Seven educators from the MIT School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P) have been recognized for their achievements through promotions, effective July 1. Three faculty members have received promotions within the Department of Architecture; three are in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning; and one is in the Program in Media Arts and Sciences.
“Whether they are architects, urban planners, computer scientists, or nanotechnologists, they exemplify our school’s excellence, showcasing its diverse inquiry and commitment to enhancing the relationship between people and their environments,” states SA+P Dean Hashim Sarkis.
Department of Architecture
Marcelo Coelho has been elevated to associate professor of the practice. Coelho is the leader of the Design Intelligence Lab, which investigates the convergence of human and machine intelligence within design, AI, and fabrication. His portfolio spans from light-based installations to physical computing. His accolades include two Prix Ars Electronica awards and Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Award. Coelho’s innovative methodology reshapes creative practices, altering how we envision and engage with intelligent systems. His courses merge industrial design, user experience, and artificial intelligence.
Holly Samuelson has been advanced to associate professor without tenure. Samuelson has co-written over 40 peer-reviewed articles, earning a Best Paper accolade from the journal Energy and Building. A noted authority in architectural technology, she has been highlighted in prominent media outlets such as The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, the BBC, and The Wall Street Journal.
Rafi Segal has been appointed as a full professor. A celebrated designer, Segal operates at both architectural and urban scales, with projects including Villa 003 in the ORDOS 100 series, the Kitgum Peace Museum in Uganda, the Ashdod Museum of Art in Israel, and the prize-winning design proposal for the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem. His current endeavors involve planning a new community neighborhood for an Israeli kibbutz and curating the inaugural exhibition on Alfred Neumann’s architectural works from the 1960s.
Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP)
Carlo Ratti has been reappointed as a professor of the practice. Ratti directs the Senseable City Lab and is a founding partner of the international design firm Carlo Ratti Associati. He has contributed to over 500 publications and holds multiple patents. His work has been showcased worldwide, including at the Venice Biennale, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, and the Design Museum in Barcelona. Two of his creations, the Digital Water Pavilion and the Copenhagen Wheel, were recognized as among TIME Magazine’s “Best Inventions of the Year.” He also curates the 2025 Venice Biennale’s 19th International Architecture Exhibition.
Albert Saiz has been promoted to full professor. Saiz leads MIT’s Urban Economics Lab, which conducts research in real estate economics, urban economics, housing markets, local public finance, zoning laws, global real estate, and demographic patterns influencing urban and real estate development across the globe. He also plays a vital role in the broader research community as a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, a research fellow at the Institute for the Analysis of Labor, and an editor for the Journal of Housing Economics.
Delia Wendel has been promoted to associate professor without tenure. Wendel explores three primary areas in her research: methods of community restoration following conflict and disaster, African urbanism, and spatial politics. Her interdisciplinary efforts integrate urban studies, critical peace studies, architectural history, cultural geography, and anthropology. At MIT DUSP, she heads the Planning for Peace critical collective and supervises the Mellon Foundation and the MIT Center for Art, Science and Technology-funded initiative, Memory Atlas for Repair. Additionally, she serves as the managing editor for Projections, the department’s annual peer-reviewed journal focused on pivotal topics in urban studies and planning.
Program in Media Arts and Sciences
Deblina Sarkar has been advanced to associate professor without tenure. As director of the Nano-Cybernetic Biotrek Lab at the MIT Media Lab, she integrates nanoelectronics, physics, and biology to pioneer groundbreaking technologies, including ultra-thin quantum transistors and the first antenna that functions within living cells. Her interdisciplinary work has garnered significant accolades, including the National Institutes of Health Director’s New Innovator Award and the IEEE Early Career Award in Nanotechnology.