Mary Anne Ocampo

Mary Anne Ocampo is an Associate Professor of Practice of Urban Design and Planning in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She practices as an urban designer and Principal at Sasaki Associates, a multidisciplinary firm with an integrated planning and design philosophy. She works on international and domestic institutional and urban projects, leading teams with strategic planning and a commitment to design excellence. Shifting across scales and contexts, Mary Anne’s recent work includes: a research and development district in Malaysia, an urban design vision for the Texas State Capitol District in Austin, and an institutional master plan for Northwestern University.

Mary Anne’s research focuses on urban resilience in socio-economically, and environmentally, vulnerable contexts. At MIT, she and her co-instructor were awarded the MISTI Global Seed Grant to study informal settlements exposed to flooding in Metro Manila with the World Bank in a Citywide Development Approach planning initiative. As the primary investigator of this research, Mary Anne initiated a design studio that explored resiliency strategies that reduce vulnerability to flooding and urban development pressures.

Mary Anne holds a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard University, a Master of Architecture from Cornell University, and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Kentucky. In the past, she has held teaching appointments at Syracuse University, Wentworth Institute of Technology, and Cornell University. She serves on the board for the Hideo Sasaki Foundation, is a member of the Society of College and University Planning, an associate member of the American Institute of Architects, a member of Boston Society of Architects, and is an affiliated faculty member with the Center for Advanced Urbanism at MIT. Mary Anne’s design work has been recognized with awards from the American Planning Association, Society of College and University Planning, Boston Society of Architecture, and the Boston Society of Landscape Architecture. She has been recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for her contributions to urban design thinking as a recipient of the 2016 National Associates Award, the highest honor given to individual associate AIA members.