Community Planning Scholar Named Dean of School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation

The University of Maryland today named an expert in the legal aspects of land use, affordable housing, historic preservation and aesthetics regulation as dean of the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, effective Aug. 1. 

Dawn Jourdan Esq., Ph.D., AICP, a professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning and executive associate dean for the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University, will lead the school in its mission to advance sustainable, just and beautiful built environments through excellence in architectural design, urban planning, historic preservation and real estate development. 

“It is my pleasure to join the innovators at the University of Maryland,” said Jourdan. “The School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation is a leader in making inclusive places that are respectful of all people. Together, we will work with communities in the region to envision a future that builds capacity and resilience in the face of the changing world.”

In her current role, Jourdan oversees development programs for current faculty while broadening the talent pool and increasing the diversity of new faculty. She has also worked to expand the number of interdisciplinary grants available for faculty, and works closely with the development teams on new and existing gifts to the college. Among her many publications, she co-authored the book “Planning for Wicked Problems: A Planner’s Guide to Land Use Law,” which explores solutions to intractable planning issues.

She will take the reins from historic preservation Professor Donald W. Linebaugh, who has served as interim dean for the past three years. Founded in 1967 as the first architecture program in the state, the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation has expanded to five programs, houses three centers and the Kibel Gallery, and counts more than 700 students. The school is also working to launch a new undergraduate real estate development major, which will take an environmentally and socially just approach to community development. 

“Dr. Jourdan’s academic background with leadership roles in architecture along with her diverse experiences as an attorney and city planner give me the utmost confidence that she will make an immediate impact at Maryland,” said UMD Interim Senior Vice President and Provost Ann Wylie. “I look forward to the accomplishments to come from the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation under her leadership.” 

Prior to her tenure at Texas A&M, Jourdan held academic positions at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Florida. In Florida, she filled a joint appointment in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning and the Levin College of Law and directed the university’s Center for Building Better Communities, which conducts research and advocates for innovation in collaborative planning and citizen participation in public projects. She also held an associate position at Holland & Knight LLP, an international law firm, in its Chicago office.

Before earning a doctorate in urban and regional planning from Florida State University, Jourdan received a master’s degree in urban planning and a juris doctor degree at the University of Kansas in 2000. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in theatre arts and urban affairs from Bradley University in Illinois. Jourdan serves as a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, the American Planning Association and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning.