Courtesy University of Southern California School of Architecture Doris Sung
Courtesy University of Southern California School of Architecture Alvin Huang

The following is a press release from the University of Southern California School of Architecture announcing Doris Sung, Assoc. AIA, as the director of undergraduate architecture programs and Alvin Huang, AIA, as the director of graduate and post-professional programs. Sung and Huang are also winners of ARCHITECT's 2012 R+D Awards and 2014 R+D Awards, and 2015 R+D Awards, respectively.

USC Architecture today announced the appointment of two new program directors: associate professor Doris Sung as director of undergraduate architecture programs and associate professor Alvin Huang as director of graduate & post-professional architecture programs, effective May 16, 2020.

In their new positions, Sung and Huang will oversee the academic functions of existing and new undergraduate and graduate professional and non-professional degree programs focused on architecture, respectively. Both will work collaboratively with the dean, senior academic administrators, faculty and students to guide the pedagogical direction of academic programs and associated programming.

“I’m excited to announce the appointments of Doris and Alvin as new program directors,” stated Milton S. F. Curry, dean of USC School of Architecture. “They both bring a wealth of professional and academic design and research experience to these leadership positions and I am confident that they will elevate our undergraduate and graduate architecture programs to new levels.”

Sung joined the USC Architecture faculty in 2006 and previously taught at SCI-Arc, the University of Colorado and The Catholic University of America. She opened her own practice, dO|Su Studio Architecture, in 1991 and has received numerous awards for her work. In her research, Sung brings active systems to sustainable design. With the belief that buildings can be more sensitive to the changing environment like human skin, Sung is currently developing smart thermobimetals to self-ventilate, self-shade, self-structure, self-assemble, and self-propel in response to changes in temperatures—all with zero energy and no controls. She received her M.Arch from Columbia University and her B.A. in Architecture from Princeton University.

A USC Architecture alumnus and the founder and design principal of Synthesis + Architecture, Huang joined the USC Architecture faculty in 2011. He is an award-winning architect, designer, and educator specializing in the integrated application of material performance, emergent design technologies, and digital fabrication in contemporary architectural practice. His work spans all scales ranging from high-rise towers and mixed-used developments to temporary pavilions and bespoke furnishings. He received his M.Arch from the Architectural Association and his B.Arch from USC.

To learn more about USC Architecture, visit arch.usc.edu.