MIT School of Architecture and Planning Announces Faculty Promotions Across Departments

MIT’s School of Architecture and Planning has something big to celebrate: seven faculty members are moving up the ranks, with their promotions set to take effect on July 1. The announcement spans core areas of the school, including the Department of Architecture, the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, and the Media Arts and Sciences program.

Dean Hashim Sarkis hasn’t been shy in his praise. He sees these faculty as representing the very best of MIT—people committed to exploring big research questions and improving how our environments shape our lives, whether they’re architects, planners, computer scientists, or experts in nanotechnology.

Let’s take a closer look:

**Department of Architecture**

Here, three faculty members are being recognized for their broad and impactful work:

– **Marcelo Coelho** becomes Associate Professor of the Practice. He’s well known for his innovative mix of design, AI, and advanced fabrication technology, as well as his bold installations and computing systems. As director of the Design Intelligence Lab, Coelho’s projects don’t just push technical boundaries—they ask how humans and machines can co-create.

– **Holly Samuelson** is stepping into a new role as Associate Professor. Her focus? The nuts and bolts of sustainable building design and energy performance. Samuelson’s research isn’t just theoretical—the ideas she’s developing are actively shaping how buildings of the future can leave a lighter footprint.

– **Rafi Segal** has been named Full Professor. His portfolio is strikingly diverse: from designing museums in Uganda to reimagining communal neighborhoods in Israeli kibbutzim, Segal’s projects span scales and continents, always centered on community and place.

**Department of Urban Studies and Planning**

Here, another talented group is advancing:

– **Carlo Ratti** is now Professor of the Practice. His work sits at the interface of design and technology, with a keen focus on the challenges of cities and urban life. If you’ve ever heard of smart cities, chances are you’ve come across one of Ratti’s projects or public talks. His ideas have left a strong mark not just in journals, but in public dialogues about the future of cities.

– **Albert Saiz** has been promoted to Full Professor and continues to direct MIT’s Urban Economics Lab. Saiz’s area is urban development and real estate economics, asking hard questions about how urban spaces evolve and are financed.

– **Delia Wendel** now steps into the role of Associate Professor. Her research stands out, weaving together threads of African urbanism, community recovery after conflict, and social repair. Wendel’s perspective brings new understanding to how cities heal and transform.

**Media Arts and Sciences**

– **Deblina Sarkar**, now Associate Professor, leads the Nano-Cybernetic Biotrek Lab. Her research fuses nanoelectronics, physics, and biology—her breakthroughs are charting new directions in biomedical engineering and our understanding of the nano-bio interface.

The thread connecting all these promotions? A shared drive to expand knowledge, experiment across traditional fields, and apply research to make the world a better place.

Curious to know more about who’s shaping the future at MIT? For the official announcement and more background on these faculty members, check out the [original news post](https://news.mit.edu/2025/school-architecture-planning-recognizes-faculty-academic-promotions-0722).