Sharon Sutton

Who is Sharon Sutton?

Dr. Sharon Egretta Sutton is a professor of architecture and urban design, adjunct professor of social work, and director of the Center for Environment Education and Design Studies at the University of Washington, where she has been on the faculty since 1998. She became an architectural educator in 1975, having taught at Pratt Institute, Columbia University, the University of Cincinnati, and the University of Michigan where she became the first African American woman to become a full professor in an accredited architectural degree program.

Sutton was educated initially in music, studying French horn with Gunther Schuller at the Manhattan School of Music and latter at the University of Hartford. After earning a B.Music in 1963, she worked as a professional musician in New York City, most notably for Sol Hurok Attractions and in the original cast of Man of La Mancha. In 1967, Sutton enrolled in Parsons School of Design and, as a result of the civil rights era affirmative action efforts, was recruited to Columbia University where she earned her M.Arch. in 1973. In 1981, she received her MA in psychology from Hunter College; in 1982, she received her M.Phil and Ph.