Harvard University Graduate School of Design announced the new head of its Department of Architecture to be architect Mark Lee, cofounder and principal of Johnston Marklee and both an alum and former Professor in Practice at the school.

Lee’s appointment will begin on July 1, where he will succeed the interim chair K. Michael Hays, and walk in the footsteps of previous chairs such as Walter Gropius.

“I am thrilled,” said Lee, who earned his M.Arch from Harvard GSD in 1995, in a statement. “I am honored to have the opportunity to build upon this legacy, and I look forward to working closely with the dean, faculty, students, and staff to help shape the future of the department.”

Dean Mohsen Mostafavi congratulated Lee in a statement, noting that Lee’s firm, which he leads with partner Sharon Johnston, is “one of the most talented practices currently working in the United States and beyond.”

The firm’s two founders and principals were the artistic curators of the second edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial and recently completed a renovation at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.

“Mark deeply understands the contemporary world of architecture. His vision and leadership will enormously benefit our students and our School in the years to come,” Mostafavi continued in his statement.