Archinect - News

Lydia Kallipoliti named Columbia GSAPP's new Advanced Architectural Design program director

2024-07-29T19:49:00-04:00

Columbia GSAPP has appointed architect, engineer, and academic Lydia Kallipoliti as the new director of its Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design program. She joins the Morningside Heights campus from the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at the Cooper Union, where she has been working as an Associate Professor and Senior Associate at the Institute for Sustainable Design.

Kallipoliti, a noted ecological design expert known for her distinctive “immersive scholarship” approach, will also teach students as a tenured Associate Professor of Architecture, Planning and Preservation beginning in the Fall of 2024. She recently served as Head Co-Curator (with Areti Markopoulou) of the 2022 Tallinn Architecture Biennale and taught previously at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Syracuse University, the University of Technology Sydney, and her alma mater Princeton in addition to leading the New York-based ANAcycle design+writing studio.

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa professor Cathi Ho Schar named 2024–2025 ACSA President

2024-07-08T18:09:00-04:00

The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) has announced University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Architecture associate professor Cathi Ho Schar as its incoming president for 2024–2025.

Ho Schar is also the inaugural director of the eight-year-old University of Hawaiʻi Community Design Center (UHCDC), where she has gained valuable experience working with legislators, state agency directors, and faculty principal investigators to establish partnerships with over 30 public and non-profit organizations while generating $8 million in community-engaged research.

Those efforts were instrumental in helping the UHCDC win the 2020 AIA/ACSA Practice and Leadership Award. Ho Schar says: "As an island-based educator and practitioner, I am shaped by Hawaiʻi’s Indigenous, immigrant, and multicultural community and aligned with ACSA’s commitments to equity and inclusion."

Architectural historian Gabrielle Esperdy named as next dean of NJIT's Hillier College of Architecture and Design

2024-06-27T17:18:00-04:00

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) has named architectural historian Gabrielle Esperdy to lead its Hillier College of Architecture and Design as the new dean following a national search. Esperdy, who had already been serving in an interim capacity since 2022, will take office effective July 1st and lead the college's strategic plan in unison with NJIT stated goals to become a new "nexus of innovation" just a few miles away from New York City.

"Sometimes a search affirms what you already have, in this case, a thoughtful and passionate leader who connects well with students, faculty, administrators and staff members alike," NJIT's President Teik C. Lim said of her retention. "Also, we gain continuity and someone who already understands Hillier and its long-term priorities. This is a win-win."

"The dean should promote the incredible work that our faculty and students ...

Thomas Heatherwick to direct 2025 Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism

2024-06-03T19:10:00-04:00

South Korea's Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism just announced that Thomas Heatherwick will be the General Director of its fifth iteration next year.

Billed as Asia's biggest architecture biennial, the 2025 program seeks to explore "how to make buildings and cities radically more joyful and engaging," a mantra Heatherwick has been championing with his Humanise campaign.

"We are honored and thrilled by this appointment to curate our first Biennale," Heatherwick responded. "There are over 300 biennales taking place around the world today. But the original ambition to use them as vehicles for debate and engagement with the public, too easily gets lost in professional echo-chambers, which most ordinary people don’t engage with."

"We plan to turn the concept of a biennale inside out and create a big, full-throttle conversation with Seoulites. We want to get to the heart of what matter...

Congress appoints engineer Thomas Austin as the next Architect of the Capitol

2024-05-24T14:22:00-04:00

The appointment of military engineer Thomas Austin as the next Architect of the Capitol has been announced by a 12-member bipartisan commission of lawmakers in Washington, D.C.

Austin, a retired Army veteran and the former Director of Engineering at Arlington National Cemetery, will assume the office beginning on June 24th and serve a ten-year term, which soon could be subject to direct congressional oversight after the controversy surrounding predecessor Brett Blanton’s abuse of office.

“The Architect of the Capitol plays a vital role in welcoming millions of visitors to our Capitol and ensuring it is a functional workplace. Thomas Austin has managed construction projects and facilities of all sizes, maintained one of our nation’s most hallowed landmarks, and served our country in the military. We are confident that with his extensive experience, Thomas Austin will be an adept and capable Architect of the Capitol,” the committee’s public statement reads.

Previously on Archinect: ...

