Episode 009: Voices from the Future of the Profession

Future leaders of the profession share diverse perspectives on race, equity, and architecture.

Guests:

Leslie Epps, NOMA Student Representative, AIAS & NOMAS Leader at The City College of New York

Sarah Curry, AIAS, Assoc. AIA, NOMA

Beresford Pratt, AIA, NOMA

Melanie Ray, AIA, NOMA, LEED Green Associate, NCARB, Fitwel Amb.

Kendall A. Nicholson, Ed.D, Assoc. AIA, NOMA, LEED GA

Leslie Epps, NOMA Student Representative, AIAS & NOMAS Leader at The City College of New York

Leslie Epps is an accomplished rising fifth year architecture student at the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture. She has been passionate about architecture for half of her life and is eager to learn more and enact change moving forward in her career. Awarded NOMA Student Member of the Year 2019, Leslie Epps founded the CCNY NOMAS Chapter in 2018 and served as President until early 2020. Epps also received the title of NOMA Student Representative and serves on the NOMA Board of Directors for the role. In the future she aspires to combine architecture with urban planning in an effort to address social issues and ultimately better society. 

Sarah Curry, AIAS, Assoc. AIA, NOMA

Sarah Curry just finished an exhilarating year of living and working in Washington, DC as the 2019-2020 President of the American Institute of Architecture Students. No matter what her next chapter of life holds, she intends to explore and practice her passions for evidence-based and equitable design while pursuing licensure. None of that work would feel fulfilling though, if she is unable to continue advocating for the underserved and supporting design students and others who are interested in designing responsibly for those who need it the most. Originally from outside of Atlanta, Sarah earned her B.Arch in 2018 from Auburn University and completed her Thesis Design-Build Project at Rural Studio the following year. Her very flexible life plans include going to graduate school, teaching, and eventually enjoying nontraditional practice in the vast field of architecture.

Beresford Pratt, AIA, NOMA

Beresford Pratt is a licensed architect and Associate at Ayers Saint Gross in Baltimore, MD where he has worked on a multitude of education/institutional projects. He is passionate about active learning environments and pipeline initiatives, and he enjoys this cross pollination with his professional work. He is currently serving his second year in the AIA as the Mid Atlantic Young Architects Regional Director in the Young Architects Forum (YAF), and he is currently an editor for the YAF’s publication Connection. Beresford is also a co-founder of Baltimore’s local chapter of The National Organization of Minority Architects (Bmore NOMA). Beresford sits on the board and is the Communications Chair/Director. Outside of the industry, if he is not playing soccer, he enjoys volunteering his time with the United Way Central Maryland, and he currently sits on the Emerging Leaders United Council.

Melanie Ray, AIA, NOMA, LEED Green Associate, NCARB, Fitwel Amb.

Melanie Ray is a licensed architect and Associate in the Housing/Mixed-Use studio at Hord Coplan Macht in Baltimore, MD. Since graduating from Penn State’s architecture program in 2015, she has worked on various mixed-use and affordable housing projects, as well as community development projects in Baltimore city and beyond. She is the 424th living black woman licensed in the US to practice architecture and seeks to be an active mentor to promote the goal of doubling the number of licensed black architects by 2030. She currently serves as the Vice President of the Baltimore Chapter of NOMA, Bmore NOMA, and the Northeast University Liaison for NOMA National. In addition to her work at HCM, Melanie is a regular volunteer for pro bono design projects through such organizations as The Neighborhood Design Center and Habitat for Humanity.

Kendall A. Nicholson, Ed.D, Assoc. AIA, NOMA, LEED GA

Kendall Nicholson is a licensed educator, trained architectural designer, and an avid researcher. He works as the Director of Research and Information at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA). With degrees in architecture, real estate and education, his research explores the discipline of architecture through the lens of a social scientist. He has presented research internationally and his research interests surround equity, education, and curriculum within the discipline of architecture.

Nationally, his passion for equity and race relations manifests in his role as the lead researcher for the 2016 and 2018 Equity in Architecture Survey sponsored by AIA San Francisco and Equity by Design (EQxD). He also volunteers as a member of the AIA’s Equity and the Future of Architecture board committee and as an at-large director for the AIA National Associate Committee leading a work group on Mentorship and Equity. 

Show Links: 

https://www.noma.net/

https://ssa.ccny.cuny.edu/

http://www.aias.org/

architects.com/">https://asg-architects.com/

https://www.hcm2.com/

arch.org/">https://www.acsa-arch.org/

http://eqxdesign.com/equity-in-architecture-survey-2018