Carnegie Mellon Architecture Welcomes New Faculty for Fall '24 Semester
Carnegie Mellon Architecture is thrilled to welcome new faculty hires this fall, and to announce promotions, appointments and renewals of current faculty.
Niloufar Alenjery joins as Visiting Assistant Professor.
Niloufar is a registered architect and educator whose work bridges the worlds of architectural practice and academic exploration.
Her work delves deeply into the interplay between architecture, cultural identity and memory. These themes are central to her teaching and practice, where she employs a poetic approach to create architectural spaces that resurrect and rematerialize lost stories, transforming architecture into an immortal language that encapsulates memory, time and space.
Niloufar's teaching philosophy is rooted in phenomenology and humanistic design, advocating for an architecture that is emotionally responsive and inclusive. She believes in drawing inspiration from literature, poetry and art, which enrich the creative process and foster a holistic approach to architectural education. By encouraging her students to explore diverse forms of expression, she nurtures a broader design vocabulary and a deeper understanding of the cultural contexts that shape architectural practice.
In addition to her academic and professional pursuits, Niloufar is an active practitioner in the arts. Her recent installation, "Fallen Voices of 9/11," was accepted into the National September 11 Memorial & Museum's online registry, exemplifying her commitment to interdisciplinary exploration and the creation of human experiences across various mediums and scales.
Gloria Chang will join as Visiting Assistant Professor in the spring ‘25 semester.
Gloria is interested in humanitarian response, speculative spatiality and hybrid and fiber-based materiality. She has worked in design-build, landscape and traditional architectural firms, with her training completed at Pei Cobb Freed and Partners. Her work in the U.S. Peace Corps and the U.S. Naval War College resulted in a study on newness in disaster and the response efforts. Her current project examines spatial patterns and architectural veracity through built and unbuilt forms in fantasy landscape, recognizing the differentiator of author identity (i.e., race, queerness and gender) and chronological context on the characterization of space. Gloria is skilled in cross-cultural negotiation and mediation, which she practices in local courts. She received her M.Arch and MDes (Risk and Resilience) degrees from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and her B.Arch and BA in Architecture and Visual and Dramatic Arts from Rice University.
Jimmy Wei-Chun Cheng joins as Visiting Assistant Professor.
Jimmy is a designer, researcher and educator. Prior to joining Carnegie Mellon University, Jimmy served as an instructor of studios, workshops and seminars at Boston Architectural College, Rhode Island School of Design and the Architectural Association Visiting School. From 2019 to 2021, he practiced architecture as a project designer in Tokyo with junya ishigami associates and Sou Fujimoto Architects.
Jimmy's research investigates how technique, medium and technology transform the architectural design process, with a particular emphasis on digital representation in the context of artificial intelligence (AI). His work delves into how AI affects the meaning of language, imagery and form, analyzing these impacts through the frameworks of semiotics, media theory and simulation.
Jimmy holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Urban Design from the Chinese Culture University in Taiwan, a Master of Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design, a Master of Science in Architectural Technologies and a Master of Science in Design Theory and Pedagogy from the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), where he received the Hsinming Fung + Craig Hodgetts Postgraduate Thesis Prize.
Lori Claus joins as Director for Career Development Opportunity and Special Faculty.
Lori has worked in various roles and capacities during her career. She earned a certificate in Facilities Management and BS in Interior Design from La Roche University, and a MS in Architecture–Engineering–Construction Management (MSAECM) from Carnegie Mellon University. She is NCIDQ certified and a LEEP AP ID+C, and has taught courses at La Roche University, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh and Chatham University.
Lori spent most of her career balancing a full-time position in construction project management while maintaining an adjunct faculty position. Known for her commitment to promoting professional development for her students, she has been instrumental in creating and facilitating professional practice, community service and internship courses required within Chatham University’s Interior Architecture curriculum.
After spending seven years in UPMC’s Construction Department as a Project Manager, Lori accepted a Special Faculty position with Carnegie Mellon Architecture in March 2024 as the Director for Career Opportunity. One of her main responsibilities within her new role is to assist and prepare students and alumni seeking internships and employment opportunities. She works closely with students to promote further education on professional development topics such as resume writing, networking and interviewing techniques.
