U. appoints new Design dean

Penn President Amy Gutmann announced at the University Board of Trustees' Stated Meeting on Thursday that the University has appointed Marilyn Jordan Taylor as the new dean of the School of Design.

Taylor, who will assume her new position Oct. 1, will take over from current dean Gary Hack, who has been dean of the School of Design for the past 12 years. He originally intended on stepping down June 30 but has agreed to stay on until Sept. 30.

Describing Taylor as a "path-breaking architect who has done a lot of 'firsts,'" Gutmann said that Taylor "is the ideal person to lead [the School of Design] forward," pointing to her experience working in large-scale urban environments.

"I'm very flattered and excited and really looking forward to" the new position, Taylor said.

Taylor said she is interested in integrating aesthetics, infrastructure and environmental concerns into urban design.

"The things that are . important in the fields of design now are [important in] cities and understanding urban form."

Since joining the New York-based architecture firm Skidmore Owings and Merrill 35 years ago, Taylor has worked on several large projects ranging from the SkyCity at the Hong Kong International Airport to Columbia University's Manhattanville Master Plan, Columbia's campus-expansion project.

Taylor also was the first woman and the first architect to serve as chairman of the Urban Land Institute, a nonprofit organization that focuses on responsible land use in urban communities.

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," University Provost Ron Daniels said in a press release.

During Hack's tenure, Gutmann said, he brought a strong faculty to the School of Design and worked on engaging the school with Philadelphia.

Taylor will continue to work on those programs that connect Penn and the School of Design with the city of Philadelphia, she added.

A search committee led by Engineering Dean Eduardo Glandt began meeting in late October to find a new dean. The group - which was comprised of students, faculty and members of the School of Design's Board of Overseers - worked with the search firm Auerbach Associates to find and review candidates for the position.

As dean, Taylor said she wants to take the School of Design "from a very strong and engaged practice on a lot of major civic issues to a place where we can really make a difference for the next generation."

Before making major changes, though, Taylor said she is looking forward to getting acclimated to her new role.

"There's so much to build on that I think what I'm looking forward to [the most] is having a chance to know everybody, get the energy organized," she said.

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