HBCU Professional Development Program

Prairie View A&M University has once again secured its place as a distinguished R2 institution (Doctoral University – High Research Activity) under the newly revamped Carnegie Classification system! This reaffirmation underscores PVAMU’s unwavering commitment to research excellence, innovation, and academic distinction on a national scale. This milestone is a testament to the dedication of our faculty, students, and research community in driving impactful discoveries and advancing knowledge. The future of research at PVAMU is brighter than ever! Click here to read more: https://lnkd.in/dtRShvi8 #PVAMUResearch #PVAMU #R2 #ExcellenceLivesHere

We are beyond proud of our NOMA?HBCU?Professional Development Program students who attend Morgan State University - School of Architecture + Planning! A huge congratulations to?Ricard Charles and the M.O.D. Squad—Catherine Scharbach, Jesscarly Ramos, and Geoffrey Moore Jr.—for achieving?first place?at the?Walt Disney Imagineering Competition?with their incredible project,?Oasis Rail! Their vision, dedication, and creativity brought this project to life, earning them the top spot and shining a spotlight on Morgan State. Seeing our students seize opportunities and showcase their talents on a national stage is always inspiring.?Thank you to Howard Mack?for connecting with our students at the annual speed networking event and sharing this opportunity with them! This is why we do what we do—ensuring students see what’s possible and take bold steps toward their dreams. Let this be a reminder:?your talent, passion, and hard work can take you anywhere! #HBCUPDP #NOMA #MorganState #DisneyImagineering #FutureArchitects

Trailblazing Architect Kimberly Dowdell (B. Arch. '06) Aims to Inspire Others Kimberly Dowdell (B. Arch. '06), Director of Strategic Relationships and Principal at the global architectural firm HOK and a leading voice on the importance of diverse perspectives in her field, shares her story with Cornellians. Read the story here: https://lnkd.in/gpqJUWWc Cornell University

?? Last week, the M.O.D. Squad and I presented our project, Oasis Rail, and achieved first place at the Walt Disney Imagineering Competition! It was a moment that proved dreams can come true. ?? Presenting Oasis Rail with the M.O.D. Squad at the Disney Imagineering Competition in California was a wonderfully transformative experience. Embracing the challenge, Catherine Scharbach, Jesscarly Ramos, and Geoffrey Moore Jr bravely presented our train station, train, and rail system design, earning first place and bringing recognition to Morgan State University and Morgan State University - School of Architecture + Planning. We gave multiple presentations, including one to 50 Disney executives and another to a larger group of Disney Imagineering employees. Our project is a testament to what beautiful drawings and innovative digital designs can achieve together. I am grateful for working with such a talented and skillful team! Thank you to the Walt Disney Imagineering Community! This was a truly unique and inspiring experience! To the human resources team—Sariya Park, Connie Peterson, Hannah Alderete, and Carol Chung—thank you for guiding us finalists through the Walt Disney Imagineering building, sharing the original, groundbreaking dream that Walt Disney envisioned in the 1940s. From the land to the parks, to the creation of Mickey Mouse, it's remarkable to witness all the wonderful things he and your team have brought to life! Walt Disney's legacy has allowed designers at all levels—Architects, Engineers, Animators—to dream big and see those thoughts manifested in tangible, awe-inspiring ways. Thank you to our incredible Walt Disney Imagineering mentors—Dex Tanksley, Kennedy Carter, Kordrick Gibbons II , and Gabrielle Miller—for supporting the M.O.D. Squad throughout the development of our project! Your guidance and motivation were instrumental in encouraging us to dream bigger and work tirelessly towards our goals. This competition was challenging, but with your help, we persevered and emerged victorious. Your belief in us was deeply appreciated! Thank you to Howard Mack, our University Representative, whose past competition experience inspired us Bears to believe we could achieve anything. We're also immensely grateful for the unwavering support from Morgan State's administrators, professors, students, and the architecture and interior design staff—Fred Scharmen, Abimbola Asojo, Terrence Baker, Kimberly Morrison Race, Frasier, FASID, FAIA, NOMA, CPHC, NCIDQ, UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ facility and staff, and everyone who encouraged us every step of the way and reminded us that we were not alone in pursuing this dream. Last but not least, a special thank you to NOMA and HBCU Professional Development Program for exposing us to this wonderful opportunity and letting us know that we have the potential to achieve anything we set our minds to! "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them" - Walt Disney

