Archinect - News

Florida International University launches DDes doctoral program

2020-08-03T14:39:00-04:00

Florida International University (FIU) has launched a new Doctor of Design (DDes) degree program that aims to "prepare architects for global leadership careers in design investigation, industry, applied research and related emerging technology fields."

The program is set to begin during the Spring 2021 semester and will be housed within FIU’s Department of Architecture, which is itself located within the school's College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts. According to FIU, the new degree is one of only five post-professional DDes programs nationwide. The program will be led by FIU Professor Neil Leach.

“FIU’s climb as one of the nation’s top research universities is fueled by programs of the future such as this new Doctor of Design that involves experiential learning leveraging state-of-the-art technology,” said FIU Provost and Executive Vice President Kenneth G. Furton. “We expect that graduates of this program will reach the highest levels of their profession and contribut...

MIT Architecture PhD Student Mohamed Ismail Wins $90,000 Fellowship for Immigrants & Children of Immigrants

2020-04-17T17:07:00-04:00

“At a time when all forms of immigration are under attack, it’s more important than ever to be celebrating the achievements and contributions of immigrants and refugees from across the world,” said Craig Harwood, who directs the Fellowship program. “Our country and universities are enriched by the ingenuity that comes from abroad. When we honor and invest in New Americans our nation is stronger—the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellows are a perfect demonstration of that.”

An MIT architecture PhD student, Mohamed Ismail, is one of 30 immigrants and children of immigrants nationally, chosen as this year's recipients of The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans's $90,000 fellowship for graduate school students.

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans, is a national merit-based Fellowship that honors the contributions of continuing generations of New Americans in the United States.

As a PhD student in building technology at MIT, Mohamed Ismail is researching the application of structural optimization to the alleviation of housing insecurity in the Global South. Born to Sudanese parents in the United States, Mohamed moved to the Philippines when he was eight. His parents had moved to the United States for an education and his father’s career in academia and research later brought them to the Philippines. Mohamed received his bachelor’s in civil and structural engineering at Duke University before receiving his Master of Architect...

Columbia GSAPP launches the nation's first Ph.D in Historic Preservation

2018-01-16T15:32:00-05:00

The Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (Columbia GSAPP) announced today that it will be launching a new Ph.D. Program in Historic Preservation—the first of its kind in the U.S. GSAPP has been a leader in the field of preservation education since it established the first Master in Historic Preservation program back in 1964. The introduction of the new program will set the standard for doctoral level education, provide intellectual leadership by training future generations of preservation scholars, and expand the discipline’s range.

"The Ph.D. in Historic Preservation recognizes the fact that the profession has matured into a vibrant discipline, with a specific body of theoretical and practical knowledge on how to learn from and intervene in historic buildings, cities and landscapes, such that they not only retain their values as historical documents but also serve as resources for designing the future" the school said in their announcement....

Doctoral degrees: The disposable academic

2011-12-29T12:32:05-05:00

One thing many PhD students have in common is dissatisfaction. Some describe their work as “slave labour”. Seven-day weeks, ten-hour days, low pay and uncertain prospects are widespread. You know you are a graduate student, goes one quip, when your office is better decorated than your home and you have a favourite flavour of instant noodle.