Adam Glaser

Adam is a distinguished designer, teacher and strategist dedicated to fostering innovation, entrepreneurial ventures, and university-corporate partnerships across the United States. Looking ahead, Adam envisions higher education evolving into a life-long, subscription-based journey accessed through a global network of branded locations – ideas he is advancing through his strategic planning venture, Campus 2.0. This initiative is designed to assist clients in adapting their institutions and corporations to these significant changes. Additionally, the Campus 2.0 framework seeks to address social equity challenges faced by higher education communities by creating shared spaces that connect both traditional and non-traditional students from underrepresented groups.

Since 2018, Adam has spearheaded several Campus 2.0 engagements including the UNC Chapel Hill Downtown Innovation District, the Discovery Partners Institute in Chicago's South Loop, the University of Georgia Center for Precision Agriculture, and the envisioned National Center for Cyber Leadership in Washington DC.

As an architect, Adam has led the design of projects exceeding $2 billion in value for numerous life-science and innovation companies, including Amgen, Wyeth, and MedImmune. He also held the position of Chief Design Officer for the coworking startup Benjamin’s Desk/1776 from 2016-2018, where he played a pivotal role in its expansion from 3,000gsf to a substantial 200,000gsf, contributing to major innovation hubs such as Pennovation Center in Philadelphia.

A co-founder and co-chair of the ULI University Development and Innovation Council (UDIC), Adam has focused on the intersection of academic innovation and community development, and he has been an active participant in advisory boards with the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, advocating for design excellence and supporting the 1% for Art initiative – the first of its kind in the U.S. A product of Rice University (B.Arts ‘85, B.Arch ‘87) and the Harvard Graduate School of Design (MAUD with Distinction, ‘96), he maintains a passion for education, leading the annual Fall Urban Planning Studio at Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies. Adam's previous academic roles include Visiting Professor of Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis and Instructor at the University of Pennsylvania.

Adam is a recognized speaker at conferences for organizations such as AIA, ULI, UEDA, APA, SCUP, and AURP, frequently organizing events that concentrate on Campus Planning and Globalism. From the mid-1990s onwards, Adam's architectural designs have received multiple AIA design excellence awards among other industry recognitions, and he has seen his work showcased in respected publications like Architectural Record and the ULI Journal.