Prof. Orla Smyth LoPiccolo Biography

Orla Smyth LoPiccolo is a registered architect, professor, and former Chair of the Department of Architecture and Construction Management at Farmingdale State College, SUNY, where she has taught 17 courses since 2008. Professor LoPiccolo earned her undergraduate and professional degrees with honors from the Dublin Institute of Technology, and Trinity College, the University of Dublin, Ireland, and her post-professional degree in Architecture Urban Regional Design from the New York Institute of Technology. Subsequently, Professor LoPiccolo earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Building Construction Management from New York University and a Passive House Designer Certification from the Passivhaus Institut, Germany. She has private-sector architecture and construction project management experience in Dublin, Ireland, and New York. Professor LoPiccolo has over ten years of public sector experience as an architect and a Community Development Project Supervisor with the Town of Islip. In addition, Professor LoPiccolo was an adjunct assistant professor in the School of Architecture and Design at NYIT for five years, where she taught five architectural studio courses. She is an active member of numerous on and off-campus committees, including the Applied Learning Review Board (Chair 2022 – present, member since 2016), Farmingdale Executive Committee (Chair 2018-2022, member 2016-2022), ASC, AAS, Public Art Task Force (former Chair), Calendar Committee (former Chair), Sustainability Committee, the American Society of Engineering Education Middle Atlantic Section (former Chair and Secretary and Treasurer). Professor LoPiccolo served as department chair from 2017-2021. She prepared and oversaw three successful ABET re-accreditation reports and visits, streamlined the department processes for student success, and actively linked students and graduates with hundreds of jobs. She has also written and presented 20 scholarly papers on innovative pedagogy, including improving student spatial reasoning, teaching sustainable construction methods, and service learning. Professor LoPiccolo was awarded the Phenomenal Woman for 2018 Award Office of Student Activities and the Student Government Association, Farmingdale State College, the Innovative Pedagogy Award, Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology, Farmingdale State College in 2017, the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence in 2018 and the American Institute of Architects, Long Island Chapter Educator Award, 2019