Jaan Holt honored with emeritus status

Jaan Holt, the Patrick and Nancy Lathrop Professor of Architecture in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies and former director of the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the title of professor emeritus by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

The emeritus title may be conferred on retired professors, associate professors, and administrative officers who are specially recommended to the board by Virginia Tech President Timothy D. Sands. Nominated individuals who are approved by the board receive an emeritus certificate from the university.

A member of the university community since 1972, Holt has served as a faculty member in the architecture program, the Department of Architecture, and the School of Architecture+ Design in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies. He served as chair of the architecture program from 1976 through 1982.

Since his appointment as director of the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center in 1984, his leadership helped establish Virginia Tech’s presence in the National Capital Region for the past 35 years. As director, Holt created the only architecture consortium program in the United States.

He has managed several high-profile design competitions, including the Center for Innovative Technology, the Memorial for Women in Military Service for America in Arlington, and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial.

In addition, Holt created the logistical plan for the inaugural Solar Decathlon in 2002 for the U.S. Department of Energy and now, seven Solar Decathlons later, there is still clear evidence of the planning strategies set out in the inaugural plan.

He has taught more than 3,500 undergraduates and graduate students in his career, and is regarded as educator who cares deeply about his students as individuals.

Holt received the College of Architecture and Urban Studies Career Achievement Award in 2007 and the college’s Lifetime Contribution Award in 2016.

Holt received his bachelor's degree in architecture from Virginia Tech and his master's degree in architecture from the University of Pennsylvania.