Posted on January 30, 2026
Post categories: Architecture Faculty Honors & Awards News
The College of Built Environments is proud to share that the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) has named Professor of Architecture and Chair Rick Mohler an ACSA Distinguished Professor. The award recognizes educators who have had a positive, stimulating and nurturing influence on students.
For more than three decades, Mohler balanced teaching with professional practice and earned recognition in both areas. His students received 25 regional and national awards, with work exhibited at the American Institute of Architects (AIA), ACSA and Greenbuild conferences. His professional practice and collaborations earned 37 regional, national and international design awards.
Over the past decade, Mohler has focused on interdisciplinary, community-engaged research aligned with the University of Washington’s mission. His teaching, research and advocacy address housing affordability and climate change. Through leadership roles across professional, government and nonprofit organizations, his work has supported policy change with tangible community impacts.
These experiences inform Mohler’s policy-focused studios and seminars and prepare students to engage in policymaking as citizen-architects. As department chair over the past two years, he has worked to address internal inequities. He has also advanced community-engaged teaching and research and supported student organizations beyond the classroom.
The ACSA Distinguished Professor Award recognizes Mohler’s sustained commitment to students, community partnerships and the evolving role of architecture in addressing social and environmental challenges. The 2026 Architectural Education Awards will be presented March 26–28, 2026, during the ACSA 114th Annual Meeting in Chicago.