Marilyn Taylor

Biography: Marilyn Jordan Taylor is Professor of Architecture and Urban Design. She had a distinguished tenure as Dean of the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design from 2008 - 2016, having been a much admired practitioner. She is recognized worldwide as a thought leader in urban design, as well as a woman pioneer in the fields of architecture, planning, and construction. Her global stature is complemented by her down-to-earth demeanor and proven ability to interact easily with constituencies across communities, government, industry, and academia, both locally and internationally. 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. Marilyn Taylor was Partner in Charge of the Urban Design and Planning Practice at Skidmore Owings & Merrill LLP and the first woman to serve as Chairman of Skidmore Owings & Merrill, is internationally known for her distinguished and passionate involvement in the design of large-scale urban projects and civic initiatives. Over a 35-year career with Skidmore Owings & Merrill, she led many of the firm's largest and most complex projects around the world. She was also both the first architect and the first woman to serve as Global Chair (2005-07) of the Urban Land Institute, a non-profit research and educational institution, where she championed a renewed focus on cities, sustainable communities, and infrastructure investment. An expert in using public space and infrastructure to shape urban districts and civic places, Marilyn Taylor led Skidmore Owings & Merrill's practices in Transportation as well as Urban Design in such projects as Columbia University's Manhattanville Campus, the NYC's East River Waterfront, the reclamation of Con Ed's East River sites for mixed-use development, the new research building at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, and the new urban campus for John Jay College.