Adenrele Awotona, Ph.D.

Dean

W-4-147-06

+1 (617) 287-7100



Dr. Awotona, a professor of architecture and urban studies, comes to us from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he served as dean of the School of Architecture from 1999 to 2005, associate dean in 1998-1999, and director of the Community Design and Research Center from 1999 to 2005. He also served as director of graduate studies in architecture and urban design at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne (one of the leading research universities in the United Kingdom); director of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne Center for Architectural Research and Development Overseas; and as director of the Architecture and International Development Program at the University of Huddersfield in the United Kingdom.

He earned his Ph.D. in land economy, urban studies and architecture from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, and his master of philosophy in architecture, urban studies and housing from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. He has also earned a certificate from Harvard University's Institute of Management and Leadership in Education; two certificates from Cornell University, one in Managing performance in higher education and another from the Administrative Management Institute; as well as two certificates from the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), one in Financial Planning in an Institutional Setting and another from the Executive Leadership Institute.

As dean of the School of Architecture, Dr. Awotona was involved with promoting assessment practices, coordinating and monitoring performance activities in the School, student learning outcomes, and other assessment activities taking place at Southern University. He possesses experience in college- and university-wide strategic planning and accreditation processes. He is a transformational leader who places considerable emphasis on team building, creating a supportive environment, facilitating and energizing faculty and student development, and motivating faculty, staff, and students.

Dr. Awotona brings to UMass Boston an outstanding record of achievement in both research and scholarship. His fields of expertise are sustainable community-based planning and architectural design methods, rebuilding sustainable communities after disasters, social and cultural factors in the building process, computer applications in planning and urban design, international development planning, and local and regional economic development. Through research, consultancy, and teaching, he has professional experience in many countries of Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South America, and the Caribbean. He has published or co-published 13 book chapters, served as editor of three books and co-editor of a fourth, published 59 academic and professional journal articles, and made numerous conference presentations globally. He has served as the principal or co-principal investigator of 9 major research grants totaling nearly $4.5 million. Furthermore, Dr. Awotona has been an external reviewer/examiner of over 200 masters' and doctoral theses/dissertations internationally.

In 2002, he was named an outstanding intellectual by the International Biographical Center (IBC), Cambridge, United Kingdom. His profile appeared in the IBC reference book 2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st Century.