On October 1, Alejandro Zaera-Polo abruptly stepped down as dean of Princeton's School of Architecture—a resignation that put an end to his embattled tenure of two years. While the circumstances surrounding his sudden departure have not been officially clarified, speculation is rife that conflicts with students and colleagues may have played a role. Whatever the reason, the situation spotlights the challenges faced by the leaders shaping architectural education and the schools looking to fill those positions. Zaera-Polo's predecessor, Stan Allen, will serve as acting dean and chair the search for a replacement. Finding a new dean may not be easy.
Princeton is just the latest top-tier architecture program embarking on such a mission. In June, MIT named Mark Jarzombek acting dean of its School of Architecture + Planning, while a search committee to replace outgoing dean Adele Naude Santos hoped to conclude its work this fall. In May, Elizabeth K. Meyer was named dean of the University of Virginia School of Architecture, where she has been widely respected as a professor for decades. Her two-year appointment, however, rather than the standard five-year contract, gives U.Va. some time to look for a more permanent replacement. Hernan Diaz Alonso will succeed Eric Owen Moss as director at SCI-Arc next year. At the once tuition-free Cooper Union, which has been facing annual budget deficits in the tens of millions, a year-long search continues since Anthony Vidler stepped down as dean after 12 years. The process has been made more complicated amid unconfirmed reports that former Harvard architecture chair Preston Scott Cohen turned down an offer.
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