Aki Ishida

Aki Ishida is a distinguished academic and architect serving as Director of both the College of Architecture and Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design at Washington University in St. Louis. She holds the Sam and Marilyn Fox Professor title and is licensed in New York and New Jersey, with LEED AP accreditation. Her career combines architectural practice with interdisciplinary academic leadership.

Education:
- Bachelor of Architecture (1995), University of Minnesota Twin Cities’ College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
- Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design (1998), Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation

Research interests focus on architecture’s impermanent and temporal qualities, with emphasis on glass technology, digital healthcare infrastructure, and cultural identity through design. She co-leads NSF-funded research on clinician communication and burnout reduction in healthcare spaces, and explores post-pandemic urban resilience. Her work bridges material science, art, and social impact.

Awards include the 2023 Creative Achievement Award, 2016 DesignIntelligence’s 25 Most Admired Educators, and a 2013 Lighting Design Award for her Lantern Field installation. She has received grants from the Japan Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and others.

Advising and grants:
- Co-PI for 'Medical Workspace: Information Ecosystem of Future Nurse Stations' (since 2019)
- NSF Future of Work Grant (2022)
- Has mentored faculty of color through the Dean’s Equity and Inclusion Initiative

Labs/Teams:
- Principal at Aki Ishida Architect (since 2008)
- Co-founder of Ishida/Crandall (2005)
- Led Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery’s Lantern Field project