Profile Information
Kate Schwennsen, FAIA
Professor Emeritus and Director Emeritus
Contact
Richard A. McMahan School of Architecture
Email: kschwen@clemson.edu
Education
M.Arch., Iowa State University; B.A. in Architecture, with Distinction, Iowa State University
Kate Schwennsen, FAIA, Professor Emeritus and Director Emeritus of the School of Architecture, Clemson University. She joined the Clemson faculty as Professor and Chair in August 2010. Kate retired from Clemson in May 2022. Prior to Clemson, she was Professor and Associate Dean, College of Design, Iowa State University, appointments at her alma mater that followed a decade of practice. Kate’s expertise is in bridging architectural education and practice, design and women’s leadership, and practice evolution. She has held many leadership positions in professional organizations, most recently as the 2025 Chancellor of the AIA’s College of Fellows. In 2006, she was the 82nd President of the American Institute of Architects, the second woman in this role. She is the first woman to have served as both Chancellor and President.