Cornell AAP appoints architect and urban planner Jose Castillo as Department of Architecture Chair

2024-05-22T18:00:00-04:00

Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP) has announced architect, urban planner, and academic Jose Castillo as its next Department of Architecture Chair. Castillo, the co-founder of the Mexico City-based studio a|911, has taught previously at UPenn, Tulane University, the University of New Mexico, and Harvard GSD and joins the faculty in Ithaca as a full Professor beginning this summer before the start of the fall academic term.

"Professor Castillo's expertise spans design research, practice, and pedagogy, inspiring imagination and actualizing transformation from the architectural to urban scale," AAP Dean J. Meejin Yoon said in a statement. "Connecting the many forces that shape our cities and built environments, Castillo's multidisciplinary approach to real-world challenges from climate change to infrastructure to social housing brings a breadth of knowledge and experience, as well as a global, humanistic perspective, to the department and college."

C...

The New School announces Joel Towers as its next President

2024-05-20T17:53:00-04:00

The New School has announced current Professor of Architecture and Sustainable Design and the former Executive Dean of the Parsons School of Design Joel Towers as its tenth President. Towers’ appointment was announced today by Board of Trustees Chair Linda E. Rappaport, who also led the search committee and stated that it comes at a “pivotal moment” in the institution’s 105-year history.

“During his 20 years at The New School, President-elect Towers has prioritized excellence in teaching and learning, with a deep commitment to our students and a passion for the mission of The New School,” she wrote in the announcement. “He brings a track record of success in sound financial stewardship and consensus-building, as well as a clear understanding of both the complexities and possibilities for our storied and unique academic institution. He has demonstrated the vision, experience and commitment required to lead us in realizing the ambitions and strengths of our university.”

Towers, who co...

Aki Ishida appointed director of the Sam Fox School College of Architecture and Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design

2024-04-15T13:16:00-04:00

Washington University in St. Louis has announced the appointment of Aki Ishida as the next director of the Sam Fox School College of Architecture and Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design. The current associate professor and interim associate director of Virginia Tech’s School of Architecture will take over duties effective July 1st. Her appointment follows the departure of Heather Woofter, who left St. Louis to become the new Dean at the University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture last summer.

"Aki is an accomplished architect and designer, a respected scholar and a dedicated teacher and mentor. She is fascinated by the ways social conditions can shape the built environment, and she has a long history of collaborating with artists, engineers and health-care professionals, among others. I am confident Aki will be an inspiring leader who will connect deeply with our community and advance the strategic goals of the school and university. We are proud to welcome her t...

Taubman College announces Antje Steinmuller as new Architecture Chair

2024-03-08T11:25:00-05:00

The University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning has announced Antje Steinmuller as the next chair of the college’s architecture program. Steinmuller is expected to begin her three-year appointment on July 15th and is described by the college as “the leader best poised to strengthen the research and practice, teaching and learning that make Michigan a leader in architectural education.”

Steinmuller is currently an associate professor at the California College of the Arts (CCA), where she has taught for the past 17 years. She currently chairs the Bachelor of Architecture program and co-directs the Urban Works Agency, CCA’s urbanism research lab, where her research explores the role of design at the intersection of citizen-led and city-regulated processes in the production of urban space.

Related on Archinect: University of Michigan researchers detail new 3D printed upcycled sawdust material for formwork. Image courtesy Tharanesh Varadharajan, Zachary Ke...

Tizziana Baldenebro will lead the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation as its next executive director

2024-02-29T17:35:00-05:00

The Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation (BWAF)’s search for a new organizational leader has culminated in the appointment of Tizziana Baldenebro as its next executive director following a national search that began this fall.

Baldenebro, who replaces the long-tenured and well-admired Cynthia Phifer Kracauer, has past experience as the director of SPACES, a 45-year-old nonprofit that was founded to encourage community engagement with the arts in northeast Ohio.

Baldenebro was, along with other members of SPACES, most recently a co-curator of last year’s U.S. Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale and comes to the position informed by her childhood in Los Angeles and subsequent experiences in cities like Detroit, Cleveland, and Chicago.

"We are thrilled to welcome Tizziana to our organization as she takes the helm in guiding us through our next phase of growth and advancement in championing women in architecture, engineering, construction, and related fields," Angelica T. Ba...

