UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State University Libraries Open Publishing has launched "Hyphen," an open-access journal edited by graduate students in the Penn State College of Art and Architecture's Stuckeman School.
The journal began in 2023 as a print publication and has partnered with the Open Publishing program to publish online and be fully open access. The first two issues are available online and the journal is currently accepting submission for Issue 3: Spolia.
The journal was established by doctoral candidates Nicolás Verdejo, Farzaneh Oghazian, Sana Ahrar and Elizabeth Andrzejewski. The submission and peer review processes are managed entirely by graduate students in the Department of Architecture and supervised by faculty who serve on the advisory board. The aim is for “Hyphen” to be a platform for speculation, experimentation, dialogue and debate, bridging the divide between the specialized bodies of architectural knowledge that prevail not only in the Department of Architecture, but increasingly in the discipline at large.
The digital version of “Hyphen” is intended to push the journal’s reach even further.
“When I first approached the Open Publishing team, I hoped we could collaboratively establish a digital framework that would strengthen ‘Hyphen’ by integrating a streamlined submission and review system upon which future issues can build,” said Ahrar, who served as an assistant editor for the first issue and as editor for the second. “The team worked tirelessly to make this possible. The transition from a print-only publication to an integrated print and digital format expands our reach and creates a clear, transparent system for peer review and publication. Developing this infrastructure required navigating both logistical and conceptual challenges, and the process helped clarify how ‘Hyphen’ can operate as a student-led scholarly platform.”
The second issue, “Emergence,” was published on the journal’s online platform in November as well as distributed in print. With its second issue, the journal continued its journey as a space for reflection, experimentation, and dialogue across architecture and allied disciplines.
“Building on the foundation laid by the first issue, ‘In-Stability,’ which questioned how architectural thought navigates uncertainty and transformation, ‘Emergence’ turned toward what surfaces from the overlooked by highlighting ideas, materials and practices that offer new ways of understanding the built and unbuilt environment,” Ahrar said. “I am deeply grateful for the support that made this possible. The development of digital accessibility, indexing and content standards was achieved through sustained collaboration among the editorial team, the Open Publishing group and the Department of Architecture."
The issue reflects the collective effort of the editorial team, including assistant editors Houman Riazi Jorshari and Keerthana Govindarajan, along with the graphic design work of Joshua Conroy, Ahrar said.
“The journal’s mission is grounded in the belief that architectural scholarship benefits from a wide range of voices," Ahrar said. "By bringing students, emerging scholars and established practitioners into conversation, the journal creates space for speculative thinking, hybrid methods and ideas that broaden how the built environment is understood."
Houman will serve as editor for the upcoming third issue.
“Our hope with ‘Hyphen’ has always been to create a space where conversations can circulate freely, especially among graduate students,” Houman said. “We are excited to see how the journal continues to reflect and shape the culture of our school.”
"Hyphen" has also benefited from the unwavering encouragement of founding director Mehrdad Hadighi, professor of architecture, whose vision shaped its inception, and department head Frank Jacobus, whose continued guidance has sustained its growth, among other faculty. As "Hyphen" evolves, it remains a platform for inquiry where curiosity, rigor and collaboration shape the ongoing discourse of architecture, according to the students.
“‘Hyphen’ is more than a journal, more like a platform, and in a format that goes beyond ephemeral moments, leaving some documents for the future,” said advisory board member Pep Aviles at a launch event for the second issue. “The journal is part of the infrastructure for getting together here at school. It's a moment when people have the opportunity to see what others are doing, how all those disciplines are conducting research and how the work of the students and faculty comes together.”
Ahrar emphasized how much the journal has grown.
“I am very proud of the teams behind the first two issues and of how far the journal has come,” Ahrar said. “What began as a student-led print publication has grown into a broader forum for architectural inquiry.”
Interested authors are invited to review the call for papers for Issue 3 and submit an article through the journal’s online platform.
Penn State Libraries Open Publishing is the open-access imprint of Penn State University Libraries. Open Publishing provides tools and support for Penn State–affiliated authors and groups to publish full-featured electronic scholarly journals, searchable annotated bibliographies and monographs using a variety of digital platforms. All publications are free to view online and download. Copyright is retained by the individual authors where possible, or by the journals or sponsoring entity. Almost all are licensed for use under a Creative Commons license.
For more information about the program, visit openpublishing.psu.edu or contact the Open Publishing team at openpublishing@psu.edu.