Harvard GSD announces establishment of the R. Buckminster Fuller Professorship of Design Science

Harvard Graduate School of Design announces the establishment of the R. Buckminster Fuller Professorship of Design Science, thanks to the generosity of

Page content (https://www.gsd.harvard.edu/2021/04/harvard-gsd-announces-establishment-of-the-r-buckminster-fuller-professorship-of-design-science/)

Skip to main content Harvard Graduate School of Design Primary Menu Close Primary Menu Academics Academics Academics Architecture Master of Architecture I Master of Architecture I AP Master of Architecture II Landscape Architecture Master in Landscape Architecture I Master in Landscape Architecture I AP Master in Landscape Architecture II Urban Planning and Design Master of Architecture in Urban Design / Master of Landscape Architecture in Urban Design Master in Urban Planning Master in Real Estate Advanced Studies Programs Master in Design Engineering Master in Design Studies Doctor of Design Doctor of Philosophy Concurrent & Joint Degrees Early Design Education Design Discovery Design Discovery Virtual Design Discovery Youth Equity in Design Mentorship Undergraduate Architecture Studies Executive Education Real Estate Architecture, Design, & Planning Sustainability Leadership, Management, & Communications Loeb Fellowship Explore Course Catalog Compare Degree Programs View Funding Opportunities Admissions Admissions Admissions How to Apply Application Requirements International Applicants Navigating the Application (FAQ) Connect with Admissions Virtual Sessions Virtual Fall Open Houses Admissions Tours Funding Opportunities Scholarships and Grants Outside Scholarships Student Loans Financial Aid FAQ Financial Aid Life at the GSD GSD Campus Student Experience Academic Experience Application Deadlines January 5, 2027 5:00 p.m ET MArch, MLA, MUP, MAUD, MLAUD, MRE, DDes, MDes, MDE Compare degree programs Introduce Yourself Apply Research Research Research Centers Harvard Center for Green Buildings and Cities Joint Center for Housing Studies Initiatives Aga Khan Program Harvard Mellon Urban Initiative Laboratory for Design Technologies Projects Groups and Labs Critical Landscapes Design Lab Grinham Research Group Healthy Places Lab Just City Lab Material Processes and Systems Group Office for Urbanization Responsive Environments & Artifacts Lab Laboratory for Values in the Built Environment Public Prizes & Fellowships Loeb Fellowship Wheelwright Prize Veronica Rudge Green Prize in Urban Design Frances Loeb Library Inaugural Experimental Postdoctoral Fellows at the GSD Research Health, Wellness, and Sustainable Materials Nov 4, 2025 Read More Read More People People People Faculty Directory Student Directory Staff Directory Alumni Directory Affiliates Directory Sarah Whiting Accepts 2026 AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education Dec 10, 2025 Read More Read More The Value Is in the Differences: Wannaporn Phornprapha on Culture and Collaboration Jan 22, 2026 Read More Read More Offices & Facilities Offices & Facilities Offices & Facilities Academic Affairs Academic Administration Academic Planning and Innovation Academic Administration Business Office Advanced Studies Programs Department of Architecture Department of Landscape Architecture Department of Urban Planning and Design Faculty Affairs Student Affairs Admissions Career Services Financial Aid Registrar Student Life Administrative Offices Communications Dean’s Office Development & Alumni Relations Community, Impact and Opportunity Facilities and Campus Operations Finance & Research Administration Human Resources Research and Production Frances Loeb Library Fabrication Lab Information Technologies Gund Hall 48 Quincy Street Cambridge, MA 02318 Public Access Hours: Mon–Fri: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sat & Sun: Closed Card access only on university holidays and weekends. Gund Hall’s building hours are extended when public programs take place See calendar for details. Frances Loeb Library 48 Quincy Street, First Floor Cambridge, MA 02318 Summer Hours: Mon–Fri: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sat & Sun: