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College of Architecture & the Built Environment Welcomes Architecture Department Chair

After a year-long international search, John Dwyer has recently joined Thomas Jefferson University’s College of Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) as the new Chair of the Department of Architecture.

The college’s search committee selected Dwyer as the top candidate representing the college’s mission and vision, and commitment to sustainability, social equity, and design excellence.

Barbara Klinkhammer, CABE’s Dean, said she was thrilled to announce the arrival of Dwyer, who is an experienced educator and academic administrator.

“John brings a deep understanding of the profession and academia to his new role at Jefferson,” Klinkhammer said. “His experience as a practicing, award-winning architect — paired with his experience as a senior academic and administrator dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion — will be a true asset for Jefferson’s architecture programs.”

As a practicing architect, Dwyer is committed to advancing the discipline of architecture by serving underserved communities and widening the pipeline to architectural education, licensure, and professional leadership. He currently serves on the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) Licensure Process Research and Development Task Force, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Minnesota Equity in the Built Environment Committee, the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) Preparatory Education Assessment Task Force, and the executive board of the Coalition of Community Colleges with Architecture Programs.

He maintains an active practice in Minneapolis, Minnesota, aspiring toward regenerative design and a pedagogical focus on immersive, service learning with equitable access.

Dwyer has established multiple local and international, community and civic partnerships with service opportunities across diverse scales and geographies. He is the principal of John Dwyer Architecture and the founding Program Manager of the Bachelor of Architecture Program at Dunwoody College of Technology in Minneapolis. His work has been published internationally in Dwell, EcoStructures, Residential Architect, Architect Magazine, Dezeen, Archdaily, and the Discovery Channel.

A few of Dwyer’s humanitarian efforts include:

  • In post-Katrina New Orleans, he served as an Architecture for Humanity Design Fellow and provided pro-bono architectural services to returning residents.
  • In post-Maria Puerto Rico, he collaborated with Ponce Neighborhood Housing Services to expand mapping capacity and develop resiliency strategies.
  • In Minneapolis, he collaborated with Fairview Hospitals and the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority to design and fabricate PPE that effectively slowed the spread of COVID-19 throughout public housing.

Additional recognitions include:

  • 2019 City Pages Artist of the Year Award
  • 2018 AIA Minnesota Louis Lundgren Award for Service
  • 2013 AIA National Young Architect Award
  • 2008 AIAS National Emerging Practice Award
  • 2008 Architecture for Humanity Design Fellow

John is a licensed architect in Minnesota and Florida, a member of NCARB and AIA, and holds a Master of Architecture and Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of Minnesota.