SCHOLARS

DALLAS GRAY
U.S. Air Force | University of Oregon | Master of Architecture
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“My father once told me that the key to leading a life worth living
is to give yourself up to a greater cause, to sacrifice and try to
contribute more to society than you take.”
Inspired by his father who voluntarily enlisted during the Vietnam War, Dallas and his
two brothers followed in their father’s footsteps and enlisted in the military, all joining
the 133rd Airlift Wing. Taught by his father that the ‘key to leading a life worth living is
to give yourself up to a greater cause, to sacrifice and try to contribute more to society
than you take’, Dallas’ father assured him it was something he would understand if he
were to ever join the military.
It was after several deployments overseas to Afghanistan, Germany, and Norway that
Dallas realized the wisdom of his father’s words. The concept of always giving more
than himself is what led him down his current career path, to study and implement
sustainable architecture in order to improve the quality of our built environment
in a meaningful and lasting way, in addition to mentoring current undergraduate
architecture students.
While deployed in 2007 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and interrupting
his undergraduate education in architecture, Dallas viewed sustainable design in a
new way and as a result was inspired to re-think how the field of architecture could
implement sustainable design. Having visited 16 different countries throughout
Europe and Asia, Dallas plans to offer a unique perspective to architectural problems
while providing inspiration in the field of architecture, bringing creativity and
dedication to help shape the world around us in a long-lasting sustainable way.
Class of 2015