Closed Special Collections Reading Room Hours: Mon–Thurs: 10:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Fri–Sun: Closed Open to the public. View holidays and closures . Public Discourse Public Discourse Public Discourse Public Programs Harvard Design Magazine Publications Exhibitions Podcasts Videos Inside the Dream Factory: GSD Students Design for Opera Elena Manferdini on using AI-forward design to engage with opera from a contemporary perspective. Author: Kyra Davies Mar. 6, 2026 Ground Shift: Glacial Flour and the Future of Urbanism in Greenland Students explore how glacial flour—a byproduct of melting ice—could reshape Nuuk’s urban future, linking climate change, local economies, and design. Author: A. Krista Sykes Mar. 27, 2026 Calendar Calendar Calendar Upcoming Events and Exhibitions Academic Calendars & Schedules Application Deadlines GSD Now Design Takes on The Housing Crisis Dean's Office Apr. 21 – Aug. 3, 2026 Architecture Urban Planning and Design Details and recordings of the GSD's 2026 Class Day and Commencement Ceremony are now available. Learn more Alumni & Support Alumni & Support Alumni & Support Alumni & Friends Events Alumni Updates Alumni Council Dean’s Council Alumni Resources FAQ Submit an Alumni Update Support the GSD Annual Giving Gift Planning Impact Ways to Give Fellowships & Financial Aid Funds Development & Alumni Relations Office Give a gift to the GSD GSD Alumni Council 2025 Newsletter Nov 10, 2025 Read More Read More About About About Visit the GSD GSD Campus Admissions Tours Map & Directions Harvard Tours Fact Book Mission & Values Commitment to Community Community Values, Rights, and Responsibilities Academic Integrity Respectful Engagement Equitable Accountability Leadership & Administration Message from the Dean Administrative Leadership Council Executive Committee News History of Gund Hall Search Close Nav Panel Apply Give Information For… Close Submenu Current Students Frances Loeb Library Fabrication Lab Information Technologies Student Life Registrar Funding Opportunities Course Catalog Option Studios Academic Calendar Mentorship Program GSD Now Engage Create Canvas Harvard University Health Services Financial Aid Deadlines October FAFSA opens to applicants. Mid-March GSD financial aid application opens. Mid-April Financial aid application deadline. Late May/Early June Notification of financial aid awards. Current Students Prospective Students Admissions Compare Degree Programs How to Apply Life at the GSD Funding Opportunities Academics Master of Architecture I Master of Architecture I AP Master of Architecture II Master in Landscape Architecture I Master in Landscape Architecture I AP Master in Landscape Architecture II Master of Architecture in Urban Design / Master of Landscape Architecture in Urban Design Master in Urban Planning Master in Real Estate Master in Design Engineering Master in Design Studies Concurrent & Joint Degrees Doctor of Design Doctor of Philosophy Early Design Education Executive Education Application Deadlines January 5, 2027 5:00 p.m ET MArch, MLA, MUP, MAUD, MLAUD, MRE, DDes, MDes, MDE Prospective Students Faculty & Staff Academic Calendar Faculty Directory Staff Directory Frances Loeb Library Human Resources Faculty Affairs Course Catalog Information Technologies GSD Now PeopleSoft Concur Faculty & Staff Alumni Alumni & Friends Events Alumni Resources Alumni Directory Library Access Harvard Alumni Association Support the GSD Annual Report of Giving Mentorship Program Alumni Council Alumni Close Submenu Open Search Submit Search Close Search News Harvard GSD announces establishment of the R. Buckminster Fuller Professorship of Design Science News Harvard GSD announces establishment of the R. Buckminster Fuller Professorship of Design Science 1/2 (Left to right) Amy C. Edmondson AB ’81, AM ’95, Ph.D. ’96, John Katzenberger, Buckminster Fuller, Thomas Crum (1982) Amy C. Edmondson with Buckminster Fuller (1982). Photo courtesy Amy Edmondson. Date Apr. 22, 2021 Author GSD News Announcements Donor Stories News Harvard Graduate School of Design announces the establishment of the R. Buckminster Fuller Professorship of Design Science, thanks