The College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) at CU Denver is pleased to announce the appointment of Dora Epstein Jones as the Department of Architecture chair, effective Wednesday, July 1, 2026.
A respected educator and theorist, Epstein Jones brings experience that builds on the department’s existing reputation for engaging the built environment at all levels of inquiry, creativity, and making. Epstein Jones’ work examines the discipline of architecture as a set of practices, construction methods, precedents, canons, and tectonics. An advocate for public education, Epstein Jones believes that an architectural education is an excellent preparation for students wishing to make a positive impact in their world.
“I am excited to join the team at CU Denver at a time when many architecture schools are thinking about the nexus between accessibility and excellence,” said Epstein Jones. “CU Denver has been exemplary in this respect, and I am committed to bringing visibility to an already great school. I’m also very interested in engaging and working with Denver’s architectural professionals who are helping us grow insights into building within fragile ecosystems and deep regional cultures. Denver has the potential to lead the world in terms of understanding resiliency, and I see my role as supporting that.”
Epstein Jones holds a PhD in architectural history, theory, and criticism from UCLA, a master of arts in urban planning from UCLA, and a bachelor of science in applied behavioral sciences (community studies) from UC Davis. She got her start in academia at SCI-Arc and has served as the chair of architecture at Texas Tech University and professor of practice at the University of Texas at Austin.
“Architectural education touches so many aspects of the built environment, and yes, even the virtual environments we engage with daily,” said Epstein Jones. “And the reality is that these environments affect us deeply. Our students want to make the world a better place. We offer them a focus for that ambition.”
In addition to her esteemed career in architectural education, Epstein Jones has worked in practice as a principal of the Los Angeles-based architecture studio Jones, Partners: Architecture. She has also served as the executive director of the Architecture + Design Museum in Los Angeles.
With Epstein Jones’ leadership, the College of Architecture and Planning Department of Architecture will continue to build on its strengths in hands-on learning and community-centered design and explore new opportunities that will shape the future of the built environment.