Irene Hwang

Irene Hwang is a Lecturer at the University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, where she has been affiliated since 2010-2011 as a Willard A. Oberdick Fellow and currently teaches courses like Thesis Development Seminar and Architectural Design I. She served as the 2020 Goff Chair of Creative Architecture at the University of Oklahoma and held fellowships at the University of Michigan’s Institute for the Humanities (2021) and Center for Academic Innovation (2022).

Education:

• Bachelor of Arts in International Relations (minor in Art History) from the University of Pennsylvania
• Master of Architecture (with commendation) from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design

Her work focuses on transforming architecture into a basic human right through initiatives like the Equity in Architectural Education Consortium and the UM Public Design Corps. She also explores the intersection of architectural education and career readiness, as evidenced by her book Get Practiced.

Scientific Awards:

• Willard A. Oberdick Fellowship (2010-2011)
• Goff Chair of Creative Architecture (2020)
• Public Engagement Faculty Fellow (2022)
• U-M Teaching Innovation Prize (2024)

Hwang’s teaching spans institutions including Northeastern University, UIC Barcelona, Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), and Elisava, Barcelona School of Design and Engineering. Her private-sector experience includes leadership roles at Deborah Berke Partners, Kohn Pedersen Fox, MIT School of Architecture and Planning, and Actar Publishers.