Sallishah Ali

Hometown: Bronx, New York, United States of America
Education Background: Bachelor of Architecture from the City College of New York (CUNY), with a concentration in Architectural History and Theory

How did you get interested in your field?
History has always been one of my favorite subjects, but I wasn’t sure how to professionally combine Having had the opportunity to work on historic buildings I realized that my architectural practice would be rooted in working with historic buildings.

What was your background prior to coming to Penn?
Prior to graduate school, I had a little over six years of working in Architectural offices in Manhattan. The first four were spent predominantly on interior residential renovations and for the last two years, I worked on historic façade maintenance, preservation, and restoration projects.

Why did you choose Penn?
I was undecided on where to attend graduate school right up to the deadline! I had the form open, and I realized every tab open on my computer had to do with Penn. Specifically, the material and design courses being taught in the Historic Preservation Department were of great interest to me.

What do you like best about Philadelphia?
Philadelphia is a very walkable city! Whether it’s West Philly or Center City it’s easy enough to get from point A to point B without taking the bus. (Which is also great!) I’m excited to spend more time at the museums, and cultural centers during my time here.

What kinds of activities and/or organizations are you involved in?
I’m currently a Teaching Assistant for the Historic Site Management class and a Research Assistant for the Center for Architectural Conservation (CAC).

What are your career ambitions?
I’m undecided in my concentration between Architectural Conservation and Preservation design but, whether I move back to New York or decide to pursue opportunities elsewhere in the USA, I hope to return to working on historic buildings, whether it be a continued focus on the historic façade maintenance or a new focus in the rehabilitation of historic buildings.