Mónica Ponce de León

Mónica Ponce de León
Born	Venezuela
Nationality	Venezuelan American
Alma mater	Harvard University
Occupation	Architect
Awards	Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award (2007) Harleston Parker Medal (2002) Progressive Architecture Award

Practice	MPdL Studio (2011–present) Office dA (1991–2010)
Buildings	Macallen Building (2007) Helios House (2007) RISD Fleet Library (2006)

Mónica Ponce de León is a Venezuelan American architect, educator, and Dean of the School of Architecture at Princeton University. A National Design Award winner, Ponce de León is widely recognized as a pioneer in the application of robotic technology to building fabrication and architecture education. Her interdisciplinary practice, MPdL Studio, has offices in Ann Arbor, MI, New York and Boston, MA. Ponce de León previously served as Dean of the A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan (2008–2015) and as Professor at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University (1996–2008). Prior to establishing her own practice MPdL Studio, she was the founding partner with Nader Tehrani in the award-winning firm Office dA.

Ponce de León was raised in Caracas, Venezuela, and immigrated to Miami, Florida, with her family after graduating high school. She took English classes and worked in a millwork shop before enrolling at the University of Miami, earning her Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1989. In 1991, she received a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. After graduating from Harvard, she held teaching appointments at Harvard University, SCI-Arc, Rhode Island School of Design, and Northeastern University while establishing Office dA.