The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture appointed Edna Ledesma and Miriam Solis as its new faculty leaders for the Race and Gender in the Built Environment Initiative. Launched last fall by scholars Anna Livia Brand and Andrea Roberts, the ongoing initiative fosters teaching and research on race and gender-related issues in U.S. cities, and aims to facilitate diversity among design and planning professionals and students. Ledesma and Solis will replace Brand and Roberts for the upcoming 2017-18 academic year.
Ledesma, who is currently a lecturer at UTSOA, will join the school as a 2017-18 fellow. Her research focuses on understanding development and the evolution of the smart, green, and just 21st century city, with consideration to the cultural landscapes of immigrant populations and micro-economies. She acquired a Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Science from Texas A&M University.
Solis will join UTSOA as an assistant professor in Fall 2018, after she completes a 2017 Switzer Environmental Fellowship at UC Berkeley. Possessing a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from Berkeley, Solis specializes in environmental planning, with an emphasis on social justice, infrastructure, and sustainability. One of her current projects examines how underserved low-income communities and communities of color affect infrastructure development and maintenance programs in cities.
I need to pause for a moment and step outside this conversation that has bled across three threads to say congratulations to Ms. Ledesma and Ms. Solis for addressing diversity in a southern border state.
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Hopefully the teaching and research related to their initiatives will replace any unnecessary programs currently in place that aim to prepare students for practice as a professional, including construction principals and economical design that appeals to clients interests. If that's not possible then I would suggest they require more credits be earned before graduation so that this curriculum can be included.
I would like to know why there are no white men ever hired for race and gender diversity initiatives .
Because you aren't looking at titles and responsibilities closely enough.
Yeah but if white males make up ~31% of the US population, shouldnt 31% of the diversity professors be white male?
No.
Why
because
Because of discrimination?
^2
Or because certain kinds of people are implicitly more likely to get into certain kinds of professions?
Yeah, like quarterbacks, and airline pilots, and President. I mean, shit, women make up 50% of the population, we should have had at least 22 female presidents, and african americans make up 13% of the population, we should have had 6 african american presidents, but no. we get white quarterbacks, airline pilots, and white architects.
So what you're saying is it is the certain kinds of people are implicitly attracted to certain kinds of professions option?
https://www.google.com/search?q=reasons+why+there+weren%27t+black+quarterbacks&rlz=1C1AFAB_enUS662US662&oq=reasons+why+there+weren%27t+black+quarterbacks&aqs=chrome..69i57.16586j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1AFAB_enUS662US662&q=reasons+why+there+weren%27t+black+airline+pilots&oq=reasons+why+there+weren%27t+black+airline+pilots&gs_l=psy-ab.3..33i22i29i30k1.37648.45449.0.46676.18.17.1.0.0.0.161.1738.1j14.15.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..2.13.1505...33i21k1j33i160k1.p6JTFOph_qo
https://www.google.com/search?q=quarterbacks+CTE&oq=quarterbacks+CTE&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0i22i30k1.3926.4165.0.4453.3.3.0.0.0.0.70.181.3.3.0.foo%2Cersl%3D1%2Cfett%3D1%2Cewh%3D0%2Cnso-enksa%3D0%2Cnso-enfk%3D1%2Cnso-usnt%3D1%2Cnso-qnt-npqp%3D0-1%2Cnso-qnt-npdq%3D0-45%2Cnso-qnt-npt%3D0-09%2Cnso-qnt-ndc%3D300%2Ccspa-dspm-nm-mnp%3D0-045%2Ccspa-dspm-nm-mxp%3D0-1125%2Cnso-unt-npqp%3D0-15%2Cnso-unt-npdq%3D0-25%2Cnso-unt-npt%3D0-06%2Cnso-unt-ndc%3D300%2Ccspa-uipm-nm-mnp%3D0-0075%2Ccspa-uipm-nm-mxp%3D0-0525.3..0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.3.181...0.IWYi3t0jGeA
I'm not arguing that those numbers don't exist, I'm saying that it isnt racism
Yay for inbox spam!
.
@Jake
I'm sorry, where does it say they're tearing apart the core curriculum expectations and requirements? Or are you suggesting that architecture programs cannot fulfill multiple agendas?
I think Jake is trying to say that architecture programs only agenda should be training architects to work successfully in their future profession.
The article didn't specify, that's why I said I hoped that was the case. If not, then require a longer stay in school so all of the agendas can be fulfilled. Sorry if I wasn't clear!
So you saying construction principles are not important? I'm confused. Added to that, I'm not sure these role effect curriculum directly.
Yes, I'm saying diversity is more important. Did you vote for Trump?!
I'm still trying to be clear on "your voice," given that it borders sarcasm. Regardless of party affiliation what you suggest is hardly dismissable. This is in large part due to issues regarding life safety embedded in practice along with professional ethics, and are required to be addressed as part of accreditation (Not to mention, if you can avoid hiring an engineer, that's more fee for the designer).
Regardless, I'm not clear why you'd want to separate issues related to race and gender from other courses (e.g. studio). I would seem to me this embedded issues could generate discussion and learning that goes beyond banal conversations about whether your partition is at the right height to separate two spaces in a room.
Borders? Marc, this guy has a history of trolling diversity threads, with his passive-aggressive white man stance.
regardless, the response is accurate. architecture is more than homogenous point, click teaching for an exam and the role these women play in making this evident is important.
I need to pause for a moment and step outside this conversation that has bled across three threads to say congratulations to Ms. Ledesma and Ms. Solis for addressing diversity in a southern border state.
I'm glad your POV is the only one endorsed by architectural web media.
thank you, and it's not a pov, just well wishes.
It is literally an echo chamber here.
^fake news.
http://imgur.com/a/yJucP
^hannah and the comment by realjustice, are the same person.
http://m.startribune.com/lack-of-diverse-lineup-leads-to-cancellation-of-minneapolis-writing-conference/439475983/
The way I see it, there are two options in dealing with racism in society.
One, have honest open discussions allowing poorly thought out bias to be criticized and corrected.
Two, censorship.
Which one do you like?
Where is the debate you're trying to have, don't see it.
James and many others, particularly of the white persuasion, don't want to debate anything. They throw hand grenades disguised as debate. Facts and figures don't matter.
The first thing you learn on the internet, in Trump's America, is that any news - news, not Breitbart or RT propaganda - is deemed fake news, or MSM. If you want to spout racist ideas have at it, they are not up for debate.
Debate assumes the ability to convince another of the "rightness" of their position; racism/homophobia or any gender hate speech, will not be entertained.
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