AIA RUDC will bring four virtual panels with continuing education learning units in 2023. Join us for our series exploring and defining equity and social impact in the communities we study, engage, and design to develop professional practice
The fourth and final panel, “DEI into Action,” will be held on November 16th at 1- 2:30pm ET. The session will feature insights from Yiselle Santos Rivera, AIA, NOMA; Wandile Mthiyane, NOMA; Tiara Hughes, NOMA; and Bryan C. Lee, NOMA.
Interested in attending the live session? Register directly on AIAU, which you may also access through RUDC KnowledgeNet and LinkedIn pages.
Yiselle Santos Rivera, AIA, NOMA Originally from San Juan, PR, Yiselle Santos Rivera is an activist architect that works to dismantle and bring visibility to underrepresented groups by creating inclusive spaces that build belonging in the workplace. She thrives on building equitable practices, empowering the next generation of leaders, and creating inclusive platforms for engagement. Yiselle is a storyteller, a “Latinas in Architecture” book contributor, 2015 Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program Scholar, LA IDEA DC committee co-founder, and award-winning WIELD (Women Inspiring Emerging Leaders in Design) event founder.
Yiselle has served as 2020 AIA National Board member, 2021-22 NOMA Research & Development Chair, and currently is the AIADC Chapter President. She is the recipient of the 2018 AIA Associate Award, the 2019 AIA Diversity Program Recognition Award, and the 2022 AIA Young Architect Award.
Wandile Mthiyane, NOMA Having grown up in South Africa during Apartheid, Wandile stands as an influential figure in leadership advocacy, and design. Renowned as the founder of The Anti-Racist Hot Dog, he holds a Masters Degree in Architecture from Andrews University. An adjunct professor, Wandile guest lectures at Andrews and Yale University. His impactful roles include being an Obama Foundation Leader, One Young World Ambassador, Resolution Fellow, and TEDx Fellow. Wandile guides the social enterprise firm the Ubuntu Design Group, and leads the Ubuntu Architecture Abroad Design Justice School. He recently launched ‘The Tea’ www.grindtea.com, an innovative peer-to-peer inclusion rating platform uniting women and individuals of color with workplaces fostering respect and diversity. Wandile’s overarching goal is to combat workplace discrimination and empower individuals for a more inclusive society.
Bryan C. Lee, NOMA is an architect and leading design justice advocate. As the founder & director of Colloqate Design, a nonprofit design practice, Bryan is committed to using design as a tool of social change. He is also the founding organizer of The Design As Protest Collective and Dark Matter University, which work to uplift the voices and perspectives of marginalized communities in the built environment.
Bryan has led two award-winning architecture & design program for high school students, for the Arts Council of New Orleans and through the National Organization of Minority Architects. He is the National NOMA President-Elect and the South Region Vice President. Bryan has received numerous awards and fellowships, including the 2018 Fast Company Most Creative People in Business, the Architectural League’s Emerging Voices award in 2019, the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award, and a 2023 United States Artist Fellow.
Tiara Hughes, NOMA A St. Louis native, now based in Chicago, Tiara Hughes is a Senior Urban Designer at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, a Commissioner with the City of Chicago Landmarks Commission, and founder of FIRST 500, a global platform dedicated to elevating and celebrating Black Women Architects. She is a devoted activist, educator and advocate for underrepresented communities and voices, and recently serves on the Board for the National Organization of Minority Architects and currently the Charnley-Persky House Board of Directors for the Society of Architectural Historians. Tiara's personal experiences in the industry along with her passion for advocacy led her to establish FIRST 500 in 2018. As the founder and executive director of FIRST 500, Tiara raises awareness of the importance of Black Women Architects throughout history and their contribution to the built environment.
As a designer, Tiara creates work that emphasizes greater socioeconomic equity and cultural awareness. She believes "Ultimately our efforts to positively impact communities of color will expand outward and evolve our academic institutions, our firms, our industry and by extension, our communities." In 2021, Tiara received the prestigious national AIA Associates Award and in 2022, she received Landmark Illinois’ Influencer award for her progressive and inclusive efforts to preserve the built environment and equitably advance the design industry and she has been recognized as a Distinguished Alumni from her alma mater Drury University. Most recently, she received the Making Waves Award from the esteemed Chicago Women in Architecture organization.