The Van Alen Institute on Tuesday appointed Hayley Eber as its new executive director.
Eber, currently the acting dean of The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at The Cooper Union, will assume her new role at the Brooklyn nonprofit in June. She takes over the reigns from Deborah Marton, who concluded her tenure as executive director late last year, according to a press release.
She brings a strong background in architecture and academic leadership. Since joining The Cooper Union faculty in 2007, she has championed equity in design education, leading the school’s most diverse incoming class and chairing its Antiracist Task Force.
In 2008, she founded Studio Eber, an award-winning architectural practice in New York known for its innovative approach to buildings, interiors environments, and installations. Her work has been exhibited at the Venice Architecture Biennale, Tallinn Architecture Biennale, Shanghai SUSAS and the upcoming Triennale Milano.
She holds a Master of Architecture from Princeton University School of Architecture, a Bachelor of Architecture from The Cooper Union, and a BAS from the University of Cape Town. She is a licensed architect in New York and has taught at both Princeton University and Columbia GSAPP.
Eber will oversee the institution's mission to promote equitable urban development through inclusive design. She plans to expand and deepen the organization’s existing initiatives, including Design Sprints and Common Build, while also reimagining the historic Paris Prize competition. Established in 1904, the Paris Prize was one of architecture’s most prestigious honors and fostered innovative civic design.
R. May Lee, Van Alen board chair and vice president and chief strategy officer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, commended the appointment.
"Hayley Eber has extensive experience leading an institution rooted in community and design excellence," said Lee. "Her keen ability to foster a welcoming culture builds on Van Alen’s history of convening people across disciplines. She brings a depth of design expertise and intellectual rigor that will be invaluable as Van Alen continues its 130-year commitment to design and its impact on the public realm in New York City.”
Eber expressed enthusiasm about her new role and the opportunity to shape urban and architectural dialogue through Van Alen’s work.
“Community-building, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a commitment to just and sustainable urban futures have been central to my leadership at The Cooper Union --principles that resonate deeply with Van Alen Institute’s core mission,” said Eber. “I am thrilled to build upon Van Alen’s rich history in shaping architectural and urban dialogue, and to advance its critical work empowering communities to create transformative public spaces in New York City and beyond.”
