Grace Ong Yan, Ph.D.

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Grace Ong Yan is Assistant Professor of Interior Design in the College of Architecture and the Built Environment at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia where she teaches history of architecture and design, research methodologies, and design studio. Her scholarship explores histories of modernism and intersections of business histories, media, and architecture. She received her Ph.D. in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, M.Arch. from Yale University, and B.Arch. at the University of Texas at Austin. Grace is the co-editor of Architect: The Pritzker Prize Laureates in their own Words, (Blackdog and Levanthal, 1st ed. 2010, 2nd ed. 2018) and has also published articles and chapters on subjects ranging from the intersections of consumerism and modernism to material complexities in post-war design and architecture. Her recent book Building Brands: Corporations and Modern Architecture explores the role of architectural branding in the design of mid-twentieth century corporate modernism and tells how business strategies, modern architecture, urban conditions, and conceptions of society shaped the ambitious branding goals of corporate clients. (Lund Humphries, 2021) Grace is a board member of Docomomo US/Greater Philadelphia and past chapter president.