Mississippi State appoints Dominic Lippillo as interim associate dean at the College of Architecture, Art and Design

2023-12-28T11:30:00-05:00

Mississippi State University has announced the appointment of Professor Dominic Lippillo as the interim associate dean for the institution’s College of Architecture, Art, and Design. The photography professor takes up the position previously filled by Professor Jeffrey Haupt, who retired in November 2022.

Lippillo served as an assistant professor of photography at MSU since 2010 before earning the full rank of professor. He will take up the role of interim associate dean on January 1st, 2024, where he hopes to further the college’s “supportive atmosphere for faculty, staff and students.”

“I am really excited to be working closely with all four units of CAAD, and I’m eager to serve in this capacity,” Lippillo said about the appointment. “I want to grow as much as I possibly can, try different things, and see where I can be beneficial to the college and the university. I still love t...

Shima Clarke appointed interim associate dean of Clemson’s College of Architecture, Art, and Construction

2023-12-20T11:39:00-05:00

Clemson University has announced the appointment of Professor Shima Clarke as the interim associate dean of undergraduate and graduate studies for the university’s newly formed College of Architecture, Art, and Construction (CAAC). Since August, Clarke has served as the acting associate dean of the college, which was itself formed on July 1st.

Clarke describes her top priority in the new role as being to oversee and coordinate all programs and activities in CAAC that support student experience, recruitment, education, retention, graduation, and placement.

Having joined the faculty as an assistant professor in 1998, Clarke achieved full professorship in 2013. Within the college, her research has focused on construction education, integrated project delivery, sustainability, structures, and construction safety.

Prior to serving as acting associate dean, Clarke was the director of con...

Reflecting on the growth and changes of architectural academic leadership in 2023

2023-12-19T08:00:00-05:00

Architectural academia was featured prominently in our 2023 news coverage, particularly in new leadership appointments. Notably, the year highlighted a significant increase in female leadership within academia, with Archinect covering the appointment of 14 women to key roles, such as deans, academic chairs, and program directors.

Explore further insights on Archinect's review of 2023 academic leadership highlights.

In-depth discussions with academic leaders

Mary Anne Alabanza Akers, Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design Dean. Image courtesy of Cal Poly Pomona.

'Leadership Is Not Linear': A Conversation with Mary Anne Alabanza Akers, the New Dean of Cal Poly Pomona's College of Environmental Design

In March, we had the opportunity to chat with Cal Poly Pomona's new dean, Mary Anne Alabanza Akers. After spending 14 years at Morgan State University, building its School of Architecture and Urban Planning program, we chatted with Akers to discuss her path to academic leadership...

Kimberly Dowdell is inaugurated as the AIA's first Black woman president

2023-12-18T14:20:00-05:00

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) celebrated a significant organizational milestone with the inauguration of Kimberly Dowdell as its AIA National President for 2024.

The AIA's 100th president overall is also the first-ever Black woman to head the post, following in the wake of 2023 President Emily Grandstaff-Rice.

At an inauguration ceremony last Friday, December 15th, the Cornell University and Harvard Kennedy School alumna who formerly headed the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) from 2019 to 2020, said: "Being elected as the 100th president of AIA is both an honor and responsibility that I embrace wholeheartedly.”

“My journey in architecture, from my roots in Detroit to this influential role, has deepened my conviction that design has the power to transform communities and elevate the human experience,” she continued. “This opportunity to serve my profession beautifully aligns with my overarching mission to improve people's lives through design, foster...

Noguchi Museum appoints long-time staffer Amy Hau as its next director

2023-12-15T12:56:00-05:00

The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum has announced the appointment of Amy Hau as its next Director.

The appointment continues a more than thirty-year working relationship that first began in 1986 when Hau was hired as an assistant at the then one-year-old Long Island City, Queens institution.

Hau left the museum in 2015 to serve as the Managing Principal of New York’s WXY Architecture + Urban Design. Before that time, she had been credited with overseeing a restorative $23 million capital campaign and the development of a new master plan for the campus. Hau has held titles including Administrative Director, Assistant to the Executive Director, and Assistant to Isamu Noguchi during her first tenure and will lean on additional experience on Queens' Community Board 1 and several other local cultural groups in the execution of her new duties.

“Amy represents not only the profound legacy of the Museum but also embodies its dynamic, polyvocal future,” Spencer Bailey, the museum...

Brett Steele appointed as new USC School of Architecture dean

2023-12-04T20:35:00-05:00

The University of Southern California (USC) today announced the appointment of renowned architect and educator Brett Steele as its new dean for the School of Architecture.

