MIU alum Andrew Rushing is on the path to becoming a Maharishi Vastu architect. He recently graduated with a master’s in architecture from the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). His next step was to attend the six-week Maharishi Vastu Architecture Training course in Nepal.

Prior to RISD, Andrew received his BA in Maharishi Vedic Science from MIU and was the valedictorian for the class of 2016. During his four years, he received the Ted Bergren Prize and the Mary Sue Schwartz Scholarship, both for academic excellence.

After graduating, he took training to become a teacher of the Transcendental Meditation technique, then taught in Encinitas and Santa Monica, California, before becoming the director of the TM Center in Phoenix, Arizona, where he taught for more than three years.

In 2020, he enrolled at Rhode Island School of Design, graduating in 2023 with his master’s.

The Maharishi Vastu Architecture Training course was held in Champadevi, Nepal, from August 27 to October 8, 2023, above Kathmandu Valley in the foothills of the Himalayas.

“The Maharishi Vastu Architecture Training course was the culmination of my education,” Andrew says. “It combined the deepest knowledge of Maharishi Vedic Science with advanced design techniques and architectonics, positioning me to serve humanity by working with others to establish coherence in the built environment.” 

His interest in enlightenment and human potential sparked at an early age. “I had a number of spontaneous experiences that I found to be very meaningful but couldn’t find any answers,” Andrew says. In researching online, Andrew came across Maharishi Vedic Science and decided to enroll at MIU.     

“My experience as an MIU student exceeded my expectations,” he says. “After learning Transcendental Meditation and then the TM-Sidhi program, I joined what was known as the Prep Purusha program to make the most of what MIU offers in terms of development of consciousness.”    

Andrew remains connected with his former classmates. “The relationships I cultivated at MIU are some of the most significant in my life,” he says. “You get a sense real quick that the people there are motivated by ideals that are not so commonplace elsewhere.”  

Andrew worked with Vastu architect, Jonathan Lipman, to convert the Fairfield IT and Business Park — the large office building five miles north of campus that was donated to MIU several years ago — into dormitories for MIU ComPro students. Jonathan has been the architect for all of MIU’s Vastu buildings, starting with the Dreier Building in 2000.

Andrew returns from his training in Nepal, he plans to continue to work on projects with the US Maharishi Vastu Architecture office as they become available. 

This article comes from the MIU Alumni Office. Subscribe to the alumni newsletter and visit MIU Connections to stay up to date with MIU Alumni News.