Dr. Andrew Gipe-Lazarou (M.Arch GSD, Ph.D NTUA) is an Assistant Professor at the Virginia Tech School of Architecture. His scholarship, which aims to increase disability awareness and representation in design, explores the impacts of alternative sensory perspectives on contemporary design practice and education. His teaching is informed by a decade of international leadership experience of design education initiatives for persons with disability, partnerships with local and international non-profits and state agencies servicing individuals with disability, and professional accessibility credentials issued by the IAAP.

For his commitment to inclusive teaching, scholarship, and research, Dr. Gipe-Lazarou was awarded the 2023 AAD Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award and the 2024 ACSA National Diversity Achievement Award + Sally Brown Excellence in Design Education Award from the Branch Museum of Design in Richmond, VA.