President Amy Gutmann and Provost Ronald Daniels are pleased to announce that they have selected Marilyn Jordan Taylor to be the next Dean of the School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania, effective October 1, 2008...
Marilyn Taylor, Partner in Charge of the Urban Design and Planning Practice at Skidmore Owings & Merrill LLP and the first woman to serve as Chairman of Skidmore Owings & Merrill, is internationally known for her distinguished and passionate involvement in the design of large-scale urban projects and civic initiatives. Over a 35 year career with Skidmore Owings & Merrill, she has led many of the firm’s largest and most complex projects around the world.

She was also both the first architect and the first woman to serve as chairman (2005-07) of the Urban Land Institute, a non-profit research and educational institution, where she championed a renewed focus on cities, sustainable communities, and infrastructure investment.

Marilyn Taylor’s appointment as Dean of the School of Design brings a distinguished and much admired practitioner to the leadership of one of the country’s leading schools of design. She is recognized worldwide as a thought leader in urban design, as well as a woman pioneer in the fields of architecture, planning, and construction. Her global stature is complemented by her down-to-earth demeanor and proven ability to interact easily with constituencies across communities, government, industry, and academia, both locally and internationally. She is a leader who exudes not only intellectual breadth, but also deep enthusiasm and compassion in her dedication to enhancing the vitality of urban communities through design.

As Dean, Marilyn Taylor will have the opportunity to build on the extraordinary improvement and growth in the School of Design’s faculty, professional stature, educational programs, and research and practice activities under Dean Gary Hack, who will formally complete his 12-year term on June 30, 2008. We are delighted to announce that Gary has graciously agreed to extend his term through September 30th, in order to facilitate a smooth transition in the leadership of the School.