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 institutional tension and transition, making headlines due to the organization deciding to charge its undergraduate students tuition for the first time since its founding. As a result, "free cooper union" became a recurring phrase. From school endowment issues, lawsuits, board of trustee resignations, and student protests, Tehrani's entrance was expected to steer the ship back into smoother waters. 

His background as a practicing architect and academic appeared to give him the right credentials to tackle the enormous challenge that lay ahead. Tehrani had run his own practices (Office dA and NADAAA) and previously served as an architecture professor and the head of MIT's Department of Architecture from 2010–2014. However, he further explained that this position wasn't something he ran for, rather he was called in to consider it. Tehrani added, "[Faculty] searches are strange and fickle and very odd. Nothing is planned in the way we think they are. I suspect there is going to be, in our historic time, somebody who is the right person for this moment, and it’s going to be a wonderful transition."

While his experience had created expectations of a longer-lasting tenure, one must not forget the personal and professional reasons for moving on from a position. This transition was not sudden, Tehrani shared with Archinect. It was years in the making as Tehrani aimed to focus more on his active practice and collaborate with the school's president, associate dean, and curricular committee to prepare for a new dean. 

For those outside the world of academia, the resignation of deans can come off as a shock. Take the recent leaves of former deans Lesley Lokko of CCNY's Spitzer School of Architecture in 2020, Amale Andraos' of Columbia GSAPP in 2021, and most recently, Ingalill Wahlroos-Ritter of Woodbury School of Architecture. All leaving their post as dean for different reasons. However, after conversing with Tehrani, it was a reminder that behind these academic leaders are people, practicing architects, designers, researchers whose priorities become refocused, and plans of action become re-evaluated as they look to the future. 

In September 2015, months after his then-recent appointment, Archinect spoke with Tehrani in an exclusive interview. "He [Tehrani] initially declined but was ultimately swayed late into the search, during a meeting over coffee with then-acting Dean O'Donnell: 'She made a very persuasive case for the culture of the school, and that I should simply enter into the conversation, which I did.'" 

"In the context of Cooper," back then Tehrani shared, "you have a very clear identity in terms of the building you occupy: the third floor, the studio space where everybody shares the same space. There's an incredible culture that is born out of the scale of the school (there's about 150 students) and the intimacy of its pedagogy."

While it has been close to seven years since his appointment and four years since Archinect's coverage and reporting of the school's return to full-tuition scholarships for all undergraduates, has the "culture" of the Cooper Union changed? According to Tehrani, he reflects and shares, that a lot was done in the past seven years, and "there is so much good still happening here."

In a statement from his blog on NADAAA, Tehrani explained that he aimed to put his focus back into practice after his time spent in academic leadership. "I remain deeply committed to teaching and the building of institutions," said Tehrani. "At the same time, this transition allows me to genuinely immerse myself back into practice over the coming decade; NADAAA has served as a critical mechanism for me to balance out what I do between academic speculation and the practicalities of everyday practice, and this is a time to re-channel those efforts."

Tehrani has shared with the public that he will not leave the Cooper Union altogether. While he will continue to teach at the school, he told me that he hopes to do more as a faculty member and looks forward to the different ways he'll be engaging with the school. He applauded the institution's commitment to teaching and practice and urged for "less administration, more engagement with students and faculty." 

Now, the quest for a new dean is afoot. The Cooper Union's open position is featured on the Archinect Job Board with an extensive breakdown of role descriptions, responsibilities, and background criteria. Beyond a dean's technical, logistical, and administrative traits, the school expresses in their job listing that they seek a candidate who has "impeccable personal and professional integrity." 

Could you be the Cooper Union's next dean? Read more about the role here.