Over the years, Barbie has been an astronaut, a nurse, the president of the United States and a police officer, among more than 120 careers.

But she’s never been an architect, and a University at Buffalo architecture professor wants to change that.

Despina Stratigakos is leading a campaign to drum up enough votes to ensure that architect is victorious in the Mattel “I Can Be” online competition that will pick Barbie’s next job.

Even though Barbie is scorned by some feminists for her reality-defying figure, Stratigakos believes presenting her as an architect would inspire more young women to enter a field that still is dominated by men.

“This is a powerful icon, and it does speak to little girls,” said Stratigakos, an assistant professor in UB’s School of Architecture and Planning. “We need role models.”

Architect, environmentalist, surgeon, news anchor and computer engineer are the five jobs voters can pick from in the contest, which runs through Wednesday at

www.barbie.com/vote

. “An architect designs buildings and makes sure they’re safe, sturdy and cool-looking,” the job description reads on the contest Web site.

In 2002, shortly after Mattel began the “I Can Be” series, architects and librarians engaged in a fierce battle to win the contest, Stratigakos recalled.

Architects won, she said, but Mattel balked at producing an architect doll.

Over the years, jobs in the series have included baby sitter, “baby doctor,” race car driver and baby photographer.

“You want to pull your hair out — baby sitter?” Stratigakos said.

The snub inspired Stratigakos to set up an “Architect Barbie” exhibition in 2007 at the University of Michigan. She asked students and faculty to imagine what the doll would look like.

One colleague produced a “Glass Ceiling Architect Barbie,” using a pregnant doll as the centerpiece.

This time, Stratigakos isn’t taking any chances. She is encouraging her students, colleagues and area professionals to vote often.

The Western New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects has on its Web site a link to the “I Can Be” contest Web page.

“People can get pretty competitive about toys,” Stratigakos said.