Stanislawa (Siasia) Sandecka Nowicki, an emeritus professor of architecture died in Alexandria, Virginia, on February 18. She was 105 years old.
Siasia was promoted from the faculty rank of associate professor to that of professor of architecture in 1958, making her the first female professor at PennDesign (then the School of Fine Arts) and the first female full professor of architecture in the country. She taught first-year classes, introducing students to design and basic building technique. She remained at Penn until her retirement in 1977.
In 1978, she received the AIA Medal from the American Institute of Architects (Almanac March 7, 1978) in recognition of her contributions and influence on the architectural profession. The AIA recognized her “… for an outstanding career in architecture education. Respecting her students as individuals, she consistently demanded the best that each could produce. Her emphasis on the quality of architecture, its aesthetic values, and its social meaning, have had a profound influence on all who have been privileged to know her as teacher or as colleague.”
In 1987, The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture awarded her the title of distinguished professor for sustained creative achievement in the advancement of architectural education. In 2017, the Polish government awarded her the highest distinction for culture and the arts, the Gloria Artis gold medal, in recognition of her being an inspiration to the younger generation of designers and architects.
For more about this pioneering professor, visit the Almanac.
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