John E. Hancock was Professor of Architecture in SAID from 1978 to 2015 (now Emeritus), where he taught history, theory, and design—also serving as Director of the MS Arch and M Arch Programs, and as Associate Dean of DAAP.
His research and publications explore theoretical questions of architectural experience with a philosophical grounding. His essays on architectural interpretation have been published widely; his former students hold leadership positions in architectural education and practice throughout the world.
For the past two decades, he has produced interactive media projects on cultural heritage sites—especially our region’s ancient American Indian earthworks. Supported by multiple grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, these works blend storytelling media from digital animation to augmented reality. Most recently, he served as principal author of the UNESCO World Heritage Nomination for Ohio’s “Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks” in collaboration with the Ohio History Connection and the US National Park Service.
