by Center for Architecture
We’re thrilled to announce that the Center for Architecture, in partnership with AIA New York, has awarded $77,000 in academic scholarships to 17 students through its Grants and Scholarships Program, a platform dedicated to making architecture education accessible, diversifying research in the field, and connecting students and emerging professionals with AIANY members and programs.
In recent years, the Center has expanded this initiative to provide more scholarships to a wider range of students pursuing studies in architecture. Below is a summary of all planned scholarship funding for 2025:
Center for Architecture Design Scholarship
The Center for Architecture’s namesake scholarship, the Center for Architecture Design Scholarship, is offered to students seeking their first professional degree in architecture or a related design discipline from an accredited school in New York State. The dean or chair of the architectural school or accredited design program may invite up to two students from their respective college or university to apply based on their academic performance and evidence of financial need. The student’s financial need will be determined by the guidelines of the Financial Aid Officer of the school nominating the candidate.
In 2025, the Grants and Scholarships Committee awarded four merit-based scholarships totaling $4,000. One awardee also received an AIA Component Matching Scholarship Grant of $1,000:
Emily Comfort was awarded $1,000 in her second year of the Master of Landscape Architecture program at the Spitzer School of Architecture, City College of New York. Driven by a desire to use design to address the effects of climate change, she explores how landscape architecture can engage with climate adaptation, ecological restoration, and post-industrial landscapes. Outside of school, Emily works as a college assistant at the Spitzer School of Architecture, a research assistant for the Research Foundation CUNY, and an intern at Hollander Design.
Sofia Luna Narvaez was awarded $1,000 in her fourth year of earning a Bachelor of Architecture at Pratt Institute. As a lifelong interdisciplinary artist, Sofia grew up constantly creating. She loves working with her hands, whether that be through fiber arts, painting, sculpture, or photography. This desire to work with her hands has now extended into her architectural education, where Sofia has a deep passion for the art of model making—and uses it as an integral part of her design process. In Sofia’s work, she strives to create spaces that foster connection between people, places, and our environment. Sofia is always seeking new experiences that expand her understanding of the world and inspire her creatively, ensuring that she never stops learning.
Terence Huang was awarded $1,000 pursuing a dual Master of Architecture and Master of Business Administration at the University at Buffalo. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Architecture, also from the University at Buffalo. A highlight of his undergraduate studies was his leadership in Buffalo’s AIAS chapter, serving as both Vice President and President. As President, he helped secure the winning bid and plan the 2025 AIAS Northeast Quad Conference. Terence grew up in Brooklyn as a first-generation college student. Since elementary school, he has been passionate about design. A key part of his story comes from working at his family’s small bakery in Manhattan, where he was inspired by the teamwork and daily operations behind a shared vision. Combining these influences, Terence aims to run his own firm, balancing design and management.
Eugene Kim was awarded $1,000 from the Center for Architecture and $1,000 from AIA National as part of the AIA Component Matching Scholarship Grant. Eugene is a second-year Master of Architecture student at Pratt Institute. With a background as an interior designer in Washington, DC, Eugene has honed his ability to create spaces that prioritize functionality and user experience. From the first day of Eugene’s design career, he is driven by the belief that design should always answer the question of why. Eugene believe that both interior design and architecture, at their core, are about creating meaningful spaces for users. Besides architecture, Eugene experiments with smaller objects to create further inspirations for architecture, but also as furniture and interactive pieces. His passion for design stems from a deep commitment to improving the quality of life through thoughtful, user-centered spaces. Eugene is eager to expand his design knowledge at Pratt, combining his experience in interiors with architectural principles to shape environments that promote both aesthetic value and user well-being.
Allwork Scholarship
The Allwork Scholarship supports architecture students with demonstrated financial need seeking their first professional degree in architecture or a related design discipline from an accredited school in New York State. Students must be nominated by the dean or chair of the school of architecture in which they are currently studying in order to apply for this award.
In 2025, the Grants and Scholarships Committee awarded four merit-based scholarships totaling $20,000:
Ezra Bush was awarded $5,000 towards his Bachelor of Architecture degree at Spitzer School of Architecture, City College of New York. Before attending CCNY, Ezra worked as a carpenter where he gained a practical introduction to building science and developed a strong appreciation for the tectonics and craft behind architecture. Through his studies at CCNY Ezra has taken these interests and applied them to his passion for affordable housing. As a student volunteer, he helped to install the first exhibition in the school since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The exhibition was co-curated by Professor Cassim Shepard and partners at Eindhoven Technical University and focused on promoting flexibility and resident agency in housing. Currently, Ezra is working on a studio project that centers on engagement with community members. As part of this project, he organized the making of a large-scale site model that was transported to the New Lots Public Library. Local groups Preserving East New York and the East New York Community Land Trust are advocating for the preservation of the site and partnered with the studio at the community event. The studio team is looking to facilitate this goal while opening up the surrounding site as green space. In addition to his studies, Ezra worked as an Architectural Intern over the past two summers and stayed on part-time last fall. Going forward, Ezra hopes to pursue a career in sustainable design and housing equity.