to the generosity of Amy C. Edmondson (AB ’81, AM ’95, PhD ’96) and George Q. Daley (AB ’82, MD ’91). Edmondson and Daley each has long-standing ties to Harvard University—Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School (HBS) and worked with Fuller after her graduation from Harvard College, and Daley is the Dean of Harvard Medical School and the Caroline Shields Walker Professor of Medicine. Harvard GSD will begin a search for a visionary scholar to serve as the inaugural R. Buckminster Fuller Professor of Design Science. R. Buckminster Fuller (1895–1983) was a renowned 20th-century inventor, designer, engineer, and philosopher, and a member of the Harvard College Class of 1917. Through a design-science approach, he worked to solve global problems related to energy, transportation, and education, among other fields. Fuller has influenced generations of designers, architects, scientists, and artists working to create a more sustainable planet. His most well-known artifact is the geodesic dome. Amy C. Edmondson with Buckminster Fuller (1983). Photo courtesy Amy C. Edmondson. Edmondson came to know Fuller’s work through the Harvard course “Synergetics: The Structure of Ordered Space” along with a lecture Fuller presented at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Upon corresponding with him, he offered her a job as his Chief Engineer. This pivotal experience shaped Edmondson’s career and ultimately led her to her work at HBS, studying people and teams who seek to make a positive difference through the work they do. She describes Fuller as “an inspirational, joyful, brilliant, and invitingly inclusive person,” and she was influenced by his way of thinking that centrally involved design. Edmondson and Daley connect with Fuller’s belief that designers can make a difference through their work and celebrate the role of responsible design for making a difference in the world. “Buckminster Fuller was interested in making a better world through the power of design. There is no more fitting place to honor his legacy than at the GSD by creating the R. Buckminster Fuller Professorship of Design Science,” said Edmondson and Daley. “Bucky’s spirit of innovation and invention lives on to inspire others to forge new discoveries and to take better care of each other and our planet for future generations.” Named, endowed chairs are among the highest honors bestowed at Harvard. At Harvard GSD, they attract respected leaders in their respective design disciplines, support academic inquiries and innovative research, and ensure the position in perpetuity. (Left to right) Amy C. Edmondson, John Katzenberger, Buckminster Fuller, and Thomas Crum (1982). Photo courtesy Amy C. Edmondson. “Amy and George are championing a legacy of world-class scholarship at the GSD. I am grateful for their generosity to sustain a thriving academic community at the School,” said Sarah M. Whiting, Harvard GSD’s Dean and Josep Lluís Sert Professor of Architecture. “Through their commitment, the R. Buckminster Fuller Professorship of Design Science will help the GSD to attract the best faculty and students and serve as a perpetual reminder of Fuller’s legacy in design innovation and sustainability.” Edmondson serves on Harvard GSD’s Dean’s Leadership Council, working with Dean Whiting to advance the school’s visibility and importance within Harvard. Sign up for our mailing list Email * Facebook Bluesky YouTube LinkedIn Instagram Press Inquiries GSD Now Facebook Bluesky YouTube LinkedIn Instagram Press Inquiries GSD Now The Graduate School of Design educates leaders in design, research, and scholarship to make a resilient, just, and beautiful world. Sign up for our mailing list Email * Privacy Policy Accessibility Digital Accessibility Policy Report Copyright Infringement Report Security Issue Trademark Notice © 2026 President and Fellows of Harvard College Search Submit Results for Show Filters Type Pages People Courses Events & Exhibitions Publications News Resources Projects Podcasts Videos Harvard Design Magazine Sort by Sort by Relevance Date, oldest to newest Date, newest to oldest Last updated Results Clear Filters ( ) Load More