Dean and McWhorter Endowed Chair

We are pleased to announce that Auburn University has selected Dawn Finley to serve as its next dean and McWhorter Endowed Chair of the College of Architecture, Design and Construction, effective July 1. 

Finley, a renowned designer, scholar, and practitioner, brings more than two decades of experience in design, academia, and research practice to the role of dean. As the Director of Graduate Studies and a Faculty Fellow at Rice University’s Center of Teaching Excellence, Finley has worked alongside faculty and students to advance the School of Architecture’s design practice methods and creative scholarship. Often recognized for her ability to expand architecture practice through systems engagement, Finley’s research and community outreach have earned her numerous accolades, including being named one of DesignIntelligence’s Top 25 Most Admired U.S. Educators and Educator of the Year by the American Institute of Architects’ Houston chapter.

In addition to her teaching and administrative responsibilities, Finley is the co-founder and principal of the Houston–based firm Interloop—Architecture, or IA, a nationally acclaimed practice that specializes in innovative building technologies, material experimentation, and inventive forms. With a portfolio that ranges from custom furniture, graphics, and the industrial design of objects to private residences, research complexes, and cultural institutions, Finley’s work with IA has enabled her to advance the connections between design, fabrication, and assembly at a variety of scales. In 2022, Finley authored System of Novelties, a reflection of the firm’s innovative architectural designs that have influenced professional design experiences and procedures for over two decades.

Finley received a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Michigan and a Master of Architecture from Rice University.

You can read the full press release here. 

Ben Tobin led this search with Claire Hennessey and Alaine Small.