Karen M. Kensek
Karen M. Kensek is on the faculty of the USC School of Architecture at the University of Southern California. She is a leading figure in architectural computing, focusing on analytical building information modeling and building science. On January 29, 2020, it was announced that Kensek had been named a "Distinguished Professor of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture," (ACSA) and would receive the award at the ACSA annual conference in March 2020. Background. Kensek completed an undergraduate degree in architecture at MIT, and a Master of Architecture at the University of California at Berkeley. She taught  for several years at Berkeley prior to joining the faculty at the University of Southern California in 1991. Architectural Computing. She has written books on building information modeling, and has completed more than 100 research papers and 30 grants. In 1991, she founded the CLIPPER Lab with Douglas Noble at USC to support research and education in architectural computing. Together, they also conducted early architecture design studio experiments including a "supercomputing studio" in 1988 and one of the first fully "paperless studios" in 1993. She served as president of the Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture in 1995. She  has collaborated with noted architects and educators, including Pierre Koenig, Douglas E. Noble and Ralph Lewis Knowles. Facade Tectonics. With Noble and Mic Patterson, she co-founded the Facade Tectonics Institute in 2007 as a university-based research and education organization. The Facade Tectonics Institute has hosted conferences and published research papers focused on building facade technology. NotLY: Licensing in Architecture. Together, Noble and Kensek have received several awards for their innovative "NotLY: Not Licensed Yet" support system for individuals preparing for the Architect Registration Examination.