Rael San Fratello

Rael San Fratello is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Design at San Jose State University in Silicon Valley. She is a prominent design activist, educator, and creative technologist, recognized for her work in additive manufacturing, architecture, and socially engaged design. Her creative practice, Rael San Fratello, has received major accolades including the Architectural League of New York’s Emerging Voice award (2014) and the Beasley Design of the Year Award (2020) for installations like the Pink Borderwall Teeter Totters on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Education: Master of Architecture (Columbia University), Bachelor of Environmental Design (North Carolina State University). Previous academic roles include visiting professorships at MIT, Princeton, and the University of Queensland. Co-founder of Emerging Objects, a 3D printing company, and FORUST, a wood technology startup.

Research interests focus on sustainable materials, 3D printing applications, and socially impactful design. Her work is featured in major institutions like MoMA, Cooper Hewitt, and LACMA, and has been profiled by The New Yorker, KQED, and Smithsonian documentaries.

Awards highlight her contributions to digital design and education, including the IIDA Educator of the Year honor. Her publications include Printing Architecture: Innovative Recipes for 3D Printing (2018), which explores novel materials in construction.