Smitha M B manages the University’s Academic Office, where she oversees administrative systems and processes, and preparatory activities for the expansion of academic programmes. She oversaw the delivery of the IIHS Urban Fellows Programme (UFP) and assisted the IIHS Academics and Research teams curate various academic and administrative components of the UFP. She taught several courses in the UFP, including Practica, a site-based structured component; Sustainable Building Practice (Build), a layer in the Core Curriculum; and practice-based Electives. She also conducts heritage walks for IIHS learners in Bengaluru.

Smitha brings years of experience from academic and professional roles in the USA and India. These include independent architectural and planning consultancies in India; healthcare planning at the University of Pennsylvania Health Systems (UPHS), Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, USA; teaching engagements at Temple University, USA, University of New Mexico, USA, and various institutions in Bengaluru, India. She was the first recipient of a Science and Technology grant for architectural research from the Vision Group for Science and Technology (VGST), Government of Karnataka.

In addition to teaching theory and studio courses, her academic engagements included international collaborations, faculty-curated international research travels in architecture and planning and coordinating architectural research activities. As an academic Planning Consultant for the Center for Sustainable Development (CSD), Bengaluru, India, a not-for-profit organisation, Smitha contributed to the review of the Bangalore International Airport Planning Area (BIAPA) Master Plan and recommended planning approaches and systematic tracking for long-term sustainability goals.

With a strong belief in interdisciplinary collaboration, her interests in planning and architecture include food systems planning; accessibility-oriented transportation planning and policies; and planning and design of healthcare facilities. Smitha is a registered architect in India, and her professional practice focuses on home renovations to facilitate safe ageing in place and meeting the needs of contemporary multi-generational households.