As we close out February and Black History Month, PCA celebrated with a JEDI Council 2025 Year-In-Review presentation during our weekly Coffee Talk. To recap, we continued our partnerships with several key organizations: Builders of Color Coalition, Embrace Boston, ACE Mentor Program Greater Boston, On The Rise, HBCU Professional Development Program, Boston Architectural College Summer Academy, Boston Society for Architecture (Meet+Greet w/ Danyson Tavares), Living Future and Digital Ready. Along with JEDI, other PCA internal groups where our JEDI goals externalize is through our Just Label Team and Voices in Design. We will continue our JEDI work here at PCA. #PCA_JEDIstrong #PCA_community ? P.s. A big shout out Exodus in Roslindale, MA for providing DELICIOUS bagels and coffee for our celebration! Check out their website: tinyurl.com/5n8asrx2 #SupportLOCALBusinesses

Spent the evening with 30 bright young students + emerging Architects through NOMA’s HBCU Professional Development Program ?? I joined a panel of experts on the topic of salary negotiation. We wanted to equip our young professionals to market themselves well, and know how to find the right opportunity. It’s refreshing to see our future leaders take initiative, ask questions, and develop the type of knowledge and build a support network that will make big impacts!

The HOK Atlanta office has officially posted its Architectural Student Internship position for the Summer of 2025. Time to submit those portfolios and resumes... If Atlanta is too full for you, try out the Student Internships in Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Kansas City, Washington DC, Tampa, Dallas, St. Louis, Chicago, or Denver. https://lnkd.in/evaa-e2b

The Mellon Foundation seeks a Program Intern to provide support for the Humanities in Place program area. The internship has a start date in June 2025 and is available as a 10-week, full-time position. This is a hybrid (in-person and remote) work environment. See more and apply at the link:

We are thrilled to share that the 5th annual HBCU Professional Development Program Career Fair on January 25, 2025, was a tremendous success! The event brought together over 150 representatives from 50 leading firms across the country and more than 100 talented students from the seven HBCUs with accredited architecture programs. Together, they participated in meaningful interviews, expanding their networks, furthering efforts to increase diversity and representation in our profession. A heartfelt thank you to the hundreds of volunteers who dedicated their time and energy to making this event possible. We are also deeply grateful to our sponsors, whose generosity supports initiatives like the Prescott Reavis Grant named in honor of Prescott Reavis NOMA, NCARB, LEED AP, SEED. Your support continues to make reaching our collective goal to advance diversity in our profession a reality. Leading Sponsors: The American Institute of Architects (AIA) EwingCole Diamond Sponsors: CO Architects Gresham Smith Handel Architects HMC Architects Lawrence Group Moody Nolan Olson Kundig Perkins&Will Perkins Eastman RAMSA | Robert A.M. Stern Architects ZGF Architects Platinum Sponsors: AECOM - Buildings + Places EskewDumezRipple KieranTimberlake Fentress Architects Gold Sponsors: Ashley McGraw Architects Little Diversified Architectural Consulting LPA Silver Sponsors: Corgan Architects DLR Group Gensler KPF MBB Architects MG2 Ryan A+E, Inc. Bronze Sponsors: CannonDesign COOKFOX Architects EOA Architects ESKW Architects HDR HKS Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects Ripples, by design U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps Weber Thompson President’s Circle: BWBR Flad Architects Multistudio Smith Group Shepley Bulfinch And finally, thank you to our program founders & program managers. Melvalean McLemore, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP Anzilla Gilmore, FAIA, NOMAC Zhetique Gunn, LEED GA, RELi AP, NOMA Ricardo de Jesús Maga Rojas Leticia Williams Tiffany Mayhew