Susan I. Frostén

Susan I. Frostén serves as Associate Professor of Architecture and Associate Provost for Academic Affairs at Thomas Jefferson University, where she oversees the Honors Institute, Study Away programs, Creativity Core Curriculum, and Writing Across the Curriculum. She co-chairs the Global Health Initiatives Council and is integral to the triple degree program with Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome, reflecting her leadership in global academic integration.

• Master of Architecture, Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation
• Bachelor of Arts, Barnard College, Columbia University

Her research pioneers intersections of sustainability, public interest design, and social activism in architecture, with specialized focus on responsive architectural textiles and equitable spatial solutions. She develops pedagogical frameworks for active learning spaces and integrative curricula that foster dialogue across societal differences, leveraging open-source information literacy to democratize design education.

Recipient of the 2013 Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award, she has secured collaborative funding including an Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U)/Carnegie Foundation Integrative Learning Grant and a National Textiles Center grant for interdisciplinary research.

As a thesis advisor for graduate architecture students, she has shaped curriculum development including comprehensive design studios and research sequences. Her professional service extends to Women in Architecture (WIA-PHL) and Justice Alliance for Design Education (JADE-PHL), where she addresses systemic inequities in architectural practice and education, building on prior leadership roles in Pennsylvania American Council of Education Women's Network and Gowanus by Design.