Monday, April 6, 2026
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of R. Wayne Drummond, FAIA, dean of the University of Florida College of Design, Construction and Planning, which was then known as the College of Architecture, from 1990 until 1999. He then went on to serve as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Architecture’s second dean from 2000 until his retirement in 2011.
His tenure as dean here got off to a somber start as three weeks after he arrived in 1990, the first of the student murders committed by Danny Rolling became publicized.
Soon after that, the State University System experienced budget shortfalls that resulted in drastic cutbacks.
Despite these obstacles, Drummond was able to have a long and successful time as dean here at the College of Design, Construction and Planning.
Among his proudest accomplishments as dean were:
- Groundbreaking of Rinker Hall, the first LEED Gold certified building in Florida
- The formation of the Powell Center for Construction and Environment
- Research budget grew substantially despite financial difficulties in the state
A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Drummond earned a Master of Architecture from Rice University, a Bachelor of Architecture from Louisiana State University and a diploma in architecture from the Fontainebleau School of Music and Fine Arts in France. His career also included time in private practice in Texas, Kansas and Washington, D.C., and teaching appointments at Rice, Clemson, Auburn and Kansas before assuming administrative roles at Auburn, Texas Tech and the aforementioned Florida and Nebraska tenures.
Drummond served as the national president of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, president of the National Architectural Accreditation Board, and president of Tau Sigma Delta, the honor society for architecture and related professions. He has served as an educational consultant and evaluator on numerous international projects in the Middle East and Asia including a year as a senior research associate and educational consultant to King Faisal University, College of Architecture and Planning in Saudi Arabia. He was instrumental in establishing the first female college of architecture in Saudi Arabia, at Effat University.
In 2011, Drummond won the prestigious Harry F. Cunningham Gold Medal, the highest honor AIA Nebraska bestows for distinguished achievement in Architecture. Drummond was nominated by his peers for the Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education in 2014. Drummond was selected a Fellow, American Institute of Architects (FAIA); a Fellow, The Center for Great Plains Studies at the University of Nebraska; and a Fellow by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). Honorary membership is the highest honor ASLA bestows upon non-landscape architects with only 207 honorary members inducted since 1899.
In 2017, he received the Distinguished Service Award from The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture and in 2020, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Florida School of Architecture. He also received the Distinguished Service Award by the College of Architecture at the University of Florida and the President’s Award from the Florida Association of the AIA. Federal awards include the U.S. Federal Design Award from the Public Building Service for his work on court houses and hospitals.
Drummond is survived by his wife Gayle, daughter Paige (Tom), son Todd (Natasha), and grandchildren Chelsea (Dodge), and Tyler (Rachel). He was preceded in death by both parents and his brother Maury Drummond.