Janice Ng was awarded $5,000 towards her Master of Architecture degree at the University at Buffalo. During time in school, she is heavily involved in student activities such as participating in editorial work for Intersight (school journal of student work), being a student representative and collaborating with professors on independent projects. Outside of school, she cultivates her leadership skills through teaching children English in northern Taiwan, making her especially adept at working with other people. In her free time, Janice enjoys knitting and sewing as a way of designing and actively creating things that people around her can cherish.
Kelly-Ann Tan was awarded $5,000 towards her Bachelor of Architecture degree at Pratt Institute. As a founder and leader of various student organisations, with a Minor in Social Justice/Practice alongside her B.Arch, Kelly is a firm believer in the power of the architectural discipline and collective action to impact our societies for good. Through her work as a student, Research Assistant, and Co-President of student organization Pratt Futures, Kelly investigates architecture as a sociopolitical practice, as well as a powerful platform for civic agency, urban rethinking and community engagement. Her work prompts conversations around the participatory potentials of architecture and urban design. With a love for collaborative initiatives, Kelly is also the Founder of co:lab, a global collective of architecture students pursuing community, creation and change. In other capacities, she is a passionate mentor to younger students, Pratt SoA Elected Student Representative, and international student, having lived in Singapore, China, Thailand, New York and now Rome.
Omar Ismail was awarded $5,000 towards his Master of Architecture at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. At Columbia, he has been committed to exploring the role of architecture and design in reproducing cultural and social practices. Prior to attending Columbia, he completed his undergraduate studies in Architecture at the University of Toronto where he graduated with high distinction. His undergraduate thesis project focused on his home town of Cairo earned him a Dean’s Award and was presented at several conferences.
Walter A. Hunt, Jr. Scholarship:
The Walter A. Hunt, Jr. Scholarship was founded to promote and encourage the study of architecture by New York public high school students. The scholarship provides financial assistance to supplement tuition and related costs during a student’s freshman and sophomore years at a NAAB-accredited school of architecture in the U.S. The scholarship honors Hunt’s dedication to the field of architecture and architectural education.
After careful consideration of the highly competitive applications received, four applicants were selected to receive awards totaling $42,000:
Andre Lages Okubaro Finamori, a graduate of The Beacon School, will begin the Bachelor of Architecture program at Syracuse University with $20,000 in tuition supporting his freshman and sophomore years.
Dionysios Katsaras, a graduate of the Art & Design High School, will begin the Bachelor of Architecture program at the Rhode Island School of Design with $20,000 in tuition supporting his freshman and sophomore years.
Olivia Jae Charles, a graduate of the Fort Hamilton High School, will pursue the Bachelor of Architecture program at Syracuse University. She is a recipient of a $1,000 award in tuition towards her freshman year.
Henry Dahl, a graduate of the High School for Math, Science, and Engineering, will begin the Bachelor of Architecture program at Rice University as a recipient of a $1,000 award in tuition towards his freshman year.
2030 Fund
The 2030 Fund provides student loan debt relief and licensure support for aspiring BIPOC architects pursuing licensure. The fund, created by 2021 AIANY President Kenneth A. Lewis, AIA, in collaboration with the New York Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (nycoba|NOMA), seeks to support NOMA’s 2030 Challenge, which aims to double the number of licensed Black architects by the end of the decade. In 2025, its fourth year, the 2030 Fund awarded $10,000 in loan forgiveness to five recipients.
Scholarships were awarded by the following 2025 Committees:
Scholarship Committee:
Gregory Switzer, AIA, NOMA, NCARB, Gregory Switzer Architecture, P.C.
Jennifer Sage, FAIA, LEED AP, Sage + Coombe Architects
Dan Burdzy, AIA, Henning Larsen
Sara Caples, AIA, Caples Jefferson Architects PC
Latoya Kamdang, AIA, Ennead
Sydney Maubert, Illinois Institute of Technology
Peter Robinson, Parsons School of Constructed Environments; Cornell University
Zoe Small, AIA, LEED AP BD+C , Diller Scofidio + Renfro
Karen-Marie Stonely, AIA, LEED AP, SPAN Architecture
Richard C. Yancey, FAIA, LEED AP, NCARB, Building Energy Exchange
Walter A. Hunt, Jr. Committee:
Judy Hunt, wife of Walter Hunt
Keith Frome Rosen, AIA, Gensler
Madeline Burke-Vigeland, FAIA, LEED AP, NCARB, Gensler
Joshua Katz, AIA, Gensler
Ambrose Aliaga-Kelly, AIA, Gensler
Leslie J. Jabs, AIA, CDT, Gensler
2030 Fund Selection Committee:
Anne Xiangyu Chen, AIA, ASLA, LEED AP, WELL AP, Gensler
Benjamin Gilmartin, AIA, DS+R
Gregory T. Switzer, AIA, NOMA, NCARB , Gregory Switzer Architecture, P.C
Jesse Lazar, Assoc. AIA, Executive Director, AIA New York | Center for Architecture
Kenneth A. Lewis, AIA, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Stephen M. Wilder, AIA, RA, Wilder Architecture
Tenetia Mack, AIA, NOMA, WELL AP, COOKFOX
About Center for Architecture Grants and Scholarships
The Center for Architecture, in partnership with AIANY, awards scholarships and grant awards throughout the year for architectural students, architectural student journals, and practicing architects. Scholarships are open to those in New York City and grants are open to applicants nationwide.
To find out more about our upcoming deadlines, please visit: centerforarchitecture.org/scholarships-grants