UVA Faculty and Alumni Join National Deans’ Equity and Inclusion Initiative Fellowship
Image
The UVA School of Architecture is proud to announce that three faculty members, Mohamed Ismail, César A. Lopez, and Stacy Scott, and two alumni, Sarah Bolivar (BUEP '11) and Alissa Diamond (BS Arch '02, MLA '08, PhD '23) have been selected as fellows in the fourth and latest cohort of the National Deans' Equity and Inclusion Initiative (DEII) Fellowship. This fellowship program is dedicated to nurturing a diverse community of emerging scholars who teach and research the built environment, with a focus on advancing socio-ecological and spatial justice, equity, and inclusion.
About the Fellowship
The National Deans' Equity and Inclusion Initiative Fellowship was established in 2021 by leaders of design and built environment schools to create pathways for early-career academics, particularly those from BIPOC and other underrepresented groups. The program offers fellows the intellectual freedom to explore their interests while focusing on spatial justice and public good. Fellows participate in two summer institutes, receive mentorship from senior faculty, and engage in professional development activities throughout the academic year. The fellowship aims to foster a new generation of educators and researchers committed to promoting equity and inclusion within the built environment.
Image
UVA Faculty DEII Fellows
Mohamed Ismail is an Assistant Professor of Architecture whose research focuses on structural design in service of sustainable development. He holds a Ph.D. in Building Technology from MIT, where he specialized in structural and material optimization to address housing insecurity in the Global South. At UVA, Ismail collaborates with colleagues to develop low-cost, low-carbon structural components for housing, aiming to meet the needs of rapidly urbanizing regions.
César A. Lopez, an Assistant Professor and first-generation Mexican American, brings his experiences from the Mexico-U.S. border region to his work. As a design researcher and educator, he investigates territorial boundaries as dynamic systems, examining their impact on architecture and the environment. López has been recognized with numerous awards, including the ACSA/AIAS New Faculty Teaching Award and the Rome Prize in Architecture. His work has been presented internationally and published in notable journals.
Stacy Scott, a designer, researcher, and educator, is Assistant Professor and Virginia Architecture Fellow at UVA. Her research intersects architecture, health, and the socio-cultural dynamics of the Caribbean diaspora. With a Ph.D. from Clemson University and an M.Arch. from Georgia Tech, Scott's work emphasizes inclusive design and the resilience of informal settlements in the Caribbean. She is committed to integrating considerations of health and community well-being into her research and teaching.
Image
UVA Alumni DEII Fellows
Sarah Bolivar, PLA, is an Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Tennessee. Her research explores the future of multispecies coexistence in the face of biodiversity loss and climate change, with a particular focus on species migration and the role of water in these processes. Bolivar's work is informed by her experience in watershed conservation, nonprofit design, and master planning, and she has a strong commitment to participatory storytelling and public engagement.
Alissa Ujie Diamond is an Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Her historical research examines the intersections of racial capitalism and spatial development in the U.S., while her applied work focuses on social change from both within and outside established institutions. Diamond's work contributes to a deeper understanding of how social structures shape our built environments.
The School of Architecture congratulates our faculty and alumni Deans' Equity and Inclusion Initiative Fellows.
