Danielle Willkens

Danielle Willkens is an Associate Professor at Georgia Institute of Technology's School of Architecture, where she combines design, research, and education to engage diverse audiences with architectural history. Her work spans design/build projects, heritage documentation, and transatlantic architectural studies, with a focus on digital preservation and sustainable tourism.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Architectural History & Theory, University College London (2015)
• Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation, SCAD (2011)
• M.Arch, University of Virginia (2008)
• M.Phil in History of Art & Architecture, University of Cambridge (2006)
• BS in Architecture + Architectural History, University of Virginia (2004)

Her research interests integrate terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), UAV photogrammetry, and heritage BIM to document sites like the Edmund Pettus Bridge and Rosenwald Schools. Recent projects include digital reconstructions of Civil Rights Movement landmarks and transatlantic architectural networks between Thomas Jefferson and Sir John Soane.

Scientific awards highlight her contributions:

• 2015 SAH H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellow
• 2017-2018 AIAS/ACSA New Faculty Teaching Award
• 2021 AIAS Educator Honor Award
• American Philosophical Society Franklin Research Grant

She leads funded interdisciplinary projects such as the $50,000 NPS grant for the Edmund Pettus Bridge and $750,000 NPS Rosenwald School rehabilitation, collaborating with Auburn University and the National Center for Preservation Training.