Architecture and Planning school invites new academic staff members for the year 2025
The School of Architecture and Planning at MIT has announced four new faculty members, each bringing a unique expertise to the university. These appointments, made across the Department of Architecture and the MIT Media Lab, will bolster interdisciplinary research in areas such as architecture, media arts, computational design, AI, and human-centred technology.
Mariana Popescu
Mariana Popescu, a computational architect and structural designer, joins the Department of Architecture as an assistant professor. Her focus lies in computational and parametric design, digital fabrication, and sustainable design. Popescu earned her doctorate at ETH Zurich and was named a "Pioneer" on the MIT Technology Review global list of "35 innovators under 35" in 2019.
Karrie G. Karahalios
Karrie G. Karahalios, a full professor in the MIT Media Lab, specializes in media arts and sciences. She is a pioneer in the exploration of social media and communication in algorithm-mediated environments. Professor Karahalios has received numerous honours, including the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, SIGMOD Best Paper Award, and recognition as an ACM Distinguished Member.
Holly Samuelson
Holly Samuelson, an associate professor in the Department of Architecture’s building technology program, brings a focus on building design's effects on human and environmental health. She is recognized for her expertise in architectural technology and sustainability. Samuelson earned her doctor of design from Harvard University Graduate School of Design and has co-authored over 40 peer-reviewed papers, winning a best paper award from the journal Energy and Building.
Pat Pataranutaporn
Pat Pataranutaporn, an assistant professor in the MIT Media Lab, explores human-AI interaction, focusing on personalized AI systems that enhance human cognition, learning, decision-making, self-development, and well-being. He will co-direct the Advancing Humans with AI Program at the MIT Media Lab.
These appointments will undoubtedly contribute to the ongoing innovation and research at MIT, pushing the boundaries of architecture, media arts, and AI to create a more sustainable and human-centered future.
- Mariana Popescu's expertise lies in computational and parametric design, digital fabrication, and sustainable design.
- Her work will be carried out in the Department of Architecture as an assistant professor.
- ETH Zurich granted Popescu her doctorate, and she was named a "Pioneer" on the MIT Technology Review global list of "35 innovators under 35" in 2019.
- Karrie G. Karahalios specializes in media arts and sciences in the MIT Media Lab, concentrating on social media and communication in algorithm-mediated environments.
- She has received multiple accolades, such as the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, SIGMOD Best Paper Award, and recognition as an ACM Distinguished Member.
- Holly Samuelson, an associate professor in the Department of Architecture’s building technology program, emphasizes building design's effects on human and environmental health.
- She is known for her expertise in architectural technology and sustainability, having earned her doctor of design from Harvard University Graduate School of Design.
- Samuelson has co-authored over 40 peer-reviewed papers, and she won a best paper award from the journal Energy and Building.
- Pat Pataranutaporn, an assistant professor in the MIT Media Lab, concentrates on human-AI interaction, focusing on personalized AI systems that boost human cognition, learning, decision-making, self-development, and well-being.
- He will co-direct the Advancing Humans with AI Program at the MIT Media Lab.
- The arrivals of these faculty members will likely contribute to MIT's ongoing innovation and research, pushing boundaries in architecture, media arts, and AI for a more sustainable and human-centered future, encompassing education-and-self-development, technology, science, and engineering, including materials and courses, to foster a healthier, more integrated world.
