Mahbub Rashid named dean of School of Architecture & Design

LAWRENCE — Mahbub Rashid has been named dean of the School of Architecture & Design at the University of Kansas. Rashid has served as the interim dean of the school since 2019. His appointment as the next dean of the school is effective immediately.

“I am thrilled to have a scholar of Mahbub’s caliber leading the School of Architecture & Design,” said Barbara A. Bichelmeyer, provost and executive vice chancellor. “Mahbub’s professional architecture and design background, as well as his stellar track record as a KU faculty member and his leadership and innovation while interim dean, make him the right person to lead the school to greater heights in the coming years. I look forward to working with Mahbub to guide the success of Lawrence-Edwards and the school.” 

With nearly 1,000 students and over 60 faculty and staff, the School of Architecture & Design offers several professional and graduate degree programs in architecture, design management, illustration and animation, industrial design, interior architecture, photography, user interaction and experience design, and visual communication design studies. They all share a commitment to academic excellence and diversity.

A faculty member at KU for 17 years, Rashid has served in a variety of administrative roles within the school. He has served as associate dean of research and graduate studies of the school since 2014.

As an academic, Rashid works at the intersection of the formal description of buildings and cities, the history and theory of architecture and urbanism, and environmental behavior and psychology. Using innovative research methodologies and methods, Rashid explores the social, cultural, cognitive and aesthetic functions of buildings and cities. His research has led to more than 90 peer-reviewed publications and a pair of published books.

“I am most grateful for the opportunity to become the dean of KU’s School of Architecture & Design. It is a dream come true,” Rashid said. “To be appointed as the dean after holding that position for three years as an interim validates the work we have been doing at the school. Inspired by the Jayhawks Rising Strategic Plan, we promote a culture of academic excellence and diversity, where differences are respected, ideas are shared, and people are connected and empowered. Taking advantage of our rich history and tradition in design thinking and our geographical locus, we aspire to become KU’s design innovation hub connecting communities, places and technologies locally and globally to solve the pressing problems of humanity.”

The two departments of the school – architecture and design – have been at the forefront of design education for over 100 years. The Department of Architecture is internationally known for its high-impact programs in design-build, health and wellness, historic preservation, participatory design, urban design and experiential learning in immersive study abroad and global professional internship programs.

The Department of Design has a rich history of educating leaders in professional practice in the areas of visual communication, industrial design, illustration and photography. In collaboration with industry leaders and nonprofit, community and cultural institutions, the engaged research and professional expertise of the department’s award-winning faculty extends the mission of KU across local, national and global design communities.

Experiential, professionally focused programs of the school engage students in the practice of design-thinking and visualization to create beautiful, innovative and responsible solutions that respond to human needs and enhance the quality of everyday life.