Dr. Tiffany Cheng

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Tiffany Cheng is a Taiwanese American designer and builder, serving as an Assistant Professor at Cornell University’s Department of Design Tech. Her work focuses on performance potential in natural biobased materials and smarter sustainable forms. Cheng’s doctoral research, which she defended in 2024, concentrated on developing 4D-printing processes for biobased materials and bioinspired behaviors applicable to various domains, such as self-adjusting wearables, self-forming structures, and self-regulating facades. As the Research Group Leader at the Institute for Computational Design and Construction (ICD), she led the Material Programming group that investigated integrative computational fabrication methods for adaptive furniture and building systems. Cheng has also practiced with Studio Fernando Vazquez, designing socially oriented projects, including bike facilities and neighborhood recreation centers in the United States and Japan, and worked with MaP+S Group at Harvard's Graduate School of Design, researching material-driven manufacturing strategies for bespoke carbon-fiber building components.

Research Interests

Requirements for Cornell University

Master Program
Requirements
TOEFL
Listening
Required:15
Reading
Required:20
Writing
Required:20
Speaking
Required:22
Total
Required:100
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Architecture or related field
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Portfolio (SlideRoom)
  • Academic Statement of Purpose
  • Personal Statement
  • Transcripts
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Resume/CV
Specialization Notes

Department of Architecture