ACSA Director of Research, Equity, and Education Announces Departure

Washington, D.C., August 18, 2026 — The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) announced today that Dr. Kendall A. Nicholson, Senior Director of Research, Equity, and Education, is leaving the organization for a position in academia. Dr. Nicholson, who joined ACSA in October 2015, will become the interim chair for the Department of Architecture at Hampton University (Virginia). 

“It has been an honor to serve architecture faculty and administrators across the globe for the past decade. I am excited to join the faculty at Hampton University and to further my research around the confluence of architecture, race, and education,” said Dr. Nicholson.

During his tenure at ACSA, the organization established a highly respected research program, collecting data on architecture schools, faculty, and students, and disseminating reports intended to help ACSA’s member schools benchmark their work and navigate the many changes happening in higher education and in architectural and design practices. The digital data series that Dr. Nicholson authored, Where Are My People?, provides data and historical context about demographic groups within architectural education. 

“Dr. Kendall Nicholson has become a leader in discourse about the history and systems that create inequitable access to an architectural education and to rewarding careers in the profession,” said Dr. Michael J. Monti, ACSA Executive Director. “His background in pedagogical practices has helped ACSA expand its ability to empower faculty to strive for excellence in teaching. We wish Kendall the best and are thrilled he will remain close to ACSA for a long time.” 

About the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA)

The mission of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) is to lead architectural education and research. Founded in 1912 by 10 charter members, ACSA is an international association of architecture schools preparing future architects, designers, and change agents. Our full members include all of the accredited professional degree programs in the United States and Canada, as well as international schools and two- and four-year programs. Together, ACSA schools represent some 7,000 faculty educating more than 40,000 students.

ACSA seeks to empower faculty and schools to educate increasingly diverse students, expand disciplinary impacts, and create knowledge for the advancement of architecture. For more information, visit www.acsa-arch.org.