Stephen Schreiber Concludes 21 of Leadership in the Department of Architecture

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After 21 years as founding chair of the UMass Amherst Department of Architecture, Professor Stephen Schreiber is stepping down from departmental leadership. He will continue teaching and conducting research in the department and will lead the development of a proposed five-year Master of Architecture degree.

Schreiber arrived at UMass Amherst in 2005 after serving as dean of the University of South Florida School of Architecture & Community Design and, before that, as director of the architecture program at the University of New Mexico. During his tenure, the program grew from a BFA degree housed in the art department into the Department of Architecture, which now offers the first public accredited Master of Architecture degree in New England and a BS in architecture. The Master of Architecture program earned initial accreditation in 2007 and has received successive accreditation terms since, most recently an eight-year term granted in 2024.

Drawing faculty expertise from across UMass Amherst and the Five Colleges, the department established an interdisciplinary model of undergraduate and graduate education integrating design, technology, planning, preservation, and community engagement.

Expanding access to architectural education was a central part of Schreiber's work as chair. The department created pathways into the profession for students from a range of backgrounds, including design programs for Springfield and Boston youth and partnerships focused on underserved communities. The department also has one of the highest percentages of female faculty and students among accredited architecture programs in the United States.

Schreiber played a leading role in the planning and realization of the Olver Design Building, which opened in 2017 and brought together the Department of Architecture; Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning; and Building & Construction Technology. Under his leadership, the department launched graduate study in historic preservation, dual-degree opportunities with Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning, and a semester-long design/build collaboration with Yestermorrow. Schreiber also served as a co-principal investigator on a Mellon Foundation grant exploring connections between liberal arts education and professional practice.

Nationally, Schreiber served as president of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (2005–2006), president of the Tau Sigma Delta national honor society (2009–2012), director of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (2017–2020), and, most recently, president of the National Architectural Accrediting Board (2023–2024).

Professor Ray Mann, who introduced Schreiber as the faculty speaker at the department's graduation celebration in May, remarked, "The problem with Steve is that he makes it all look so easy, leaving us with the impression that an affable smile and a pun or two can get us anything—we realize that there is way more to it, and that Steve's whip-smart mind and deft navigational skills represent a kind of soft power that we will aspire to but may not quite fully achieve.

"Steve, your leadership will be deeply missed, puns, stories and all, and especially your uncanny ability to remember names of students from years ago and knowing what they happen to be currently doing."