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New leadership at Umeå School of Architecture, with vice chancellor and dean. From left Hans Adolfsson, vice chancellor, Amalia Katapodis, Mikael Henningsson, Michael Gruber, Sara Thor, and Mikael Elofsson, dean. Photo: Mattias Pettersson
New leadership at Umeå School of Architecture, with vice chancellor and dean. From left Hans Adolfsson, vice chancellor, Amalia Katapodis, Mikael Henningsson, Michael Gruber, Sara Thor, and Mikael Elofsson, dean. Photo: Mattias Pettersson

Press release -

New leadership at Umeå School of Architecture

A new leadership has been appointed at Umeå School of Architecture at Umeå University. New head of department is Mikael Henningsson, former head of the Department of Psychology. Sara Thor steps in as deputy head of department and Michael Gruber becomes assistant head of department.

“It will be very exciting to be part of the school's continued development, both in terms of running the popular architectural programme and also over time to introduce more research into the school” says Mikael Henningsson, new head of department at Umeå School of Architecture.


Mikael Henningsson is 59 years old and born in Vännäs. He trained as a psychologist at Umeå University and worked in psychiatric care for a few years, before returning to the university and a doctorate in 1999. He has subsequently researched and taught, been director of studies for the psychology programme and later head of the Department of Psychology. He is an esteemed teacher, who has been awarded both the student union's and the social sciences faculty's educational prizes.

Sara Thor becomes deputy head of department. She trained as an architect at Chalmers and La Vilette in Paris. She has previously worked as a practicing architect in a bureau in the UK and has since 2015 taught at Umeå School of Architecture, where she is the course teacher for a design studio in the master's programme.


Michael Gruber has been appointed assistant head of department. He is 56 years old and originally from Gothenburg. His area of responsibility will be education and he will also receive the role of director of studies. Michael Gruber is a university lecturer in psychology and most recently comes from the Department of Psychology, where he has worked in various roles as educational leader for more than 15 years. In 2016 he was appointed as excellent teacher.

The management also includes Amalia Katapodis, who was previously appointed by the faculty's education committee to be the programme director for the Architectural programme and the Master's programme in Architecture and Urban Design. She is a practicing architect since 2007 and has been teaching since 2011. For the past four years she has worked as a lecturer at Umeå School of Architecture.

“I am very pleased that we have got such a competent management in place” says Mikael Elofsson, dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology. “This guarantees that Umeå School of Architecture will continue to develop and the focus is now on building a robust research environment.”

“The faculty leadership has done an excellent job of finding a new management for Umeå School of Architecture in a short time, says vice chancellor Hans Adolfsson. With a new leadership in place, the work to develop the school but also to strengthen the activities on the Arts campus can continue.

Read more about Umeå School of Architecture

For more information, please contact:

Mikael Henningsson, head of department, School of Architecture, Umeå University
Phone: +46 90 786 57 98
Email: mikael.henningsson@umu.se

Mikael Elofsson, dean, Faculty of Science and Technology, Umeå University
Phone: +46 90 786 93 28, +46 70 616 93 28
Email: mikael.elofsson@umu.se

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Umeå University
Umeå University is one of Sweden's largest institutions of higher learning with over 32,000 students and 4,200 employees. We have a well-established international research profile and a broad range of study options. Our campus constitutes an inspiring environment that encourages interdisciplinary meetings - between students, researchers, teachers and external stakeholders. Through collaboration with other members of society, we contribute to the development and strengthen the quality of our research and education.

Contacts

Anna-Lena Lindskog

Anna-Lena Lindskog

Communication officer Faculty of Science & Technology +46706422956

Umeå University

Umeå University is one of Sweden's largest universities with over 37,000 students and 4,300 employees. The university is home to a wide range of education programmes and world-class research in a number of fields. Umeå University was also where the gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 was discovered – a revolution in gene-technology that was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Founded in 1965, Umeå University is characterised by tradition and stability as well as innovation and change. Education and research on a high international level contributes to new knowledge of global importance, inspired, among other things, by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The university houses creative and innovative people that take on societal challenges. Through long-term collaboration with organisations, trade and industry, and other universities, Umeå University continues to develop northern Sweden as a knowledge region.

The international atmosphere at the university and its unified campus encourages academic meetings, an exchange of ideas and interdisciplinary co-operation. The cohesive environment enables a strong sense of community and a dynamic and open culture in which students and staff rejoice in the success of others.

Campus Umeå and Umeå Arts Campus are only a stone's throw away from Umeå town centre and are situated next to one of Sweden's largest and most well-renowned university hospitals. The university also has campuses in the neighbouring towns Skellefteå and Örnsköldsvik.

At Umeå University, you will also find the highly-ranked Umeå Institute of Design, the environmentally certified Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics and the only architectural school with an artistic orientation – Umeå School of Architecture. The university also hosts a contemporary art museum Bildmuseet and Umeå's science centre – Curiosum. Umeå University is one of Sweden's five national sports universities and hosts an internationally recognised Arctic Research Centre.