Archinect - News

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...

Estonian Academy of Arts’ youngest ever architecture dean seeks to celebrate ‘spatial visionaries’

2023-01-19T12:23:00-05:00

The Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA) has announced professor and architect Sille Pihlak as the new dean of the institute’s Faculty of Architecture. The youngest dean in the EKA’s history, Pihlak will use her position to “highlight the importance of spatial visionaries in contemporary society.”

“Architecture is more than just individualistic house drawings or data-driven urban space design; it also includes a complex social fabric, all of which are intertwined in physical space,” Pihlak said upon her appointment. “So, just as in the rest of the world, the time for change has arrived in architecture, with the academy taking the first bold steps.”

Having studied at the EKA, SCI-Arc, and the Vienna University of Applied Sciences, Pihlak has built a career that seeks alternatives to conventional building aesthetics and solutions, grounding her work in climate and social issues. For the EKA, Pihlak’...

Heather Flood appointed Dean of Woodbury’s School of Architecture

2022-12-16T11:22:00-05:00

Heather Flood has been appointed Dean of the School of Architecture at Woodbury University. Described by the institution as an “inspiring leader and designer, as well as a passionate advocate of design education,” Flood’s appointment is effective as of December 1, 2022.

“I’m grateful to be part of a School that embraces change, difference, and choice,” Flood said regarding her appointment. “The exceptional faculty, administrators, and staff at Woodbury School of Architecture instill excellence while cultivating independence empowering students to think and make the world as it should be.”

Flood has served as the Interim Dean of Woodbury's School of Architecture since the Fall of 2021. According to the institution, Flood developed a “strong workplace culture” during her time as Interim Dean, bringing a “positive attitude, unparalleled professionalism, clear commun...

The Cooper Union continues its search for a new Dean for the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture

2022-10-19T10:47:00-04:00

Following last week’s look at an opening for a Wayfinding Designer at Mijksenaar USA, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore the open role on Archinect Jobs for Dean of the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at the Cooper Union.

The successful candidate will become the school’s “academic and administrative leader” with responsibilities including curriculum development, supporting the school’s future disciplinary and interdisciplinary explorations, and the “cultivation of a supportive scholarly environment.”

Among the detailed qualifications required for the role are a professional degree in architecture, and “significant and recognized contributions to the culture of architecture.”

Why the role interests us

The Cooper Union originally launched its search for a new architecture school Dean in January, with application ...

The Cooper Union is looking for a new dean following Nader Tehrani announcing his resignation

2022-01-21T13:27:00-05:00

Editor's Note: Details of this article have been updated as of January 24, 2022.

The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at the Cooper Union has announced its search for a new leader after current dean Nader Tehrani, who was appointed in 2015, shared his leave and completion of tenure as dean. Over the past seven years, Tehrani has worked with the institution to expand on the Cooper Union's academic goals and culture during his tenure. In my recent phone conversation with Tehrani, he shared: "I've completely loved my time at the Cooper Union."

Tehrani's tenure followed the resignation of former dean Anthony Vidler in 2013 and Elizabeth O'Donnell serving as acting dean during this interim phase. In 2019, the school announced Hayley Eber as the new Assistant Dean of The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture. Tehrani shared with Archinect: "No matter who the next dean is, they are going to have an excellent partner."

Prior to him joining, the Cooper Union was already undergoing in...

UVA professor Ellen M. Bassett has been announced as dean of Georgia Tech's College of Design

2021-12-22T10:58:00-05:00

More movement at the top of the academic landscape this week as Georgia Tech has announced University of Virginia urban and environmental planning professor Ellen M. Bassett as the next John Portman Dean’s Chair of the university’s College of Design.

A former Fulbright Scholar, Bassett has taught at Portland State University, UVA, and Michigan State. At UVA Bassett serves as the Associate Dean for Research in addition to her teaching role and is currently director of the school’s Real Estate Design and Development certificate program.

Bassett holds degrees from the University of Michigan and University of Wisconsin-Madison, respectively, and spent over a decade working in East Africa as an urban and environmental planner in addition to working closely with the World Bank and U.S. Department of State in consultant roles.

A university statement lauded Bassett for her “deep commitment to international engagement, scholarship, and teaching” as well as her “real-world impact on communi...

