Dr. Tommy Yang

Instructor

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Biography

Tommy CheeMou Yang is a Special Faculty in Architectural Design at Carnegie Mellon University. He joined the university in 2021 and holds the Ann Kalla Professorship for the 2021-23 term. His research and teaching focus on bridging disciplines of architecture, ecology, humanities, storytelling, and ethnography. Yang's work involves unpacking ordinary stories and rituals that accelerate architectural and urban changes through methods such as fieldwork and material landscapes. He emphasizes community-empowered projects that have received recognition from various funding bodies including the National Endowment for the Humanities. His design research includes embedded work with Hmong refugees and Thai villagers and has been published and exhibited internationally. His education includes a professional Master of Architecture degree from Parsons School of Design and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Research Interests

Courses

Architectural Design Studio Poiesis II: Radical Empathy Architecture Mountains Seas: Detailing Architecture Folklore Advanced Option Studio (AOS): Mothers Dragons - Compound Architectural Models, Rice Fields Urban Form

Requirements for Carnegie Mellon University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.5
GRE General
Verbal
Required:158
Quantitative
Required:149
Analytical Writing
Required:4
Overall
Required:4
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Psychology or related field Research experience/publications
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Transcripts
  • GRE scores (optional but reported in profile)
  • English Proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo)
Specialization Notes

Admission is extremely competitive with no strict GPA cut-offs; holistic review is used.