Clemson Announces the New and First Director and Faculty of the Masters of Resilient Urban Design Program.
The new and first director and faculty of the Master in Resilient Urban Design degree program, to be housed at the Clemson Design Center in Charleston, is Dr. B. D. Wortham-Galvin. B.D. will be coming to us from Portland State University, as a tenured Associate Professor.
The breadth of her academic background, (A.B. In American Civilization and Anthropology, Brown University; M.S. In Historic Preservation, University of Pennsylvania; M.Arch., University of Maryland; PhD. History, Theory and Criticism in Architecture & Art, MIT), and activities (“Her research focuses on how theories of cultural sustainability and the everyday can be applied to the design and stewardship of an adaptable built environment at the urban and building scales”), are well aligned with the activities and disciplines of the School of Architecture and the CDC.C, local interests in Charleston, as well as the diverse engagements of urban designers.
During the interview process, (and confirmed by references), all were impressed with B.D.’s energy, enthusiasm, action orientation, and gregariousness, all of which will serve her and us well in the challenges of starting a new program in an emerging field.
She also shared some exemplary student work. She has a clear and ambitious vision for the MRUD… and we welcome her.
Thank you to the search committee for their excellent work in bringing Dr. Wortham-Galvin to us.