Liz Ogbu, designer, urbanist, and spatial justice activist, will give a virtual lecture titled “Racial and Spatial Justice” on Monday, February 22, 2021 at 5 p.m. via Zoom.

Join the Zoom webinar.

Passcode: 444531

A designer, urbanist, and spatial justice activist, Liz is a global expert on engaging and transforming unjust urban environments. From designing shelters for immigrant day laborers in the U.S. to a water and health social enterprise for low-income Kenyans, Liz has a long history of working with communities in need to leverage the power of design to catalyze sustainable social impact. She is Founder and Principal of Studio O, a multidisciplinary design consultancy that works at the intersection of racial and spatial justice. In addition to her practice, Liz has held academic appointments at several institutions including at UC Berkeley, Stanford’s d.school, and the University of Virginia. She also previously served as the Droga Architect-in-Residence in Australia, investigating urban marginalized populations and community development practices in the country.

Liz has written for and been profiled in publications such as The New York Times, Bloomberg (formerly The Atlantic), CityLab, and the Journal of Urban Design. Her projects have been featured in museum exhibitions and received numerous design awards globally. Her honors include IDEO.org Global Fellow, TEDWomen Speaker, Aspen Ideas Scholar, Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council, and one of Public Interest Design’s Top 100. She earned architecture degrees from Wellesley College and Harvard University.

In addition to her practice work, Liz has had a long commitment to bringing social impact work into the classroom where her courses and research explore opportunities at intersection of design, innovation, and community engagement. She previously taught at the California College of the Arts for several years, and in 2012, held an appointment as the inaugural Scholar in Residence at the school’s Center for Art and Public Life. She has also held academic appointments at UC Berkeley and Stanford’s d.school, and served as the Visiting Porter Chair in Urban and Environmental Planning at the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture during the Spring 2017 semester. Previously, she served as the Droga Architect-In-Residence in Australia, investigating urban marginalized populations and community development practices in the country.

Liz lectures often on issues of social and spatial justice. Previous appearances include the Aspen Ideas Festival, Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, Chicago Humanities Festival, and TED Women. Her 2013 TEDx Talk and 2017 TED Talk have been viewed over a million times. Her work and TED Talk were also featured on NPR’s TED Radio Hour. She has also written for and been profiled in publications such as the New York Times, Atlantic’s City Lab, Next City, Places Journal, and the Journal of Urban Design. Her work has also been widely exhibited, including at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum and Rotterdam Biennale. Among her honors include 2009 Holcim Global Innovation Prize, Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council, IIDA Titan Award, and YBCA 100.

Liz earned her Bachelor of Arts in architecture from Wellesley College and Master of Architecture from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University.