Susan I. Frostén, M.Arch, RA, LEED AP

Susan Frostén, M.Arch, R.A. (NYS), LEED AP, is an Associate Provost for Academic Affairs at Thomas Jefferson University since 2013. She oversees the Honors Institute, Study Away, Creativity Core Curriculum, and Writing Across the Curriculum, along with other responsibilities. She is a member of the Steering and Management Committees for the triple degree program, which includes a dual medical degree and graduate degree in public health, with Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome. Amongst other global initiatives, Susan is a part of the administrative leadership and co-chair for the Global Health Initiatives Council. She was also an integral participant in the strategic planning for the integration of Philadelphia University with Thomas Jefferson University.

Susan is also an Associate Professor of Architecture in Jefferson’s College of Architecture and the Built Environment. As a faculty member, Susan was the recipient of the 2013 Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award. As a member of interdisciplinary teams, she has been a recipient of an Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U)/ Carnegie Foundation Integrative Learning Grant and a National Textiles Center grant. Her research, teaching and practice are focused on sustainability, activism and advocacy, public interest design, responsive architectural textiles, as well as active learning spaces, integrative learning pedagogy, dialogue across differences and open source information literacy. In addition to publications and projects on these topics, she has presented papers at numerous national and international conferences. Within the architecture program, Susan had been responsible for developing, coordinating and teaching studios, the thesis research and design sequence, comprehensive design and seminars. She currently teaches theory seminars on sustainability and  activism/advocacy in the built environment, as well as advises graduate architecture thesis students.

As an architectural practitioner and researcher, she has worked at some of the nation’s most recognized architecture firms, including SOM, Rafael Viñoly Architects and William McDonough & Partners, as well as her own practice Hirsch|Frosten with the firm’s work being published in architectural journals and books.

Susan participates on several external boards, including Women in Architecture (WIA-PHL) supporting women at all levels of leadership in architectural practice and the Justice Alliance for Design Education (JADE-PHL) addressing the longstanding social inequities in architectural education. She was previously the Vice President on the board of the Pennsylvania American Council of Education Women's Network (PA ACE) and Vice Chair for Gowanus by Design.

Susan earned a B.A. from Barnard College of Columbia University and a M.Arch from Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. She is a registered architect in New York State, LEED AP and SEED AP.