Aliyah Murph

Master of Architecture

Aliyah Murph is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP). A lifetime resident of Cincinnati, Aliyah has known she wanted to be an architect since she was 13 years old. While she initially planned to move out-of-state for college, the opportunities at UC’s world-renown DAAP kept her in her hometown. This past
spring, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture.

After graduating from TuSA’s Master of Architecture Program, Aliyah plans to pursue architecture licensure. She cites the miniscule percentage of Black, female licensed architects in the country as a driving force of her desire to pursue this career path. She also has a passion for community – and the ways in which the built environment can grow community resources, bolster the physical health of its members, and mitigate mental health issues that come with infrastructural deficiencies. She is especially focused on using her designs to enhance African American communities, which too often are without elements like tree coverage, public libraries, and walkable grocery stores.

“Pursuing my license is very, very important to me because I believe in diversity in design – and I
believe that black women should have a voice in this field. I'm passionate about my community as an African American, and minorities in general, because a lot of our communities don’t have
the things they need.”