Professor Rick Mohler was appointed Chair of the Department of Architecture in June 2023. Throughout his career he has promoted just, policy-driven cities, shaped by principled design, addressing all scales of urban experience through teaching, action research, professional practice, and community engaged scholarship and service. In doing so, he strengthens connections between the academy, profession, government, and community. Through his own practice, work with other firms, and independent collaborations, Rick has been recognized thirty-seven times in local, regional, national, and international design awards programs and design competitions. His students have been recognized over twenty times in regional, national, and international design competitions and awards programs.
Over the past few years, he has received a 2019 R+D Award from Architect magazine, a 2021 ACSA/AIA Housing Design Education Award, a 2022 Place Design Award from the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA), and a 2022 AIA Small Projects Award. Rick is a former member of the AIA Seattle Board of Directors, former Co-Chair of the AIA Seattle Public Policy Board and former Co-Chair and current member of the Seattle Planning Commission. In recognition of his contributions in practice, education, research, and advocacy, he was elevated to Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 2021 and received the AIA Seattle Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement, the highest honor the chapter bestows on its members, in 2022.