Architecture News

Michelle Addington to Fill Dean Vacancy at UT Austin

Today, the University of Texas at Austin named Michelle Addington as the next dean of its architecture school. When her appointment begins on July 1, she will become the first female dean of architecture in the school’s 107-year history.

The architect will fill the position left vacant by Frederick Steiner, who resigned last year due to a Texas law that allowed for people to conceal and carry weapons on the campus. Since, Elizabeth Danze has been serving as the school's interim dean.

Addington, whose research focuses on sustainable energy systems, advanced materials, and new technologies, has served as the Hines Professor of Sustainable Architectural Design at Yale School of Architecture since 2010, and, in addition, has held a joint appointment with the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. She received a master’s degree and doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where she taught prior to joining Yale.

“Michelle is an intellectual visionary and understands the critical and evolving role of design, architecture and planning,” executive vice president and provost Maurie McInnis said in a statement. “The interdisciplinary perspective she brings from academia and her professional career is unique.”

The School of Architecture’s undergraduate program is currently ranked sixth in the nation, and its graduate program has consistently ranked in the top 15.

“This is a truly rare opportunity to lead one of the premier architecture schools in the country, and I am deeply honored to be entrusted with the responsibility,” Addington stated. “In a world undergoing rapid change, the thought leaders of tomorrow must be able to negotiate shifting terrain across multiple disciplines. The School of Architecture at UT Austin is uniquely poised to chart a path forward as we develop the next generation of thinkers and designers of the built environment.”

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Alex was an associate editor at Architectural Record. Prior to joining the magazine, she worked in marketing and communications for New York–based architecture firms. Her writing has appeared in the Architect’s Newspaper and CityLab. Alex holds a master’s degree in design criticism from the School of Visual Arts and a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University.