Rice School of Architecture is proud to announce that Georgeen Theodore, FAIA (B.Arch. ’94), is the recipient of the school’s 2025 Alumni Award. A renowned architect and urban designer, Theodore is celebrated for her leadership in community-focused, sustainable urban development and her influential role as an educator and practitioner.
Established in 2023 by Dean Igor Marjanović and the William Ward Watkin Council, the Alumni Award recognizes graduates of the school who have made significant contributions to the field through innovative design practice, community engagement, and leadership. The award celebrates alumni—emerging or established—who continue to inspire faculty, students, and fellow alumni through their pursuit of excellence.
“Georgeen Theodore’s work embodies the highest ideals of our profession,” said Dean Marjanović. “Through her design leadership, scholarship, and unwavering commitment to communities, she exemplifies the kind of thoughtful and engaged practice that reflects the mission and values of our school. We are honored to celebrate her achievements with this year’s Alumni Award.”
Theodore serves as a professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s College of Architecture and Design, where she coordinates the Master of Urban Design program. She is also a founding partner and principal of Interboro Partners, a New York City–based architecture, urban design, and planning research office known for its collaborative and inventive approach to urban challenges. Her projects—often rooted in deep community engagement—have received numerous accolades, including the Architectural League’s Emerging Voices Award and a national AIA Regional & Urban Design Award.
In 2013, the Rice School of Architecture awarded Theodore and Interboro Partners a Spotlight Award, recognizing their significant contributions to the field of architectural practice worldwide. “My time at Rice,” Theodore reflected, “made me an urbanist. The way I think about cities as built form, social organisms, and catalysts of ideas was shaped by the architecture program at Rice, our campus, and the city of Houston. I am honored by this recognition and grateful to the professors and peers who have so deeply influenced who I am and how I think about architecture’s agency in making cities better places for all.”
Join us in honoring Georgeen Theodore on Friday, November 7, 2025, in MD Anderson Hall’s Farish Gallery. The celebration begins with a reception at 4:30 pm, followed by the awards program from 5:00 to 6:00 pm.