Committed to participating and volunteering in community and professional organizations, Lori is currently a member of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW), Green Building Alliance (GBA) and serves as a member of the Sharpsburg Parks and Recreation Commission. She is always eager to discuss the benefits and value of joining a professional organization!
Neal Lucas Hitch joins as Visiting Assistant Professor.
Neal Lucas is a designer, educator and curator whose research focuses on radical participatory design between humans, their environments, communities and technologies (not necessarily in that order). He is the co-founder of i/thee LLC, an internationally recognized firm whose varied work bridges/blurs sculpture, architecture and landscape design. Since 2024, Neal Lucas has acted as curator of the Bethel Woods Art and Architecture Festival at the original site of the 1969 Woodstock festival.
Neal Lucas has practiced internationally in cities including Chicago and Tokyo with firms such as Juan Gabriel Moreno Architects and Sou Fujimoto Architects. From 2020 to 2023, he taught as a Visiting Lecturer at Texas Tech University. In 2020, Neal Lucas was an Oakes Creek Resident at Oakes Creek Ranch; in 2021, he was an Astral Resident at Compound Yellow. Additionally, Neal Lucas has led recurring design-build workshops for institutions, including Hello Wood Festival, Space Saloon and Bethel Woods Art and Architecture Festival. He holds a Master of Science in Design Technology from Cornell University, a Master of Architecture from Judson University, and has studied at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in Bedford Square.
Maryam Karimi joins as Visiting Assistant Professor.
Maryam Karimi holds a doctoral degree in Philosophy with a practice-based Ph.D. in Visual Arts from York University. She also earned a master’s degree in Architecture (M.Arch) and a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Science (B.Arch. Sci) from the University of Waterloo. Her Ph.D. dissertation explored the potential of framing consciousness in relation to evolving technologies of governance. Maryam’s studio practice encompasses architectural design, sculpture, object creation and public installations. She currently teaches at Carnegie Mellon Architecture, focusing her research on the intersections of design and social justice issues.
Yiqun Pan joins as Visiting Associate Professor.
Dr. Yiqun Pan is an expert in building performance simulation, energy efficiency and sustainable building design. With over 25 years of experience, she has made significant contributions to the field of building science and engineering.
Dr. Pan currently serves as an Adjunct Faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University's Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics (CBPD) and as a Visiting Professor at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Previously, Dr. Pan held the position of Full Professor at Tongji University's School of Mechanical Engineering for 16 years. Her research focuses on applying advanced techniques like big data analysis and machine learning to improve building performance and occupant well-being. Dr. Pan has led numerous research projects funded by prestigious organizations, including the China National Science Foundation and the U.S. Energy Foundation.
A prolific author, Dr. Pan has published six books, 42 English journal papers and over 100 Chinese publications. Her expertise is internationally recognized, as evidenced by her Fellowship in the International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA) and her role as Chair of Building Simulation 2023, a major international conference.
Dr. Pan's work bridges academic research and practical applications, contributing significantly to the advancement of sustainable building technologies and carbon reduction strategies in the built environment.
T. Andrew Stone joins as 2024–26 Joseph F. Thomas Visiting Professor.
He is an educator, designer and artist interested in building memorable and personal experiences through making, drawing and storytelling. Andrew seeks to create accessible architecture with an empathetic and relational framework.
Andrew earned a Masters of Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry and Biology with minors in Physics and Global Studies from Drury University. Prior to joining Carnegie Mellon University, he was a lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin, teaching graduate and undergraduate design studios while working at Michael Hsu Office of Architecture in Austin, Texas. Andrew is a licensed architect in the state of Texas.
Faculty Promotions
Erica Cochran Hameen, Associate Professor with Indefinite Tenure
Dana Cupkova, Professor
Faculty Appointments
Heather Bizon, Assistant Teaching Professor
Joshua D. Lee, Associate Teaching Professor
Faculty Renewals
Jonathan Kline, Special Faculty (Studio Professor)
Jackie Joseph Paul McFarland, Special Faculty
Nathan Sawyer, Special Faculty
Tommy CheeMou Yang, Special Faculty