Editor’s Note — Throughout the spring, summer and fall 2023 terms, Curt Bright, videographer in University Communication and Marketing, worked with the Nebraska Alumni Association to highlight the deans and their respective colleges at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. This video and Q&A is from the resulting series, “Downtime with the Deans,” that ran in Nebraska Quarterly. Each month, a vignette from the series will be featured on Nebraska Today.

Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg, dean of the College of Architecture, dives in to get exercise, problem-solve and think ahead, and he often takes his family with him.

Video: Downtime with the Deans — Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg

What do you enjoy doing when you are not wearing your Dean hat?

Spending time with my wife and kids tops the list — some of our favorite activities include hiking, biking and swimming.

How did your family become interested in the outdoors?

I have always found greatest joy being active outdoors. I did a lot of camping and backpacking as a boy and teenager and that carried into more adventurous versions mountaineering in my 20s.

What mental and/or physical benefits do you derive from these activities?

These outdoor activities provide ample time for contemplation and working through problems or dreaming of possibilities. Swimming has been my go-to for working through design problems, research ideas, and now, how to help guide the College of Architecture into the future.

If you were granted three wishes for your college what would those be?

One, that every student in the College of Architecture felt profoundly cared for, supported, and identified as an integral part of our community. Two, that every staff and faculty member were fully empowered to leverage the transformative power of planning and design to create a more resilient, healthy and beautiful world. And three, that all alumni felt a meaningful and ongoing connection to and experienced a mutually beneficial relationship with the College of Architecture.