There are some new faces in architecture and design classes this semester, noted academics and professionals who’ve joined the team in the College of Architecture and Design (CoAD) to educate future architects and designers. CoAD would like you to meet:
Gretchen Wilkins, Ph.D., tenured associate professor of architecture and chair of architecture.
Wilkins holds both a Ph.D. from RMIT University and licensure as a practicing architect, a pairing that reflects CoAD’s commitment to integrating scholarship with real-world application. Her leadership arrives at a time when CoAD is actively refining its definition of an academic design practitioner, a faculty profile that aligns with LTU’s aspirations for innovation, relevance, and research growth.
Before joining LTU, Wilkins held several leadership roles, including head of architecture and interim dean at Cranbrook Academy of Art. Prior to Cranbrook, she served at RMIT University, where she directed the Master of Urban Design program across its campuses in Melbourne, Barcelona, and Ho Chi Minh City.
Her career spans continents, institutions, and scales of design work, giving her a broad and global perspective on architectural education and practice. From launching academic programs in Southeast Asia to leading graduate studio education in Michigan, she consistently approaches academic leadership as a creative and strategic endeavor.
Thomas Prevost, executive-in-residence and associate professor of practice of design.
Prevost is executive-in-residence and associate professor of practice of design. As owner/principal of TSP Design, he is a contractor and consultant in automotive design interiors and exteriors, vehicle architecture, and product design.
As Executive-in-Residence, Prevost will teach and lead the development of Mobility Concentration within the Product Design program. Since 2022, Prevost has served as innovation exterior studio technical leader for General Motors, which he joined in 2000 and advanced in all phases of design.
Prevost earned his Master of Design degree in Industrial Design with honors with a minor in Luxury in 2001 from Strate College (now Strate School of Design), Issy Les Moulineaux, Paris, France.
He is a strong believer that design is not merely a tool, but a strategic partner in generating new, integrated businesses, products, and innovations that align with the core values of society.
Carla Diana, associate professor of design and director of product design.
Diana, associate professor of design & director of product design, is a designer, author, and educator who explores how emerging technologies can enrich everyday life through hands-on product design and tangible interaction. In her role, she leads students in investigating the intersections of form, function, and future tech. Diana is also a design advisor and former head of design for Diligent Robotics, where she shaped the full design vision—from the robot’s physical form to its expressive behaviors using light, sound, and motion.
Previously, Diana was the founding head of the 4D Design Program at Cranbrook Academy of Art. She holds an M.F.A. in 3D Design from Cranbrook and a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from the Cooper Union.
She has led design efforts at Smart Design and frog, with her work featured in “Popular Science,” “MIT Technology Review,” and “The New York Times Sunday Review.” Her book, “My Robot Gets Me” (Harvard Business Review Press), offers strategies for designing emotionally intelligent tech products. She is also the author of “LEO the Maker Prince,” the first children’s book about 3D printing.
Quan Thai, tenure-track assistant professor of architecture.
Thai is a licensed architect with the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) and Ordre des architectes du Québec (OAQ) and founder of Never Only Architecture. He was most recently an associate architect at SvN Architects + Planners, a multidisciplinary firm with offices around North America. His practice builds on over ten years of experience working on high-profile conceptual and built work across North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. He was the inaugural emerging practitioner teaching fellow (2023-25) at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture in Canada and has taught at the Daniel’s Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto and Interior Design at The Creative School, Toronto Metropolitan University.
His work prioritizes diverse perspectives, collaborative inquiry, and accessible knowledge-sharing to create inclusive spaces across diverse identity groups. His professional experience includes notable international architecture firms, including WORKac in New York City and Atelier Barda in Montreal.
Thai holds an Honors Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Waterloo School of Architecture, Canada, and a Master of Architecture degree from McGill University, Canada.
CoAD students are already raving about their new professors! We invite you to learn more about our new faculty in their profiles.
By: Renée Ahee
