Susan Piedmont-Palladino awarded Robert L. Turner Chair in Urban Design
Susan Piedmont-Palladino M.Arch. '84, professor of architecture in the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design, has been awarded the Robert L. Turner Chair in Urban Design in the School of Architecture by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.
The Robert L. Turner Chair in Urban Design was established with a generous gift from Robert L. Turner, with the provision that the title be bestowed upon a distinguished professor in the School of Architecture who demonstrates sustained excellence, national recognition, and leadership in the field of urban design.
A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1991, Piedmont-Palladino has led the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center as director since 2016, strengthening Virginia Tech’s presence and influence in the greater Washington, D.C., area.
She founded and advanced the school’s Master of Science in architecture and urban design program and has integrated interdisciplinary teaching, experiential learning, and global collaboration into the urban design curriculum.
She has authored and edited books, peer-reviewed publications, invited lectures, and major exhibitions that have shaped national and international discourse on urbanism, design literacy, sustainability, and civic identity.
As consulting curator and writer for the National Building Museum since 2002, she has led major public-facing initiatives that advance civic understanding of the built environment.
Her distinguished record of awards, professional service, public scholarship, mentorship, and interdisciplinary leadership reflects the highest standards of academic excellence and sustained commitment to advancing the discipline of urban design.
Piedmont-Palladino obtained her bachelor’s degree from William & Mary and her master’s degree in architecture from Virginia Tech.
