In memoriam: Joseph C. Wang, professor emeritus of architecture
Wang was a founding member of Virginia Tech’s architecture program who specialized in Asiatic architecture, design education, and methods.
Joseph C. Wang, professor emeritus of architecture in the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design, passed away on July 1 in Wilmington, Delaware.
Wang was born in Suzhou, China, and before beginning his career in architecture as a practitioner, teacher, and scholar, he was a talented violinist devoted to his first and ongoing passion: music.
After earning his bachelor's degree from National Cheng-kung University, Taiwan, and a master's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, Wang worked in architecture at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in Chicago.
Wang joined the Virginia Tech community in 1965 as a founding member of what was then the College of Architecture, serving the university until his retirement in 2009.
Among his architecture colleagues, Wang was first known as the “design methods man,” a title awarded to him by Professor Olivio Ferrari. Soon after his arrival in Blacksburg, he earned his Ph.D. from the University of Bath, United Kingdom.
Wang’s later teaching and academic activities were driven by his knowledge of Chinese history and architecture, and he contributed to the advancement of scholarship in the field of Chinese culture and the design and development of Chinese gardens.
His research interests include Asiatic architecture, design education and methods, and Chinese landscape and gardens. His publications include two books, including his well-known work “The Chinese Garden;” six book chapters; and more than 25 essays in professional journals.
"Professor Emeritus Joseph Wang had a formative impact on the school as a founding member and on the discipline of architecture through his worldly-wise scholarship,” said Jim Bassett, director of the School of Architecture. “I was fortunate to experience his remarkable kindness and generosity, characteristics cited by everyone who knew him."
Other former colleagues echoed these thoughts about Wang’s contributions to his field and the university as well as his kindness and collegiality.
“Joe and I were very close during his teaching, even sharing an office for many years. He leaves behind an incredibly rich legacy through his teaching and contributions to the university in multiple capacities,” said Humberto Rodríguez-Camilloni, professor emeritus of architecture and director of the Henry H. Wiss Center for Theory and History of Art and Architecture.
Former colleague and Professor Emeritus Donald Sunshine described Wang as “a faithful and thoughtful colleague who, as a valued teacher, was most sensitive and supportive of the students.”
"Joseph Wang was a kind and generous colleague. He warmly welcomed me to Blacksburg, and I was so happy to have known him when I was teaching there. Once he learned of my love of various kinds of tea, his suggestions opened a new awareness of the taste and culture of tea,” said Associate Professor Emerita Marcia F. Feuerstein.
According to an early publication from the college, Wang was known for his late nights in the office, spent reading and writing, and his ever-present mug of coffee. His afternoons were devoted to his students.
"I knew Joe first when he was a faculty member in my fifth year and I was a student. He advised on my thesis and was always a significant and supportive voice. From my experience, both as a student and then as a colleague, I can say Joe was, without question, one of the kindest persons you could ever know. He always ended any conversation with a smile and touch of humor and lightness,” said Professor Emeritus and Associate Provost Emeritus Ronald Daniel.
“Joe’s love for and knowledge of music were contagious, and over the years, I saw him at many concerts. I recall that at least one or more of his children were highly competent musicians, so the account of them playing when Joe was in hospice was truly touching. He was an amazing but humble scholar and a true gentleman."
Wang’s professional accomplishments have been recognized through his selection as a Winterthur Fellow and a grant recipient from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts in 1998 for the project China’s New Architecture. He received the Distinguished Scholarship Award, also in 1998, from the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, now the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design.
Wang served as the first chairman of graduate studies after the founding of the college in 1964 as well as his college's assistant dean for academic affairs.
“I met Joe a few times on campus since I arrived. I was very moved by how proud he was and how passionate he was about the success of the architecture program in Virginia Tech. Many alumni had fond memories of learning from him. The founding faculty of architecture, including Joe, built a very strong foundation for the decades of excellence of the school,” said Dean Lu Liu of the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design.
The family of Joseph C. Wang have created an online memorial in celebration of his life and invite friends and colleagues to peruse the narrative and submit additional photos and memories.
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