Kate Schwennsen, FAIA, Inaugurated as Chancellor for the AIA College of Fellows

Kate Schwennsen, FAIA, has been inaugurated as the 63rd Chancellor of the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Schwennsen was elected Chancellor by members of the College of Fellows and is the first woman to serve as both AIA President (2005-06) and Chancellor of the College of Fellows.

Schwennsen is Professor Emeritus and Director Emeritus of the Clemson University School of Architecture, where she led a decade of growth and transformation. Prior to Clemson, Schwennsen was Professor and Associate Dean at her alma mater Iowa State University’s College of Design. Schwennsen began her career in education after a decade in practice working at the firms Bloodgood Architects & Planners and Engelbrecht & Griffin Architects.  

Schwennsen received AIA Iowa’s highest honor, the Medal of Honor, in 2003. DesignIntelligence named her one of the nation’s Most Admired Design Educators twice, 2014 and 2019. She also received the American Institute of Architecture Students Outstanding Educator Award; the Presidential Medal for Distinguished Service from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards; and the Christian Peterson Design Award, the highest honor bestowed by the College of Design, Iowa State University.  She is an honorary member of several international architectural organizations, and an Honorary Lifetime Trustee of the Clemson Architectural Foundation.

About the College of Fellows
The College of Fellows, founded in 1952, is composed of members of the American Institute of Architects who are elected to Fellowship by a jury of their peers. Fellowship is one of highest honor the AIA can bestow upon a member. Elevation to Fellowship not only recognizes the achievements of architects as individuals, but also elevates before the public and the profession those architects who have made significant contributions to architecture and to society. Learn more about the College of Fellows.