Steele will be stepping in to replace interim dean Willow Bay, who was appointed back in July 2022, following the quiet departure of former architecture dean Milton Curry.

Steele is no stranger to leading prominent schools of architecture. Prior to his new future position at USC, he served as UCLA's School of the Arts and Architecture dean since 2017. Before his time working in Los Angeles, he held pivotal leadership positions at the Architectural Association (AA), serving as a chief executive and Director since 2005. Prior to that, he created and led the AA Design Research Lab, the school's first accredited Master of Architecture program, for eight years.

According to USC President Carol Folt, "Brett Steele’s collaborative leadership is a perfect fit for our School of Architecture. One of the things that impress...

Jesse Lazar announced as new permanent AIA New York and Center for Architecture Executive Director

2023-09-26T16:59:00-04:00

The American Institute of Architects New York (AIANY) and the Center for Architecture (CFA) have just announced the appointment of Jesse Lazar as the new permanent Executive Director of both organizations, filling a void left by Benjamin Prosky after his departure this February.

Lazar had been serving in an Interim Executive Director role since that time and comes to the position with experience as the CFA's Development Director between 2014 and 2016. He has been instrumental in fundraising more than $20 million for both organizations since that time while also working to establish AIANY’s 2030 Fund, CFA Lab program, and other initiatives. Lazar also has previous experience with the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and received his MBA from the University of Michigan in 2012.

“I’ve worked with Jesse Lazar on and off at the Center for Architecture since 2008,” AIA New York’s 2023 President Matthew Bremer said in a statement. “I also have the mindset that instit...

Maria Villalobos Hernandez to lead IIT’s Master of Landscape Architecture and Urbanism

2023-09-26T11:37:00-04:00

The Illinois Institute of Technology has appointed Maria A. Villalobos Hernandez as director of its Master of Landscape Architecture and Urbanism program. “Villalobos is the first woman of color and first Latinx person to be a director of a College of Architecture program, and she will bring a deep-rooted sense of equity and justice to the program,” the institute said announcing the news.

Originally hailing from Venezuela, Villalobos Hernandez has “witnessed first-hand the impacts of the oil industry on local communities,” bringing her to cultivate “an approach to landscape architecture that prioritizes environmental and social justice.” Having exercised this ethos through her practice, Botanical City, Villalobos Hernandez now hopes to infuse the MLA+U program with the same spirit.

“The weight of this appointment holds resonance beyond personal achievement, as it is a great responsibility to be the inaugural Latin American Director of a program in the College,” said Villalobos Herna...

Prasad Boradkar named new dean of the University of Minnesota's College of Design

2023-08-28T15:42:00-04:00

The University of Minnesota's College of Design has announced designer, anthropologist, educator, and researcher Dr. Prasad Boradkar as its new dean following a nationwide search.

The college houses the School of Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Interior Design programs in addition to other design disciplines like Product Design, Apparel Design, and Human Graphic Design, to name a few.

Boradkar's extensive career in academia and the design industry can be seen through his work with Google, where he recently served as the UX Research and Sustainability Lead at the company's Advanced Technology & Projects division, and his prior professor of industrial design role at Arizona State University, where he held positions as the co-director of the Biomimicry Center and director of the InnovationSpace transdisciplinary research and education lab.

His multidisciplinary background has allowed him to collaborate across several disciplines, leading him to work in "cross-functional, tr...

Walter Hood prepares to lead UC Berkeley's landscape department

2023-08-24T11:37:00-04:00

Professor Walter Hood is set to become chair of UC Berkeley's Department of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning (LAEP) for a two-year term beginning this fall. Berkeley describes Hood as “one of the pre-eminent American landscape designers working today,” whose projects “combine architectural and public art approaches with a concern for ecological sustainability.”

As our 2021 interview explored, Hood's education began at UC Berkeley's College of Environmental Design (CED), where he obtained both his Master of Landscape Architecture and Master of Architecture in 1989, followed by an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2013. Joining CED's faculty in 1993, Hood has previously held the position of LAEP department chair, serving one term, and was honored with the Woo Chair for Design Excellence from 2012 to 2022.

Archinect Feature: Othering Blackness in Design: Reflections with Walter Hood

Meanwhile, Hood's literary contributions include authoring Urban Diar...

