DLR Group Names New Higher Education Leader

Dan Sullivan has joined integrated design firm DLR Group as a higher education leader in Denver.  He will lead higher education teams in the Denver and Phoenix offices to meet the needs of clients through the southwest. Sullivan will play an active role in campus planning projects, building client relationship, and creating new studies and strategies to grow the group’s Higher Education sector, according to a news release.

“Dan comes to DLR Group with a wide breadth of knowledge in the world of higher education and sports design,” said Stu Rothenberger, Senior Principal and Global Higher Education Leader. “He’s a proven leader in maintaining positive and professional relationships with clients, and we look forward to seeing our portfolio grow under Dan’s careful stewardship.”

The press release reports that Sullivan’s previous experience includes campus and athletic planning, renovation and adaptive reuse of historical military buildings, facility assessments, feasibility studies, and the gamut of phases in architectural documentation and construction administration. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame and was recently named the Northern Indiana Chapter president of the American Institute of Architects. He has a Building, Design, and Construction certification, as well as the status of LEED Accredited Professional.

“I am most excited to be in an office environment that fosters architectural creativity alongside sustainability,” Sullivan said. “DLR Group takes environmental responsibility seriously, and it’s clear that DLR’s design concepts, from the first conceptual moments, pave the way for projects to meet sustainability goals. I love and embrace existing structures and the sustainable options they provide by requiring fewer new materials, but I’m also thrilled to be collaborating with the integrated design teams of DLR Group to imagine the future of sustainability in higher education facilities.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.

  • Phoenix School District Breaks Ground on New Prep Academy

    The Creighton Elementary School District near Phoenix, Ariz., recently broke ground on a campus replacement for Biltmore Preparatory Academy, according to a news release. The new space will allow the school to expand its enrollment by 50 percent for K–8 students and accommodate modern, collaborative learning styles.

  • Nashville Elementary School Receives LEED Gold Certification

    Goodlettsville Elementary School, part of Metro Nashville Public Schools in Nashville, Tenn., recently achieved LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), according to a news release. The 81,750-square-foot school opened in 2023 and was designed by Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC).

  • S4L Announces 2026 Education Design Showcase Winners

    Spaces4Learning is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2026 Education Design Showcase! Now in its 27th year, the annual awards program honors innovative solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction across K–12 and higher education.