Vishaan Chakrabarti is stepping down as Dean of Berkeley CED

2021-09-24T16:05:00-04:00

Berkeley CED dean Vishaan Chakrabarti has announced he will be leaving his post at the university to return to New York over pressing family medical concerns.

Chakrabarti ascended to the position in 2019 after a successful career in New York, where he quickly established his firm PAU as an industry leader in sustainable design.

The 55-year-old left said he Berkeley with a “new foundation from which to build” and departs in the midst of a tenure in which CED underwent a tremendous amount of change and restructuring.

A university statement cited Chakrabarti’s “enormous mark on the college over the past year, even in the midst of a global pandemic” and praised the architect for his leadership commitment to social justice issues.

Chakrabarti was able to raise over $17 million for the college during his tenure as Dean and leaves behind a legacy of innovation, collaboration, and thoughtful stewardship.

Previously featured on Archinect shortly after Chakrabarti was named new dean at ...

Amale Andraos steps down as Dean of Columbia GSAPP

2021-05-20T16:10:00-04:00

Today, academic and architectural practitioner Amale Andraos announces her decision to step down as Dean of Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. After succeeding Mark Wigley as Dean in 2014, Andraos has dedicated her time towards serving and improving the GSAPP community. During her seven-year tenure, she also ran her practice WORKac along with her husband, Dan Wood.

Keen on strengthening the institution's connectivity to the city and fostering interdisciplinary collaborations between GSAPP and other disciplines, Andraos' continued involvement with the university will continue. In her open letter to the community, she notes that she will continue to serve the GSAPP community as a Special Advisor to the President. "Climate Change is one of the main reasons I accepted to serve as Dean seven years ago [...] I will be able to continue to advocate for our disciplines' urgent transformations so that they may help address the challenges already...

Dean searches have begun at The University of Virginia and The University of Tennessee's architecture departments

2020-12-09T17:45:00-05:00

It's not every day you come across job ads for positions like university deans, but this week there have been two new searches advertised on Archinect Jobs.

The University of Virginia, located in Charlottesville, is currently seeking a new Dean of the School of Architecture. They are looking for someone "who can advance the mission and to build upon the School’s unique qualities that provide a competitive advantage among Schools of Architecture." As with most positions of this stature, the university envisions hiring an individual accomplished in academia, with experience leading a school of architecture and/or design, however, applicants coming from a professional practice background, who value academic teaching and research will also be considered for the position.

In 2014 Elizabeth K. Meyer was named dean of the University of Virginia, followed by Ila Berman in 2016. For more information about this opportunity view the job ad for full details.

Meanwhile, at The University of Te...

What will the future of architectural education look like?

2020-10-15T14:47:00-04:00

It's safe to say that nobody knows what the future of architectural education will be. These days it's hard to know what next month will bring us. Few people would argue, however, that academia is ripe for change, as are many facets of modern life that have not evolved at the pace the world has changed in recent decades.

To address this necessary change, we invite you to join us for a special discussion this upcoming Monday, from 1-2 pm EST / 10-11 am PST, featuring a distinguished panel of leaders of architectural education. Deans from across the country will be addressing, head-on, the change they hope to see, and the challenges they currently face to make that change.

To RSVP for this virtual panel, please click the "reserve" button at this link. Space is limited and registration is required to attend.

The Panelists

Hernán Díaz Alonso has been the director of the Southern California Institute of Architecture since 2015, where is held the position of distinguished faculty membe...

Mark Ferguson appointed Dean at The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning

2020-05-21T16:45:00-04:00

“As a practitioner, I have had the privilege of coaching many young architects, helping them grow into mature professionals, key members of our business organization, and valued contributors to the communities we serve,” Ferguson said. “At CatholicU, I look forward to expanding the opportunities to create knowledge and to inspire lifetime learners who acquire the awareness, skills, and judgment to be trusted stewards of the places in which we live."

After 17 years, Randal Ott steps down at The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning and will be succeeded by Mark Ferguson, partner of Ferguson & Shamamian Architects, L.L.P. The New York city firm is widely known for its classical and traditional style of architecture, with Ferguson heavily involved in the Institute of Classical Architecture having an award named after him in 2017. Ferguson will be taking over responsibilities as Dean on July 1st, 2020.

Ladies in the room: With women at the helm of several architecture schools in the U.S., where does gender disparity go from here?

