Carol McMichael Reese

Carol McMichael Reese is the Christovich Associate Professor of Architecture at Tulane University's School of Architecture. She specializes in Latin American urbanism, focusing on the architectural and urban development of cities like Mexico City, Buenos Aires, and Panama City, with particular attention to 19th-21st century transformations. Her work bridges historical analysis with contemporary urban challenges, addressing issues of nationalism, infrastructure legacies, and post-disaster reconstruction.

Educated at Trinity University (B.A. Psychology, 1970), the University of Texas (M.A. & Ph.D. Art History, 1979/1992), she has held roles as lecturer at UCLA, SCI-Arc, and UC San Diego before joining Tulane in 1999. Her research includes major projects like the 2002 Fulbright-Hays Panama initiative and curatorial work for exhibits on Buenos Aires' 1910 centennial and Frank Gehry's Disney Hall. She has been honored with the Thomas Ehrlich Civically Engaged Faculty Award (2009 finalist), Distinguished Newcomb Fellowship (2009), and Louisiana Women of Excellence Award (2009).

Her publications explore themes such as the architectural legacy of the Panama Canal, Mexico City's modernist urban evolution, and New Orleans' post-Katrina reconstruction. She has supervised two dissertations in the past five years and maintains active engagement with civic design through roles like Director of the MAK Center for Art and Architecture (1996-1998).

Reese's interdisciplinary approach integrates architectural history, urban planning, and cultural studies, emphasizing the interplay between built environments and socio-political contexts. Her current work focuses on Latin American capital cities' planning histories and the role of architecture in constructing national identity.