Emily Makaš

Emily Makaš is an Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, affiliated with the College of Arts + Architecture and the Department of Architecture. She is the founding Co-Director of the Center for Community, Heritage, and the Arts (CHArt) and Graduate Program Director for the MS in Architecture program.

• Ph.D. in the History of Architecture and Urbanism, Cornell University (2007)
• Masters in Historic Preservation, Columbia University (1997)
• Bachelor’s in History, University of Tennessee (1995)

Her research examines the intersection of memory, identity, and the built environment, with a focus on post-conflict heritage reconstruction in Southeastern Europe. She explores how architecture, urbanism, and commemoration shape national identities, particularly in Sarajevo and Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Recent publications analyze Bosnian urban identity, capital city planning, and heritage preservation in Europe. Her work bridges historic preservation and public history, including local projects in Charlotte addressing lynching memory and community identity.

Makaš advises students in the Minor in Architectural History and the MS in Architecture Critical Heritage Studies concentration. She co-led study abroad programs to Berlin and Central European capitals.

Her Center for Community, Heritage, and the Arts (CHArt) fosters interdisciplinary collaborations between communities, artists, and scholars to reinterpret the built environment. She actively curates heritage-focused exhibitions, including works on Phil Freelon’s architecture for African American communities.