The Cooper Union updates Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture Deanship search

2023-08-21T12:10:00-04:00

The Cooper Union has announced an update in its search to find a new permanent Dean of The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture.

In a letter to the schoolwide community, the Board of Trustees announced the continuation of Hayley Eber as Acting Dean and the addition of South African-born architect Mokena Makeka as its first Special Advisor to the Vice President of Academic Affairs following an exhaustive two-year community feedback process.

The Board shared that a four-candidate review did not yield an adequate long-term hire for the Dean’s position in the view of the committee, which has been occupied by Eber on an interim basis since 2019.

The school shares: “What it generated was a new way of thinking. We conceived an entirely different leadership model — a partnership — that combines excellence and experience across the precise domains we sought to address within the School of Architecture, in particular, and for The Cooper Union, as a whole, while working within our existing b...

Dora Epstein Jones, former A+D Museum Director, joins UT Austin School of Architecture faculty

2023-08-14T11:37:00-04:00

The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture has announced Dora Epstein Jones will be joining its faculty in the fall as one of five new appointments.

Previously, Jones served as former faculty at Texas Tech University at Huckabee College of Architecture in Lubbock and will be coming to campus as the school’s newest Professor of Practice. She had previously been employed as the executive director of Los Angeles’ A+D Architecture and Design Museum prior to her tenure at Texas Tech, where she was instrumental in steering the development of a new research praxis for faculty that “forge[d] stronger interdisciplinary collaboration between architecture, philosophy, and history.”

Beyond her academic career, which began in 2002 at SCI-Arc, Epstein has also previously served as a principal of the Los Angeles-based studio Jones, Partners: Architecture, and holds a Ph.D. in Architectural History, Theory, and Criticism from UCLA in addition to her M.A. in Urban Planning, which she a...

UW-Milwaukee SARUP appoints Krisann Rehbein as director of Community Design Solutions

2023-08-08T18:02:00-04:00

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s newly-formed College of the Arts and Architecture has announced its appointment of Chicago-based artist and nonprofit leader Krisann Rehbein as the new director of Community Design Solutions (CDS).

The position, which is organized within the School of Architecture and Urban Planning (SARUP), will engage with local community organizations to ensure the continued delivery of pro bono planning services such as the Turnkey Housing initiative and Green Schoolyards project that have, in addition to nearly 230 others, helped to garner praise for the institution over the past decade.

Mo Zell, the new ASCA President and Interim Dean of the College of the Arts and Architecture, said: "We are thrilled to welcome Krisann as the new director of CDS. Her vision for the future of the organization, which includes expanding the role that faculty will play in projects, and her expertise in design and community engagement will help advance the work of CDS and u...

Alexa Kasdan appointed Executive Director of the Pratt Center for Community Development

2023-07-31T12:27:00-04:00

The Pratt Center for Community Development has appointed Alexa Kasdan as its new executive director, effective September 1, 2023. Kasdan will bring to the role “two decades of experience in participatory research and policy advocacy to the role, along with the ability to leverage strong partnerships within the philanthropic community.”

As executive director of the Center, Kasdan will oversee the institution’s professional staff and coordinate with Pratt Institute faculty, students, and staff to “facilitate community-led planning, applied research, and public policy advocacy to help local organizations challenge and overcome systemic inequities.”

Kasdan's academic qualifications include a master's degree in public policy from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and a bachelor’s degree in political science and African-American studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her policy and research career began at Community Voices Heard (CVH), working with women of color and low-i...

Milton S.F. Curry joins Cornell AAP as Senior Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Engagement

2023-07-25T14:46:00-04:00

Former USC School of Architecture Dean (2017–22) Milton S.F. Curry will be joining Cornell University College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP) as its new Senior Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Engagement and Professor of Architecture.

Curry's new position began on July 1, 2023, according to Cornell AAP, and will bring him into contact with the university community and broader public through a range of new initiatives that include the launch of the school’s social justice-focused Black Cities Americas Lab.

Previously on Archinect: Deans List: Milton Curry shares his vision for the future of the USC School of Architecture

During his five-year tenure as Dean at USC, Curry had a list of accomplishments that includes the school’s acquisition of the once-lost Paul Revere Williams archive and shifted educational emphasis towards including academic theories of architecture across the curriculum. He will come to the AAP will similar past experience as the University of M...

