UK Design Welcomes New School of Architecture Director

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 18, 2016) — The University of Kentucky College of Design has announced the appointment of Jeffrey Johnson as the new director of the School of Architecture. Johnson joins the faculty from the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University where he was the founding director of the Asia Megacities Lab.

"I am thrilled to be joining the amazing team at the UK College of Design and look forward to working directly with the students and faculty of the School of Architecture at such an exciting time,” Johnson said. “We have a great opportunity to build on the school’s esteemed reputation as we continue its course as a leader in architectural education."

Johnson, a registered architect and a member of the AIA (American Institute of Architects), was chosen from nearly 50 highly accomplished international candidates for the position. “What impressed our committee is that he’s successfully oscillated between academia and professional practice throughout his career,” said Anne Filson, chairman of the search committee. “That combined with his record of intellectual leadership made him an exceptional candidate within a very competitive field.”

Most recently, Johnson has been critically examining the historically unprecedented "museumification" of China during the current museum building boom. He has lectured extensively and has taken part in numerous international events, symposia, forums and workshops on the topic of architecture, cities and urbanization. In addition to teaching at Columbia University, he has also taught at the Illinois Institute of Technology and at Tongji University in Shanghai.

“In addition to his balance of practice and academia, Professor Johnson is a promising leader in the school and college because of his experimentation at a range of scales from interiors to urban design,” Dean Mitzi Vernon said. “We are excited to have his voice at the table as we grow the College of Design.”

Johnson, who received his master's degree in architecture in 1992 and his bachelor's degree in architecture in 1990 from Ball State University, begins as director of the UK School of Architecture on July 1.

UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, go to: uky.edu/uk4ky. #uk4ky #seeblue

MEDIA CONTACT: Julie Wilson, 859-257-5367, julie.wilson@uky.edu; or Whitney Hale, 859-257-8716, whitney.hale@uky.edu