Samia Kirchner

Dr. Samia Kirchner is a tenured Associate Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at Morgan State University's Department of Architecture. She teaches across multiple programs including the Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Environmental Design (AREN), Master of Architecture (M.Arch), and PhD in Architecture, Urbanism and Built Environments (AUBE). Previously, she has taught at the American University of Sharjah in the UAE, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and Georgia Institute of Technology.

Her professional affiliations include the American Institute of Architects-International Affiliate (AIA-IA), Congress of New Urbanism (CNU), Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), and Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners (PCATP). She currently serves as a Board of Trustee Member of the Governance Committee of the Interfaith Partnership for the Chesapeake Bay and as Associate Director on the Board of the Baltimore Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Dr. Kirchner's research focuses on the (trans)formative role of water in City Design, Urban Regeneration, and Redevelopment. Her scholarly work spans architectural and urban history & theory, Islamic architecture & urbanism, port city regeneration, and urban regenerative design. The Aga Khan Award for Architecture selected her as Area Coordinator for the Arabian Peninsula, and she has chaired two cycles of the Kenneth F. Brown Culture and Architecture Design Award.

Her recent publications demonstrate expertise in Middle Eastern urban spaces, sustainable urban public places, maritime heritage, and the intersection of cultural identity with urban development. She has received numerous grants and awards, including multiple Mellon Foundation grants, Department of Energy funding, and the Campus Compact Mid-Atlantic Penczek Faculty Service-Learning Award.

• 2024: PI on Mellon Foundation Humanities in Place Grant ($50,000)
• 2024: Co-PI on Maryland Sea Grant funded Baltimore BLUE-CORE project ($600,000)
• 2023: Co-PI on Department of Education Title VI Grant ($300,000)
• 2020: Winner of Campus Compact Mid-Atlantic Penczek Faculty Service-Learning Award
• 2019: Co-Designed Project Entry Transect 7 selected for the AIA-Baltimore Edge Competition

Dr. Kirchner has led significant initiatives including the Morgan Internationalization of Education Task Force and serves as Middle East Area Editor for the forthcoming Bloomsbury Global Encyclopedia of Women in Architecture, Editorial Member of the Journal of Arabian Studies, and Desk Reviewer for ICOMOS on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Her community engagement includes urban design consultancy for the City of Cambridge, MD, and participation in numerous community-focused projects addressing urban regeneration and environmental sustainability.