@yahoo.com
