Former AIA National president and NewSchool of Architecture & Design president Marvin Malecha, FAIA, passed away on May 4 at the age of 70.

Malecha was born June 26, 1949, and after receiving his bachelor’s of architecture from the University of Minnesota and his master’s of architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, quickly became a mainstay of architectural education. In 1976, Malecha became the dean of the College of Environmental Design at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, a position he would hold for nearly 18 years.

After that, Malecha was tapped to lead the College of Design at North Carolina State University, which he did as dean from 1994 to 2015 (and where he designed the North Carolina State University Chancellor’s Residence). During his tenure, Malecha was also nominated president of the AIA in 2009, a rotating, one-year position.

After leaving North Carolina State, Malecha returned to the west coast to serve as the president and chief academic officer for the NewSchool of Architecture & Design in downtown San Diego. Malecha would remain in that position from 2016 until his death on Monday from complications related to a recent heart transplant.

Malecha was also a prolific author, and his most recent book, Being Creative: Being a Creative, was released in 2015.

“This is truly a momentous loss” said Mark Hoversten, the current dean of the College of Design at North Carolina State University, in a statement. “Marvin truly embodied what it meant to be a designer. His values of creative thinking and efficient design have permeated this college, and shaped the values of the students who walk these halls.”