The Rice School of Architecture is proud to announce that two of its distinguished alumni, Georgeen Theodore and Li Hu, have been elevated to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) College of Fellows in recognition of their significant contributions to the field of architecture.
Georgeen Theodore (B.Arch. ’94) is a renowned architect and urban designer. She 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. Theodore 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 innovative and collaborative approach. Her work, which emphasizes community engagement and sustainable urban development, has 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 contributions to architectural practice worldwide. Reflecting on the role Rice played in her development as a designer, Theodore said, “My time at Rice 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.”
Li Hu (M.Arch. ’98) is the founding partner of OPEN Architecture, a Beijing-based practice acclaimed for thought-provoking designs that blend harmoniously with their cultural and environmental contexts. Before establishing OPEN, Li was a partner at Steven Holl Architects, where he played a pivotal role in projects such as the Linked Hybrid in Beijing and the Vanke Center in Shenzhen. In addition to his practice, he has served as the director of the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation’s Studio-X Beijing and is a visiting professor at the Tsinghua University School of Architecture. Describing the influence of his time at Rice, Li shared, “At Rice, I learned to question conventions, embrace experimentation, and trust the power of ideas. This fellowship is a meaningful milestone—not only for me, but for all those who believe that architecture can inspire new ways of living and thinking.”
William Ward Watkin Dean Igor Marjanović celebrated their achievement, noting, “Georgeen Theodore and Li Hu exemplify the profound impact that architects can have in expanding the boundaries of design and discourse. Their work not only redefines urban and architectural practice but also fosters a deeper engagement with the social and environmental urgencies of our time. We are proud to count them among Rice Architecture’s alumni and celebrate their well-deserved elevation to the AIA College of Fellows.”
The elevation of these alumni to the AIA College of Fellows underscores the impactful contributions that Rice School of Architecture graduates continue to make in shaping the built environment worldwide. The new fellows will be recognized at the College of Fellows investiture ceremony during the AIA Conference on Architecture and Design in Boston, June 4–7, 2025. Additionally, the Rice School of Architecture will host its annual alumni reception Thursday, June 5, 4:30 to 6:30 pm in the conference hotel.