Graduate School of Design Names 11 New Loeb Fellows

September 23, 1999

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The Loeb Fellowship at the Harvard Design School has awarded fellowships to 11 midcareer professionals to undertake a year of indepent study using the curriculum and programs of the Design School as well as other resources at the University. The only program of its kind in the nation, the Loeb Fellowship provides an opportunity for nurturing leaders in design and other fields related to the built and natural environment. Fellows receive a stip, a place to live in Cambridge, and a travel grant to cover trips home during the year.

Loeb Fellows represent a diverse range of professional backgrounds in both the public and private sectors – from traditional fields such as architecture, landscape architecture, and urban planning to a variety of arenas related to the urban and natural environment, such as journalism, art, housing, public service, and community advocacy.

Fellows pursue their interests through coursework, writing, research, and joint projects. They also serve as a resource for the Design School and other parts of Harvard University, bringing their experience and observations to the classroom, the studio, and special interest groups, and sharing with students the trs and challenges facing today’s design professionals.

The 1999-00 Loeb Fellows are:

Hillary Brown is assistant commissioner for the New York City Department of Design and Construction. Brown leads New York City’s first initiative in constructing energy- and resource-efficient public facilities and demonstration projects. She serves as co-chair of New York’s Green Buildings Task Force. During her Loeb Fellowship residency, Brown will explore ways in which local government, together with the design professions and construction industry, can accelerate the adoption of sustainable building practices.

Susan Chin is assistant commissioner for capital projects at the Department of Cultural Affairs in New York City. She manages a staff that administers more than 300 projects at museums, zoos, botanical gardens, performing arts centers, and historic houses, as well as the Percent for Art program that commissions public art. Chin will study urban design and economic development in order to develop new ideas about the impact cultural institutions can have on downtowns and neighborhoods.

Patricia Gallagher was recently appointed deputy commissioner of strategic planning for the Department of Planning and Development in the city of Chicago. In her previous post as the assistant commissioner, she was responsible for all the parks and open spaces of the city. Gallagher has led a major effort to turn little-used parts of school grounds into neighborhood parks. She will study landscape architecture and urban design.

Stephen Goldsmith is an artist and housing developer. He has created several residential/studio facilities for craftspeople and artists in Salt Lake City, and has also been a prominent leader in both the artistic and political life of the city. He is interested in how cities are built and organized, and will study urban design, architecture, urban ecology, and the role of artistic expression in the city.

Jacquelyn Harris is the director of Land Use Review for New York City. Her office coordinates the review and presentation to the City Planning Commission of more than 700 land use applications every year. She is charged with maintaining the integrity of New York’s planning and zoning ordinances as the city grows into the next century. She will study city planning, urban design, and the role of community-based organizations in shaping cities.

Barbara Hoidn is the head of the Architecture Workshop of the Senate for Building, Housing and Transport in Berlin, Germany. Hoidn is head of the staff of the Senate Building Director, who has major responsibility for the planning and approval of public and private buildings in Berlin, as well as the design and implementation of plans to revitalize the center of the city. Holden must deal with powerful images and histories, significant differences in economic conditions across her city, and the need to create a new city in the midst of a very old one. She will study revitalization processes, urban design, and the relationship between politics and city-building.

Alex Marshall is a freelance journalist and author from Norfolk, Va. He writes about architecture and urban design for the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, Metropolis Magazine, the Washington Post, and other publications. He was among the first writers to look critically at the New Urbanism movement. His first major book on cities, How Cities Work, will be published next year. He is particularly interested in the dynamics of city growth and the linkages between transportation and regional development. He will study urban design, architecture, and city planning.

David Murbach is the manager of the gardens division of Tishman Speyer Properties and the horticulturist of Rockefeller Center in New York City. He is responsible for the Center’s seasonal plantings, including the Holiday Festival and the annual Garden Show. He has also been a leader in the neighborhood gardens movement, donating plants and flowers to more than 400 community gardens after their display at the Center. He will study urban design and landscape architecture design and history. He will also pursue an interest in documenting the landscape and garden history of Cuba.

Marcia Rosen is the director of the Mayor’s Office of Housing in San Francisco. She is a lawyer with a history in the housing advocacy community. She has made a successful transition to a housing development and preservation role, increasing the commitment to affordable housing in the city’s largest development effort and implementing a $100 million affordable housing bond issue with efficient processing of development requests. Rosen will study city planning, and new roles for housing in the community-development process.

Gail Shibley is the director of public affairs for the Federal Highway Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. She has also been actively involved in Vice President Al Gore’s initiatives regarding Smart Growth. Shibley is a former state representative from Oregon, and served in the Transportation Department in Portland. In the legislature, she was active around issues of transportation and sustainable growth. Shibley will study urban planning, regional dimensions of mass transit, and environmental issues.

Arnold Valdez is the land use administrator of Costilla County in Colorado. He is the first administrator of the first master planning and zoning ordinance in this part of Colorado, where issues of preservation vs. development and community-wide planning vs. property rights are still unresolved. Valdez is also a trained architect with an interest in sustainable design and the preservation of cultural resources. He will study ecology, planning, and architectural history.