By Sehba Imtiaz
Cities are complex built environment, where new solutions are required to address the ever changing needs and challenges of human settlement. These challenges often relies on the engagement between residents with diverse knowledge, abilities, and experiences. However, the power of urban diversity continues to be undermined through the legacy of slavery, and a prolonged history of violence, segregation, and economic and political disenfranchisement of African Americans. While work has been done to address the negative impacts of this history by scholars, activists, students, policy makers, and everyday people, more needs to be done to make cities equitable, safe, and healthy.
The Race and Gender in the Built Environment of the American City initiative establishes an Emerging Scholar Fellowship position at the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Architecture. The Fellowship aims to assist future faculty whose work centers on relationships between race, gender, and the built environments, and who will demonstrate a rigorous pursuit of issues and creative practices associated with this theme. The fellow will have the opportunity to engage scholars across campus to support their research and teaching, while also being able to publicly share the outcomes through lectures or exhibitions. Review of qualified candidates will begin April 25, 2016. For more information, please visit: https://apply.interfolio.com/34578.
The author Sehba Imtiaz is currently pursuing her Masters’ in Historic Preservation at the University of Maryland. She has an Honors BA in Architectural Design and Art History from the University of Toronto. Her thesis is focused on how interpretation at historic sites can be used to engage the community and public on creating a dialogue on today’s narrative and social justice issues. Her work at US/ICOMOS’s Pathways to Diversity Initiative is made possible through a collaboration between US/ICOMOS and the Historic Preservation Program of the University of Maryland’s School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation.