Acclaimed architecture academic, critic, author, and curator Aaron Betsky has been appointed as the new director of Virginia Tech's School of Architecture + Design in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies. 

In a press announcement published on March 10th, Richard Blythe, the current Dean of the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, shares, "Aaron is a proven leader with demonstrated dedication to cross-disciplinary exploration, academic excellence, and educational innovation. His international standing and connections in architecture and design are considerable and will undoubtedly help the college expand its global reach, activities, and influence. Aaron's career path exemplifies the Beyond Boundaries approach of disciplinary interconnectedness and depth, as well as breadth."

Betsky’s move to Virginia Tech follows follows his decision in November 2019 to leave the School of Architecture at Taliesin (SoAT), where Betsky served as the dean from 2015 - 2017 and is currently serving as the school's president. Betsky tells Archinect that his transition to Virginia Tech predates the recent troubles at SoAT. In January of this year, the school’s board of directors decided (and later changed its mind) to shut down the institution following an ongoing tenancy dispute with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, owners and stewards of the Taliesin campuses.

Before his involvement and leadership at Taliesin, Betsky has taught at several institutions, including Taubman School of Architecture and Urban Planning, SCI-Arc, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Cincinnati.

Betsky shares in a press statement, "I'm very excited about the opportunities offered by Virginia Tech. I look forward to furthering the school's commitment to using technology as a tool to build better cities and steward the landscapes we inhabit in ways that are not only beautiful, but also deeply sustainable for our planet into the future." 

Betsky is set to join the program June 1, 2020.