Building for Belonging
Abby Chi’s grandfather is such a fixture at his community pool that many of the children taking swim lessons alongside his daily laps know him by name: Mister Hi. But Mister Hi isn’t his actual name.“It’s because he always waves hi,” laughs Chi, who used the anecdote, and her tight-knit relationship with her two sets of grandparents, as inspiration for her thesis: An adaptive reuse project that’s one part wellness facility for seniors, one part daycare, creating intergenerational opportunities for connection, teaching and learning, and friendship.
Study Finds Dangerous Bacteria in Homes Plagued by Sewage Backups
Written by Katherine Shaver, originally published in Maryland Today.A University of Maryland study of Baltimore houses with recent sewage backups revealed that most had toxic bacteria that could potentially infect residents who touch a contaminated surface or breathe contaminated air.
MAPP Remembers Kea Distinguished Professor and Alumnus Pablo Güiraldes
Written by Matthew Bell, FAIA, Christine Cestello Hinojosa A talented architect, urban designer and teacher, Pablo Güiraldes (M.ARCH ’98) had a career of successes in public and private capacities in both the United States and his native Argentina. A MAPP alumnus and former Kea Distinguished Professor, he passed away on July 26, 2023, at his home in Buenos Aires, following a courageous eight-month battle with Glioblastoma.
MAPP Welcomes New NCSG Director Kathryn Howell
Written by Brianna Rhodes
MAPP Welcomes New Historic Preservation Program Director Susan Kern
Written by Brianna Rhodes. Susan Kern serves as the director of the Historic Preservation Program. She received her Ph.D. in History from William & Mary and her M.A. in Architectural History from the University of Virginia. In between degrees, she worked in the archaeology department at Monticello and directed field research. Kern formerly served as the Director of Historic Campus at William & Mary and taught history, material culture and museum studies courses in the history department.
MAPP Welcomes New Real Estate Development Faculty Jesse Saginor
Jesse Saginor, AICP, is an associate professor and assistant director of graduate students in the Real Estate Development Program. He holds a Ph.D. in Urban Studies and Public Affairs with a concentration in real estate and economic development from Cleveland State University. He also has a Master of Public Administration from the Ohio State University. Saginor worked as an assistant professor for seven years at Texas A&M University and most recently served as both program chair and associate dean at Florida Atlantic University.
MAPP Welcomes New Real Estate Development Faculty John Park
Written by Brianna RhodesJohn Park joins the Real Estate Development program this fall as an assistant professor. He earned his Ph.D. in Urban Planning from Texas A&M University, an M.S. from the University of Texas at Austin and M.S. and B.S. degrees from Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea. After earning his doctorate, John worked as a senior research fellow at Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research and was a visiting assistant professor at Tulane University.
Madlen Simon Receives the Kirwan Undergraduate Education Award
Originally published in the Maryland Today article "33 Faculty and Staff to Be Honored at Convocation".Professor Madlen Simon’s distinguished teaching career in architecture is founded on providing students with experiences that mirror the real world, nurturing the collaborative and creative problem-solving skills so important to their success in the profession.
Divine Interventions: Terps Reimagine Struggling Churches’ Spaces
For the past few decades, the pews at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in New Carrollton, Md., have been slowly emptying. Weekly attendance at the once-thriving, multicultural congregation has dwindled to around three dozen. Frequent flooding of the sanctuary chapel has damaged its foundation and floors. Leadership could scrape together funds to fix the building, but would anyone be there to notice?
Columbia University Reclaims Victory at Tenth Annual Colvin Case Study Challenge
College Park, Md.— The analysis of a towering, 26-story affordable housing project in the South Bronx took first place at the tenth annual Colvin Case Study Challenge on Saturday, Dec. 5. Columbia University returned to College Park for its second victory in the competition’s history, beating out student teams from Virginia Tech, UT Austin and University of Nevada-Las Vegas.