We look forward to seeing you all at our future WIA events!

AIANY Women in Architecture Committee, in collaboration with ACE Greater NY and NYC DOE Career and Technical Education Programs, offered a special virtual mentoring session for high school students on .

High schoolers and recent college graduates met with 16 women architects and designers of all professional levels in three rounds of virtual breakout sessions as the mentors shared their experiences in the industry and educational/career pathways. The Committee also announced a NextGen Scholarship for talented high school seniors who are planning to attend college and start their education to pursue a career in architecture, engineering, and construction. Due to the great success of this event and the importance of reflecting diverse communities in the AEC industries, we hope to make this a core program moving forward.

Thank you to everyone who made this event possible. A special thank you to all the students, and mentors, Sue Veres Royal and Lauren Fiore at ACE GNY, Gavaskar Reid at NYC DOE Career & Technical Education, Sara Ngan for coordinating the Next Gen Scholarship, and Mindy No, Principal at Perkins Eastman for spearheading this event!

To commemorate Women’s History Month, the AIANY WIA Committee hosted Heidi Blau, FAIA, Partner and Chief Operating Officer at FXCollaborative, Annya Ramirez-Jimenez, AIA, Director at Marvel Architects, and JJ Falk, IIDA, Assoc. AIA at Perkins Eastman at the event, “In Dialogue With http://datingreviewer.net/nl/ohlala-overzicht – Advancing Your Career at Small, Medium and Large Firms.” Studies show that it can be difficult for some women to advocate for themselves in the workplace, and this discussion aimed to provide multiple ways women at small, medium, and large firms could advance their careers through helpful tips and lessons learned from industry leaders.

Annya shared how critical it is for firms to provide platforms for younger colleagues to discuss their projects and interact with clients. She also advised how important it is for designers and non-designers to find their allies at all levels to support their skills, stating “Design is not exclusive, it’s inclusive, and find a way to make it so!” JJ shared her experience of what it was like to own her firm, and start at a small one, noting that the number of people doesn’t limit the number of leaders that can be found there. She also shared that being a leader does not mean you have to command every conversation, and by stepping up, people will see your passion. Heidi advised that people should remain nimble, and open to adjusting their goals and passions as plans don’t always work out, but there could be different paths with even more opportunities. Heidi also wanted to assure us that while it’s important to show your dedication to the firm, it’s just as critical for people’s well-being to find time for ourselves for moments of self-care.

Thank you to all who attended both in person and virtually, for sharing your comments and questions, and for an engaging conversation afterward. A special thank you to Heidi, Annya, and JJ for the great advice and expertise! You can access the meeting agenda here.

WIA Career Day: Building the Future Pipeline looked toward the next generation of design and construction professionals and focused on engaging and empowering students by fostering relationships through mentorship

The Center for Architecture hosted an inspiring panel discussion on March 2 featuring Women Founders who #BreakTheBias. The panel discussion was moderated by Alexandra Barker, FAIA, who is the Founding Principal of Barker Associates Architecture Office (BAAO). Panelists included Katherine Chia, FAIA, Co-founder and Principal, of Desai Chia Architecture; Nina Kinoti-Metz, LEED AP, Co-founder and Principal, of Studio Parallel Architecture+Design; Anik Pearson, AIA, Founding Principal, of Anik Pearson Architect; and Suchi Reddy, AIA, Founding Principal, of Reddymade Architecture and Design. The event was held in honor of Women’s History Month and featured the 2022 International Women’s Day campaign theme of #BreakTheBias. We learned about the different paths each woman took to founding her architecture firm. We learned that, while there are similar milestones along the way, there is no ‘right way’ to become an entrepreneur. There are many roads to success, and they are not all linear. The panelists discussed practical matters like finding work, the mechanics of starting a practice, and how responsibilities shifted once the business was running. They also spoke about intangible challenges and how they overcame them.