UTSOA Dean to Lead PennDesign

Frederick “Fritz” Steiner, dean of The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture since 2001, has been named dean-designate of The University of Pennsylvania School of Design.  In this role, Steiner will return to his alma mater, with two master’s degrees and a doctoral degree in city and regional planning from Penn Design.  He has also been a research scholar at the Penn Institute for Urban Research since 2013.

At The University of Texas at Austin—where he also holds the Henry M. Rockwell Chair in Architecture and has a courtesy appointment in the Department of Geography and the Environment—Steiner leads a school of 700 students and nearly 70 faculty and teaching staff across a range of disciplines in design and planning, including architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, community and regional planning, historic preservation, sustainable design, and urban design.  As a widely recognized leading school of architecture, UT’s architecture programs are consistently ranked in the top ten in the United States.

During Steiner’s tenure as dean, the School of Architecture launched new degree programs in landscape architecture and interior design and opened the Center for Sustainable Development.  An effective fundraiser, Steiner led efforts to increase the school’s endowments by over 71% since 2001 and raised nearly $30 million in UT’s Campaign for Texas, which concluded in September 2014.  The school also launched a Latin American initiative that included several strategic hires of faculty experts, a publications series, international symposia, and expanded course offerings and programming in Latin American architecture and urbanism.

A planner and urban designer, Steiner has been an important contributor to the development of UT Austin’s campus.  He served as co-chair of UT’s Campus Plan Advisory Committee and currently chairs the University’s Campus Master Plan Committee.

Steiner was also instrumental in UT’s acquisition of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, which is now administratively housed at the School of Architecture.  One of the results of this partnership was the development of the SITES rating system, a comprehensive program and toolkit for developing sustainable landscapes.  Launched by the Green Business Certification Inc. in 2015, SITES was developed through a collaborative, interdisciplinary effort of the School of Architecture, Wildflower Center, the American Society of Landscape Architects, the United States Botanic Garden, and others.

Outside the University, Steiner was engaged in many local and regional planning and environmental activities.  He served as president of the board of the Hill Country Conservancy and was an appointee to the Citizen’s Advisory Task Force for the City of Austin’s comprehensive plan, Imagine Austin.  He was an advisor to the Waller Creek Conservancy and served on many architectural and design competition juries.

“I’ve said many times that being dean of the UT School of Architecture is the best job in the world, so this was not an easy decision.  However, as an alumnus with three degrees from Penn Design, this is an unparalleled opportunity to lead a school at an institution that means a great deal to me,” said Steiner.  “For many years, UT’s administration has invested wisely to make this school a center of excellence.  Moreover, the School of Architecture has a special community of faculty, staff, alumni, and friends who are deeply committed to the success of our exceptionally talented students.  I’m very proud of what we have accomplished over the past fifteen years.  The school’s success is shared by everyone in this community.”

Steiner will continue to serve at UT Austin through June, and his appointment at Penn will begin on July 1, 2016.