Jeffrey Blanchard

Jeffrey Blanchard is a Lecturer in the Department of Architecture at Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP). He serves as the Academic Director of the Cornell in Rome program, where he has been a central figure for decades, teaching and administering academic activities focused on Renaissance and Baroque urban design, architecture, and art. His institutional affiliations in Rome have also included the University of Notre Dame, Pratt Institute, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Blanchard's research interests lie primarily in the urban and architectural history of Renaissance and Baroque Rome. He emphasizes the interconnectedness of urban form, architectural design, and artistic expression during the 15th to 18th centuries. His teaching explores how figures like Michelangelo and Bernini shaped both the built environment and visual culture of Rome. His deep expertise is rooted in extensive scholarly engagement with the city's layered history.

He has received the prestigious Rome Prize Fellowship from the American Academy (1978–79), a recognition of exceptional promise in the arts and humanities. This fellowship marked the beginning of his long-term residence in Rome, where he has continued his academic work uninterrupted.

As Academic Director of Cornell in Rome, Blanchard oversees academic programming and field trip coordination, playing a vital role in shaping the educational experience for students abroad. He has taught courses such as ARCH 3823: Special Topics in the History of Architecture and Urbanism, which examines the evolution of Rome’s urban fabric through the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

His educational background includes a B.A. in the History of Art and Architecture from Stanford University (1973), a year of study at the Università di Firenze as a Fulbright Fellow (1974), and an M.Phil. from Yale University (1977), with a specialization in the Italian Renaissance.