Germán T. Cruz received a BLA from the University of Illinois (1970) and an MLA from Ball State University (1999)  which have been supplemented with a Master of Divinity (1997) and certificates in Free Hand Drawing (1962), French Language and Civilization (1962), Graphic Design (1972), and Continental Cuisine (1976). Mr. Cruz is conversant in several languages and functions with great comfort in multi-cultural environments.

For 30 years Mr. Cruz advanced his professional practice in large multi-disciplinary design firms where he led planning and design teams in the conceptualization and development of several large urban and neo-urban residential and recreation communities in Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Alabama, and South Carolina.  In 1988, Mr. Cruz established his own firm in Atlanta (Altamira: Design and Common Sense) which served as a vehicle for comprehensive design efforts in urban environments along with pro-bono action for revitalization of blighted neighborhoods. The work on East Lake Meadows was recognized by the Georgia Chapter of the ASLA in 1998 with the President’s Award of Excellence.

Between 1990 and 1996, Mr. Cruz played a significant role in the preparation, planning and design of athletic and residential venues for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.  When his wife (Karen) assumed responsibility for the care of elderly family members in 1997, Mr. Cruz moved to Muncie, Indiana where he joined the faculty of the College of Architecture and Planning at Ball State University and founded the Cruz Design Studio as a tool for intervention in selected projects and interests. Success in the academic setting has been rewarded with several recognitions like the 2001-2002 Faculty Award from the Student Chapter of the ASLA for “Outstanding Student Relations, Personal Achievement, and Stewardship of the Land” and a recent nomination (2006) for university wide honors in creativity. From his interest in knowledge transfer has come a rich engagement with teaching professionals in Brazil, Dominican Republic, and Colombia as visiting lecturer on teaching methodology and curriculum enrichment as well as sustainable planning strategies for excessively urbanized areas.

Mr. Cruz is a contributing editor of Landscape Architecture Magazine and book review editor of Open House International as well as guest commentator of the Muncie Star, the local newspaper.