Ana Miljački reflects on her nearly 20 years of teaching in the MIT Department of Architecture and emphasizes the caliber of her students. "I appreciated immediately that these were students comfortable being at the edge of the discipline, eager to push and transform it," she states. She officially became the head of the Department of Architecture on July 1, with plans for the department to move to the Metropolitan Storage Warehouse (the Met) later this summer. Miljački takes over from Nicholas de Monchaux, who significantly advanced the department's commitment to studio-based research, particularly in climate resilience and sustainability.
Having taught at Columbia University and Harvard, Miljački found MIT's support for junior faculty unparalleled. "When junior faculty are supported to produce their own work, they also support students who help them," she explains. Her research spans from Cold War-era Eastern Europe to contemporary architectural practices. In 2014, she co-curated the U.S. Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale.
Miljački founded the Critical Broadcasting Lab to cultivate tools necessary for critical practice, making significant contributions to various global exhibitions. Her podcast, "I Would Prefer Not To," explores why architects decline commissions and won the Architecture in Media Award last year.
Despite her new role, she will continue teaching course 4.210, which encourages critical thinking among students. Miljački views architectural education as needing to engage with the present while exploring alternative practices. In August, the department will move to its new home at the Met, enabling better collaboration across disciplines.
Miljački sees the architectural school as a collective cultivation of utopia, stressing that leadership involves narrating stories in which everyone can recognize themselves. She believes architectural education must adapt to global changes, fostering critical engagement in complex contexts.
Blogger's Review: Miljački's appointment signifies a new chapter for MIT's Architecture Department. Her rich academic background and focus on critical practice are expected to drive innovation in architectural education. Her leadership style emphasizes collective purpose and social responsibility in education, offering a model for other institutions to emulate.