Director / CEO Winka Dubbeldam Shares Vision for SCI-Arc

I am honored and excited to begin my role as Director and CEO of SCI-Arc on September 1, 2025, and to build on the extraordinary vision and rigor that Hernán Díaz Alonso has cultivated over the past decade. Since its founding in 1972, SCI-Arc has sparked the imaginations of urban thinkers, researchers, and designers—pioneering technologies, pushing boundaries, and shaping inclusive, sustainable futures. Inspired by this legacy, I will continue fostering a future-focused, rigorous, and solution-oriented culture.

In a time of accelerating climate and geopolitical crises, it is more important than ever to embody an informed optimism by leveraging technology with care and responding to global challenges with empathy and responsibility. I firmly believe in the transformative power of design education to create a more equitable and resilient world. Architects who are driven by innovation and independent thought can reimagine the built environment in ways that cultivate diverse communities and restore ecosystems worldwide.

I also look back with gratitude at my time at the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design, where I was appointed Professor Emeritus following my decade-long tenure as Chair and Professor. At Penn, we launched three MSD programs, significantly expanded the Ph.D. program, and earned widespread recognition for our design research. I’m grateful to my colleagues and the leadership there for their trust, collaboration, and unwavering support, which have all shaped my perspective on experimental, impact-driven pedagogy.

SCI-Arc has always welcomed the previously untested, operating beyond the limitations of traditional learning. I look forward to contributing to this spirit through a research-led and experimental approach—supporting students as they develop critical tools, ideas, and strategies for a rapidly transforming world. I am thrilled to join this remarkable community of faculty, staff, students, and alumni, and to begin this next chapter together.

-Winka Dubbeldam, Director / CEO