BATON ROUGE - LSU's School of Architecture is continuously ranked among the best programs in the nation, partially because of their faculty and staff. One professor, a career professional in the field, is now being honored for her work.

The number thirteen is usually associated with being unlucky. But not in the case of LSU Professor Ursula Emery McClure. Earlier this month she was named one of thirteen innovative female architects in the world, and the only honoree from America.

"I am curious how they came to thirteen. They could've picked fifteen. They could've picked ten," McClure told WBRZ.

The list presented by ArchDaily is quite the recognition in the world of architecture.

"ArchDaily is like our daily newspaper. So in the news business, it's The New York Times is sort of the one everyone knows they can go to. So for architects... ArchDaily."

But the way McClure found out she'd been selected wasn't full of the pomp and circumstance you'd expect.

"There was an email from an ex-student who works somewhere in Texas, and they said 'How great it was to wake up this morning and see you in the news.' That's all they said. So I wrote back and said, 'What are you talking about? They had seen it. I don't know how they had seen it."

She's been teaching at LSU for the last eighteen years; the first female professor to receive tenure in the College of Architecture. And as another school year winds down, her advanced students are working on their final project.

As she looks on, she sees herself in their shoes.

"I look out into the profession and I have probably taught a student in every firm in this state. Some of those students are now professionals and partners."

From having her own firm, to living and working around the world, this latest internal accolade has been added to the list.

"I'm mostly honored because what it means is they went and looked really hard at our work, and I think that is what we want to be evaluated on."

McClure's firm is based out of Lafayette.