May 29, 2026
Nicholas de Monchaux, a visionary thinker about the intersections of design, technology, and society, tapped to lead CED into its next era.
Nicholas de Monchaux. Courtesy MIT.
The College of Environmental Design is delighted to share the news that internationally recognized architect, urbanist, and scholar Nicholas de Monchaux has been named the new William W. Wurster Dean. De Monchaux is currently head of the Department of Architecture at MIT, where he is Weber-Shaughness professor of architecture, professor of urban studies and planning, and affiliated faculty with the program in Science, Technology and Society. This is a return to UC Berkeley for de Monchaux, who was professor of architecture and urban design at CED from 2006 to 2019.
Announced today by UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons and Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Ben Hermalin, the appointment was made after a competitive open search. De Monchaux will be the thirteenth dean to lead the college since its founding by William W. Wurster in 1959.
