The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Houston chapter last week honored Rice Architecture Associate Professor Dawn Finley with the Educator of the Year Award during the organization’s annual awards ceremony on October 22.
Finley who is also the director of graduate studies at Rice Architecture and founding principal of Interloop—Architecture, was recognized for her many years of excellence in teaching.
“This recognition is extremely well deserved. Dawn is a remarkable, visionary teacher who inspires her students to excel in ways they never imagined. Her courses and design studios constantly explore the boundaries of architectural possibilities, producing work that is highly resolved and intricately detailed on a variety of relevant issues,” said John J. Casbarian, interim dean of Rice Architecture and the Harry K. and Albert K. Smith Professor of Architecture.
Finley currently teaches a graduate core design studio; teaching students to think conceptually and analytically, gain expertise in analogue and digital techniques, take positions on a range of important architectural questions, and suss out alignments between their individual ambitions and architecture's potentials. In the fall, she will lead an advanced seminar, Pliable, that foregrounds experimental fabrication with textiles, a campus-wide interdisciplinary workshop, and guest speakers.
Finley’s work at Interloop—Architecture has been recognized through awards and exhibitions, attracted international attention, and has been published widely in leading industry publications such as Dwell, Architectural Record, Architecture, I.D Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal. In 2016, Design Intelligence named Finley one of the world’s 25 Most Admired Educators.