News + Events

Architecture student Tania Lopez, who grew up in an Indigenous Oaxacan household in Los Angeles, reflects on ballet folklórico’s role in her life and her goal to design public spaces that foster safety and connection.

Renee Y. Chow is stepping down as dean of UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design and retiring from the faculty. During her tenure as dean, she focused on positioning college faculty and graduates to solve the urgent environmental design issues of the 21st century. Dean Chow’s leadership for the college has been about cultivating a living system for the future. “I look forward to seeing the college thrive under new leadership, furthering CED’s legacy of visionary design and research that improves cities, landscapes, and lives,” she says.

Four alums will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award at CED’s 2026 Commencement ceremony on May 19 at the Greek Theatre. This year’s awardees are Alma Du Solier (MLA 1999), Rossana Hu, Hon. FAIA (BA Architecture 1990), Lyndon Neri, Hon. FAIA (BA Architecture 1987), and Greg W. Perloff (MCP 1976). 

UC Berkeley’s continued dominance as the #1 public architecture program in the U.S. is a validation of CED’s belief that excellence does not have to be exclusive, and that rigorous academic research, broadly shared, can empower communities to enact change.