Chingwen Cheng named new director of Penn State’s Stuckeman School

2023-06-23T13:00:00-04:00

Chingwen Cheng has been appointed as the new director of the Stuckeman School at Penn State’s College of Arts and Architecture. Cheng is currently the program head and associate professor of landscape architecture, urban design, and environmental design at Arizona State University’s Design School.

Announcing the news, Penn State described Cheng as “a climate justice design educator and advocate for climate actions through co-designing nature-based solutions with communities.” Among Cheng’s engagement with sustainable design is her founding and directing of Hydro-GI Lab, which focuses on the evaluation of both the design process and outcomes of nature-based solutions for climate justice design.

“Climate change impacts and systemic injustice are persistent challenges that many communities around the world are facing,” Cheng said in a statement. “Design practices and scholarship must address these challenges as we hold the power to shape the built environment. After nearly three decade...

Julia Czerniak chosen as next dean of University at Buffalo’s School of Architecture and Planning

2023-06-22T12:37:00-04:00

Noted architect, landscape architect, and Syracuse University professor Julia Czerniak has been named dean of the University at Buffalo’s School of Architecture and Planning following a competitive search to find the next design education leader for the SUNY flagship campus.

Czerniak will take office effective September 11th and comes to campus with extensive experience both in academia and the development of communities like Buffalo that are working to come out of the long shadow of deindustrialization.

Czerniak has been on faculty at Syracuse since 1995 and served as the associate dean of the School of Architecture between 2014 and 2022. The Penn State, Princeton, and Glasgow School of Art alumna is also the founding creative director at CLEAR, a unique interdisciplinary design practice focused on developing urban landscapes in cities in the Rust Belt region. Her work there and at other ventures has led to a 2024 residency at the American Academy in Rome and the J.B. Jackson Book ...

The Architectural League of New York appoints Jacob R. Moore as its new Executive Director

2023-06-15T11:49:00-04:00

The Architectural League of New York has named Jacob R. Moore as its next Executive Director, following a thorough national search. Moore succeeds Rosalie Genevro, who announced her decision to step down last year after leading the organization for nearly 40 years.

“Jacob brings tremendous passion and a deep knowledge of the most important forces and issues impacting the built environment today,” said Mario Gooden, President of The League’s board of directors. “His vision for the future of The League and his commitment to equity, spatial justice, and the environment make him the ideal person to shape our next chapter.”

Moore will assume the position after most recently serving as the Associate Director of the Temple Hoyne Buell Center for the Study of American Architecture at Columbia University’s GSAPP. While at the Buell Center, he led the design, development, and execution of a range of public programs with a focus on the built environment, climate change, and social justice. S...

Penn State’s Stuckeman School names Frank Jacobus head of the Department of Architecture

2023-06-12T12:07:00-04:00

The Stuckeman School at Penn State University has announced that award-winning architect Frank Jacobus will take over as the next head of the Department of Architecture starting on July 1st.

Jacobus is known for his work through the 11-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina-based practice SILO and comes to the position with more than 16 years of academic experience, including a recent stint as the department head at the University of Arkansas’ Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design.

B. Stephen Carpenter II, the Dean of the College of Arts and Architecture, said: “Frank Jacobus’ broad experience as an award-winning architect, academic administrator, and committed educator positions him to effectively lead the Department of Architecture with an eye toward the future and how we can continually improve the experience for students. His commitment to openness and innovation will benefit students and faculty alike.”

Previously on Archinect: Penn State seeks an Architecture Department Head...

Evelyn Lee is named 2025 AIA President

2023-06-09T15:47:00-04:00

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has formally announced AIA San Francisco and AIA California chapter member Evelyn Lee as its 2024 First VP President-Elect and 2025 President.

Lee is currently the Global Head of Workspace Strategy and Innovation at Slack in San Francisco and is also a member of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA). She also served as the AIA National Treasurer from 2020 to 2021 and comes to the position with extensive experience within the organization, including a stint as the Past Chair of the Young Architect's Forum and National Associates Committee.

Lee has also contributed to the profession as a design strategist and writer, discussing with Archinect in a 2018 featured interview that she sees a need for manifold changes throughout the profession for architecture to maintain its relevance in society more broadly.

"Architects need to take hold of our identities as multi-faceted problem solvers, conveners, and human-centered design th...