2019-07-16T10:50:00-04:00

People often ask me if that’s the reason women don’t go into architecture or leave architecture, but I don’t think so. I don’t think there’s one single reason. I think for decades it has been a combination of lots of little reasons - being the only woman in the room, not being respected on construction sites, and add into that working hours, balanced with wanting to be a parent, all those things together have discouraged women. But I do see it changing.

In 2019, the rise of female leadership and representation in architectural academia has become more apparent then ever. In practice and academia, women have risen to position themselves amongst a male-dominated profession. Yale has Deborah Berke, Cornell has Meejin Yoon, Columbia has Amale Andraos, Princeton has Mónica Ponce de León, Harvard has the newly appointed Sarah Whiting, and recently Pratt Institute has announced the deanship of Dr. Harriet Harriss.

With the following institutions showcasing women leading the charge, what exactly does this mean for increasing equity and representation to the profession? In a recent interview, Deborah Berke chats with Forbes about what needs to happen in order for gender disparity to dwindle.

During her interview with Heather Senison, Berke talks numbers and shares why women have turned away from the profession. When asked about architecture schools and if institutions need to do a better job at attracting female leadership and students, Be...

Amid major campus expansion, CCA announces Keith Krumwiede as new Dean of Architecture

2018-05-14T20:03:00-04:00

The California College of the Arts has announced Keith Krumwiede as the school's new Dean of Architecture. Beginning in August, Krumwiede will be taking over duties from Lisa Findley, who has been serving as Interim Dean since Jonathan Massey left to head the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at University of Michigan back in August of 2017.

“We are thrilled to welcome educator, designer, author, and satirist Keith
Krumwiede to CCA. Keith is a multifaceted professional that maintains a rare sense of humor about architecture while greatly advancing the field through his work in higher education, scholarship, criticism, and design,” says CCA Provost Tammy Rae Carland. “I am looking forward to seeing the students and the division benefit from his wide-ranging experience, critical insights, architectural knowledge, and demonstrated leadership in the classroom.”

Krumwiede is joining the school from the American Academy in Rome, where he is currently an Arnold W. Brunner/...

Aggregating Architectures; A conversation with Taubman's new Dean Jonathan Massey

2017-09-14T19:10:00-04:00

This week we talk with Jonathan Massey, the new Dean at the University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. We talk about his approach to architectural education and his previous roles at Syracuse and the California College of the Arts, where he finished his deanship this year. We also discuss the world of architectural publishing as it relates to his work with Aggregate.

Jonathan Massey's inaugural lecture "Building Tomorrow" in the new wing

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U-M Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning's new wing, design...

University of Arizona appoints Nancy Pollock-Ellwand as new Dean of College of Architecture

2017-05-09T12:41:00-04:00

Formerly a professor and Dean of Environmental Design at the University of Calgary, Nancy Pollock-Ellwand will become the Dean of the College of Architecture at the University of Arizona starting July 31st. As University of Arizona Senior Vice President for academic affairs and provost Andrew Cormie explained to AZBigMedia, “Nancy brings a breadth of international expertise and insight to the UA, in her scholarly and professional work as well as in her extensive administrative experience at one of the top research universities in Canada. With a multidisciplinary approach to urban reform and heritage conservation, Nancy offers a collaborative perspective in the field of design, and she is known as a smart, thoughtful and engaging leader.”

Zoom In, Zoom Out: Hashim Sarkis, Dean of MIT's School of Architecture + Planning, on Archinect Sessions One-to-One #5

2015-12-07T18:08:00-05:00

Before coming to MIT to serve as dean of the School of Architecture + Planning in January 2015, Hashim Sarkis taught at Harvard's GSD as the Aga Khan professor of Landscape Architecture and Urbanism in Muslim Societies. He founded his own practice, Hashim Sarkis Studios, in Cambridge in 1998, and continues to lead the firm.

Sarkis’s experience working in two of the most highly-regarded architectural education institutions worldwide, while also managing his own firm, puts him in a unique position to approach theoretical questions of architecture from within the two, often discordant spheres of academia and practice. Our interview revolves around the same questions we ask in our Deans List series – how architecture education and practice are changing, how to address student needs, MIT’s particular take on how to cultivate exceptional architects, and the culture of the school in a global urban context.

