Alan Vlakancic
Education
PhD Student - University at Buffalo, Continuing
MUPM - Pratt Institute
BA Environmental Design - University at Buffalo
Teaching Overview
Alan Vlakancic is an Associate Professor of Architecture and Design at SUNY College of Technology at Alfred, where he has taught since 2019 and currently serves as Program Coordinator for the Bachelor of Science in Architectural Technology. The sole Urban Planner by training on Faculty, his teaching and scholarship focus on the intersection of human experience, the built environment, and architecture, exploring how these forces shape the spaces we design and inhabit.
Vlakancic has taught a wide variety of studios during his time at Alfred State, from Design Fundamentals to the fifth-year Bachelor of Architecture Thesis Development courses. Most recently, Professor Vlakancic led Alfred State Architecture’s Studio Sorrento in Spring 2025, where he led a studio producing a design and renovation to the Church of San Paolo in Sorrento. Additionally, Vlakancic stewarded the students through Invent for the Planet, an international sustainability focused design competition.
Until 2025, he was also the director of the Southern Tier Architectural Resource Center (STAR Center), providing pro bono architectural and planning services to underserved rural communities while offering students hands-on civic engagement experience. His professional background includes architectural project management in New York City and long-term leadership in museum and historic site management.
Research
A first-generation student, Vlakancic is currently a PhD student with the University at Buffalo Department of Urban and Regional Planning, where his work examines the relationship between streetscape design and public health outcomes. His recent research explores above-grade and below-grade infrastructure integration within the context of EPA consent decrees. He regularly presents this work at national conferences, including the American Collegiate Society of Planners, the Urban Affairs Association, and the Building Technology Educators Society.
Service
At Alfred State, Vlakancic leads undergraduate studios addressing real-world urban and rural challenges, including health-focused urban design, adaptive reuse, modular design and infrastructure-driven design. He has served in multiple leadership roles, including Interim Department Chair, Chair of the Teaching, Learning, and Accreditation Committee, and Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee. In 2025, he received the Leadership Through Civic Engagement Award for his work integrating community service, design education, and public scholarship.