Mania Tahsina Taher

Mania Tahsina Taher holds dual appointments as Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois' Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and the School of Art and Design. Her research focuses on feminist spatial practices, immigrant placemaking, and South Asian urbanism. She investigates how cultural identity is shaped through built environments, particularly among immigrant communities in the U.S. and Bangladesh.

Education: Ph.D. in Architecture from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; M.S. from Columbia University; B.ARCH from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.

Research Interests: Transnational displacement, gendered spatial narratives, vernacular object practices, and material cultural histories of South Asia. Recent projects include studies on Bangladeshi immigrant women in New York and Rohingya refugee geographies in Milwaukee.

Publications: Recent work explores pandemic-era spatial adaptations in architecture schools, South Asian waterfront dynamics, and urban walkability in Dhaka. Her interdisciplinary approach combines ethnographic fieldwork with design theory.

Teaching: Instructors courses like Industrial Design, Human-Centered Product Design, and Design Drawing. Advises on projects integrating social equity with architectural practice.