There was a little pizza place in Altadena I used to visit with some regularity called Side Pie. The owner got his start by making pizzas in the side of his yard during the pandemic, hence the name. He later opened a storefront, and they opened the back parking lot for patrons to sit and enjoy their food while seated on colorful picnic tables and umbrellas. It was all very casual, but because of this casualness, and the incredible pizza, it had a community feel. Everyone felt welcome. It was a special establishment that went a long way in creating the fabric of Altadena.
Sarah Whiting will become the first woman dean of Harvard’s GSD, joining a growing contingent of female leadership in academia. But will such appointments bring equity to the profession?
On July 1, when Sarah Whiting steps into the job of leading the most prestigious architecture school in the country, she will be the eighth dean and the first woman to helm Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. And while her appointment is a personal and professional achievement for Whiting, it also marks a sea change for an institution still grappling with the aftermath of architecture’s #metoo moment. Last year, faculty and student populations alike petitioned for reform.