By Melissa Alonso | September 3, 2025
“Professionally, it’s a tremendous honor.” That’s how Julie Kim, William H. Harrison Professor and School Chair of the School of Architecture, describes her recent elevation to the AIA College of Fellows. “It’s a recognition by my peers for the body of work that I’ve completed over the course of my career,” she says. Yet the process of assembling her nomination materials became more than a professional milestone. “It really became a reflective exercise… pulling together all of my efforts across practice and education into a cohesive story.”
Julie’s leadership philosophy centers on balance: “For me, it’s not about an either/or. It’s a both/and.” Her experience in practice makes her a better educator, and her academic insight deepens her approach to design. These intersections—between research, education, technology, and practice—form the foundation of her vision for the School. “They apply good pressure on each other and help me be better at what I’m doing.”
Looking ahead, Julie sees Georgia Tech’s School of Architecture as uniquely positioned “to claim a space that sits between science, engineering and art.” She’s working to expand strategic partnerships, foster innovative pedagogy, and prepare students not only for professional practice, but also as “entrepreneurs, strategists, technicians, makers, activists, inventors.” Ultimately, “we’re trying to have the students understand the role of the architect as an agent of change.”
Julie’s own project, the Flourishing Communities Collaborative, reflects that commitment. “Good design should be equally accessible to all,” she says. Through it, students are challenged to apply architecture as a tool for equity and justice. “We have to listen first… and then think about the technologies or tools to introduce. It’s driven by what we hear.”
When asked what advice she gives students, she offers three points. First: “Stay open to learning and be willing to challenge your assumptions.” Second: “Be kind to yourself and be patient. When things don’t turn out as expected, we learn from these experiences. In other words, we fail forward.” And third: “Even the time that you spend while you’re finding your way is not time wasted.”
Her message for the incoming class? “Maintain radical creative thinking,” even as they master technical skills. “They can be radically creative while being technically proficient… and think about how they might design their own role. Design isn’t just the project—it’s also how you respond to the world around you.”
At the heart of it all is community. “I don’t see leadership as a solo pursuit. It’s collaborative—with faculty, staff, and students. They remind me why we do what we do.”