Listen to our One-to-One #5 with Hashim Sarkis:

iTunes: Click here to listen and sub...

Editor's Picks #412

2015-04-21T12:20:00-04:00

For the latest edition of Deans List; Amelia Taylor-Hochberg profiled Michael Speaks, the Dean at Syracuse Architecture.

Ken Koense commented "The SU Architecture program stands in stark contrast to what is happening, and has recently occurred at NJIT. Credible, steady leadership at Syracuse, instability in the leadership at NJIT." Jolanda Morkel felt the piece was "Wwll worth a read".

News

The roster of over 60 architecture firms and artists who will exhibit their work at the inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial, was announced. jla-x proposed "Archinect field trip anyone"? Meanwhile Lightperson tried not to get his hopes up "I'm excited to see the new crop of architecture ideas but also get the feeling this will be another Tactical Urbanism show from the usual suspects, the cool European curators".

Denver Post Fine Arts Critic, Ray Mark Rinaldi explained why locals should listen to Jeffrey Sheppard’s (co-founder and design principal for Roth Sheppard Architects in Denver) criticism...

Geniuses, money and monuments: Weekly News Round-Up for September 15, 2014

2014-09-22T20:47:00-04:00

Saturday, September 20

NYC's historic 190 Bowery part of massive buy-up by developer RFR Holdings: RFR plans to spend upwards of $900M on property and land purchases by the end of 2014. One of its recent buys included the former "72-room bohemian dream house" at 190 Bowery.

Friday, September 19

MacArthur Fellow Rick Lowe Reclaims Urban Neighborhoods Through Art: Lowe is currently a resident at Philadelphia's Pearl Street Project, which aims at making dimly-lit alleyways more safe. He is also the founder of Houston's Project Row Houses.
Zaha Hadid launches luxury homeware range with Harrods: Pieces include a £9,999 serving platter, £43 cups and saucers, and £4,860 Field of Towers chess set.
Archinect is at the Salk Institute, covering the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture Conference: The three-day conference focused on topics in neuroscientific research that serve the architecture profession, including advances in mobile brain-computing interfaces and the neurological data behind...

Hernan Diaz Alonso to follow Eric Owen Moss as Director of SCI-Arc, + Deans List sneak peek

2014-09-17T21:05:00-04:00

I am pleased that the SCI-Arc Board of Trustees at its quarterly meeting [on Wednesday, September 10] approved the contract with Hernan Diaz Alonso as the next Director of SCI-Arc. Hernan will assume this role beginning September 2015.

Hernan Diaz Alonso's appointment had been percolating since the beginning of the summer, when SCI-Arc's search committee first recommended him for the position after also considering professor Wes Jones. Diaz Alonso will take up the directorship at a pivotal point in SCI-Arc's history in relation to the city of Los Angeles, succeeding Eric Owen Moss' thirteen-year service which solidified the school's position in the now rapidly-developing Arts District of downtown LA.

Aside from serving academic and administrative roles at SCI-Arc since 2001, Diaz Alonso is also principal of LA-based Xefirotarch, a multidisciplinary practice that won MoMA PS1's Young Architects Program in 2005. He will also serve as Yale University's Eero Saarinen Professor of Architectural Design in Spring 2015.

Before Diaz Alonso's role was made public, we spoke with him for our Deans List series, focusing on his plans for managing SCI-Arc's evolution in the midst of a rapidly changing Los Angeles. Here are a few t...

Fresh Deans: Picking the brains of a few newly appointed leaders in architecture education

2014-07-21T19:22:00-04:00

Architecture schools saw a fair amount of shuffling this past academic year in their leadership departments. Aside from a handful of high-profile step-downs, including Mark Wigley at Columbia University and Adèle Naudé Santos at MIT, a hefty number of schools across the US appointed new leadership, potentially ushering in a new era in their school's history. As an off-shoot of our Deans List editorial series, we interviewed a few of these new-appointees, to survey their plans for the position at the very beginning of their tenure.

The following interview samples responses from:

Daniel S. Friedman, Dean of School of Architecture, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (effective August 1, 2014)
Peter MacKeith, Dean of the University of Arkansas' Fay Jones School of Architecture
Jonathan Solomon, Director of the department of Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects at the School of Art Institute of Chicago (effective August 1, 2014)
Marc Swackhamer, Head of the School of Archit...