The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) has announced the appointment of Canadian-Australian professor Janice Rieger as the new Head of the institution’s School of Architecture in the new Faculty of Design and Society. The appointment follows an international recruitment campaign.

According to a communique from UTS, Rieger brings over 20 years of international academic experience and 15 years of interdisciplinary research and practice within the built environment. Most recently, she was Head of Architecture, Planning and Design in the School of Engineering and Built Environment at Griffith University in Queensland.

UTS’s statement describes Rieger as a “globally recognised leader in the sociology of architecture,” whose interests pertain to co-creation and inclusive design, and spatial-ecological justice. An Australian Research Council (ARC) research fellow, Rieger’s award-winning research is grounded in ethics, accessibility and the co-design of equitable spaces.

Rieger has been chief investigator in numerous major research projects funded by the ARC, Queensland Health and international bodies such as the EU Commission, and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. She has also been a visiting scholar with KU Leuven (Belgium), Politecnico di Milano (Italy), Universiteit Hasselt (Belgium), University of Alberta (Canada) and L’Université Catholique de Lille (France).

Rieger received her PhD from the University of Alberta (Canada), a Master of Arts in Art/Architectural History from York University (Canada) and a Bachelor’s degree from the Faculty of Architecture, University of Manitoba (Canada). She is the founding director of Co.lab: Inclusive Design and Multisensory Engagement, and as a senior fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK), has developed and delivered curriculum in five universities across Canada and Australia.

Commenting on her appointment, Rieger said, “I’m incredibly excited to be joining UTS at such a pivotal time for creative disciplines. The university’s bold vision for design, architecture and innovation resonates strongly with my own practice and research.”

I look forward to working with the UTS community and the new Faculty of Design and Society to co-create inclusive, ethical and future-focused spaces – both within our curriculum and out in the world. It’s an honour to lead the School of Architecture on this transformative journey,” Rieger added.

Rieger formally commences at UTS on 7 August 2025.