Dr. Dawn Jourdan, an expert in the legal aspects of land use, affordable housing, preservation and aesthetics regulations, has been reappointed for a second five-year term as dean of the University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation.
In a message to the university community, Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer King Rice praised Jourdan as a “transformative leader” who has brought stability, vision and purpose to the school, while championing opportunities to strengthen its research and engagement in the challenges facing today’s built environment.
“She has fostered collaboration across disciplines, strengthened interdisciplinary initiatives and cultivated meaningful partnerships with alumni, donors, corporate partners and other entities across campus and beyond,” said Rice. “I am grateful for Dean Jourdan’s impactful leadership and am confident that she will continue to drive the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation toward new heights of excellence.”
A former Professor and Executive Associate Dean for the College of Architecture at Texas A&M, Jourdan joined the University of Maryland in August 2021. She was instrumental in leading the school community as students and faculty returned to campus after the COVID-19 pandemic. During her first term, she prioritized and nurtured a culture of community and belonging at the school, built pathways to partner across the university, grew research and academic endeavors and led a transformational period of growth.
She established a $100,000 Healthy Places seed grant program with the School of Public Health and a campus-wide placemaking hackathon, Placehack, for undergraduates. She developed organizational structures to enhance efficiency, transparency and communication across the school. Under her leadership, the school launched a new 4+1 program between architecture and real estate and new study abroad opportunities. Jourdan oversaw the hiring of 10 new faculty and two successful program re-accreditations. She has helped raise more than $8 million for MAPP since 2021.
More recently, she led the creation of a new strategic plan and launched fundraising initiatives as part of the University’s landmark capital campaign, Forward, with a focus on capital improvements, scholarship and the launch of a new AI Center for the Built Environment.
Jourdan has outlined an ambitious agenda for her second term that includes growing enrollment and financial support for students, fundraising for a long-anticipated building renovation and addition, developing new academic opportunities, and continuing to build a culture of community and belonging.