CED alums elevated to 2026 class of the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows
We are proud that three graduates of the Department of Architecture were elevated this year to the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows. The FAIA honor is awarded to architects who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession and made a significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level. The AIA Honorary Fellowship program recognizes international architects for their exceptional work and contributions to architecture and society on an international level. Congratulations to Rossana Hu, Hon. FAIA, Mary Ruppenthal, FAIA, and Bryan Young, FAIA.
Rossana Hu
(BA Architecture 1990)
Neri&Hu Design and Research Office
Rossana Hu, Hon. FAIA, is co-founder, with Lyndon Neri, of the Shanghai-based interdisciplinary practice Neri&Hu Design and Research Office and chair of the Department of Architecture, Miller Professor, and director of the MSD-PDD Program at the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design. Through her practice, Hu has reinforced a core vision: to respond to a global worldview incorporating overlapping design disciplines for a critical paradigm in architecture, while believing strongly in research as a design tool, as each project bears its unique set of contextual issues. She has been a visiting professor at UC Berkeley, Harvard GSD, and the Yale School of Architecture. Hu received her Master of Architecture and Urban Planning at Princeton University and her Bachelor of Arts in Architecture at UC Berkeley with a minor in music.
Mary Ruppenthal
(MArch 1999)
HED
Mary Ruppenthal, FAIA, is a licensed architect and National Education Market Sector Leader with HED, a national integrated architecture and engineering firm. She is recognized for reshaping the future of architecture through transformative, high-impact educational environments, inclusive design leadership, and advocacy that advances equity, excellence, and lasting community impact. Ruppenthal specializes in high-performance education projects throughout California, from early education through higher education, and much of her nationally recognized work has been delivered in partnership with public school districts, including the Los Angeles Unified School District and the San Francisco Unified School District. She is deeply committed to advocacy and mentorship, advancing inclusive, outcomes-driven practices that empower professionals and uplift communities across the education sector. Ruppenthal has served on the board of the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) since 2019 and is the past president of the NorCal/Nevada Chapter. She earned her Master of Architecture from UC Berkeley and her Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.
Bryan Young
(BA Architecture 1997)
Young Projects
Bryan Young, FAIA, received his Master of Architecture with distinction from Harvard University in 2003, where he was awarded the AIA Henry Adams Medal and the Thesis Prize for his spatial diagrams on Donkey Kong and Pac-Man. He received his Bachelor of Arts with highest honors from UC Berkeley in 1997. Since 2009, he has taught graduate-level architecture design studios and seminars at several universities, including MIT, Columbia, Parsons, Cooper Union, and Syracuse. Prior to establishing his studio, Young was a senior associate at Allied Works Architecture and previously worked for ARO, SOM, and Peter Pfau.