HONORING OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS 2025
Given annually to alumni of the University of Virginia School of Architecture from any of the four departments in recognition of outstanding achievement, the Distinguished Alumni award recognizes graduates who have demonstrated creativity, innovation, leadership, and vision through their contributions to professional, societal, academic, artistic, or other areas that the awards committee feels are appropriate for recognition, including service to the University of Virginia. These areas may be local, national, or international. Achievements and impact need not span a long career but should demonstrate the potential to have a lasting effect on the broader community.
ALL LETTERS OF NOMINATION AND NOMINATION FORMS FOR 2025 ARE DUE BY:
FEBRUARY 21, 2025
Details regarding the nomination process can be found below.
To nominate a UVA School of Architecture alumna/alumnus for this award:
Please submit the following three documents via email (preferably as a PDF) to kimwong@virginia.edu. Portfolios and/or other supportive material shall NOT be submitted with the nomination. It is at the sponsor’s/nominator’s discretion whether to keep the nomination confidential from the nominee.
1. NOMINATION LETTER
This letter shall identify the nominee’s noteworthy accomplishments, with special emphasis on the influence the nominee has had on their chosen field and sphere of influence.
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The letter shall be no more than two pages in length, in at least 10–point, single–spaced type.
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The letter should be addressed to: The Chair of the Dean’s Advisory Board, Margaret Cavenagh (BSArch '88).
2. CV, RESUME OR SHORT BIO OF NOMINEE
3. NOMINATION FORM
Information for the Dean’s Advisory Board to research nominee further; including, but not limited to, links to relevant websites, contact information for additional referees, etc.
DUE BY FEBRUARY 21, 2025
After an initial review by the Dean’s Advisory Board of all nominees, a shortlist of finalists will be selected and kept confidential. The Board’s Distinguished Alumni Award committee, chaired by the Chair and consisting of one Board member representing each of the four disciplines of the School – architecture, landscape architecture, planning and architectural history for a maximum total of five (5) members, will research the finalist candidates – via websites, calling references, reviewing publications, etc. The sponsor/nominator should be prepared to be a resource. The Committee will produce finalist background materials to be distributed to the rest of the Dean’s Advisory Board two weeks prior to the annual Spring Meeting for review. After careful consideration, the awardee will be selected at the meeting and informed of his/her selection by the Chair.
The award will be presented at the annual A-School Dean’s Forum Dinner in Charlottesville (typically in the fall). Nominator and awardee (plus guest) will be invited as honored guests to the dinner, with the opportunity to invite additional friends, classmates, and family as paid guests. The award recipient may be invited, based on need, interest, and availability, to give a lecture/workshop, organize an exhibit, talk with students/faculty, etc. at the A-School during the year.
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Nominee/Awardee must be an alumnus/alumna of the University of Virginia School of Architecture — undergraduate or graduate programs. The nominator need not be an alumnus/alumna of the School.
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No self–nominations shall be permitted.
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No alumni who are current faculty members at the UVA School of Architecture shall be considered (former faculty members and faculty emeritus are permitted).
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The previous year’s finalists will automatically be included in the following year’s first-round candidate pool for consideration. A new nomination letter/form are not necessary unless new information is available in support of the nomination. After two consecutive years of being a finalist (and not receiving the award), the candidate will NOT be automatically resubmitted and a new nomination will be required for future consideration.
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The Dean’s Advisory Board is a volunteer board of the School of Architecture consisting of alumni, public members (non-alumni), and ex officio members. The Dean of the School of Architecture and other ex officio members may act as non-voting advisors. Should there be an even number of votes during the final selection, the Chair of the Advisory Board will break the tie.
The preferred method of submitting Nomination Materials is via email (preferably as a PDF) to kimwong@virginia.edu.
If you are unable to send your Nomination Materials by email, you may submit via mail to:
UVA SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
FOUNDATION ATTN: A-SCHOOL DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD
CAMPBELL HALL, PO BOX 400122
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA 22904
QUESTIONS about the Nomination Process or submitting your Nomination Materials?
Contact Kim Haggart Wong at kimwong@virginia.edu.
2012
Warren T. Byrd, Jr.
(MLA ’78 and Professor Emeritus, Department of Landscape Architecture); Founding Principal, Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects
2013
W. Brown Morton, III
(BAH ’61); Professor Emeritus, University of Mary Washington, Department of Historic Preservation
2014
Marion Weiss
(BSArch ’79); Co-founder, WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism
2015
Jennifer Masengarb
(MAH ’00); Senior Project Manager at Danish Architecture Centre; (formerly) Director of Interpretation and Research, Chicago Architecture Foundation
2016
Kai-Uwe Bergmann
BSArch ’91); Partner, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)
2017
Adam Yarinksy
(BSArch ’84); Founding Partner, Architecture Research Office (ARO)
2018
Bill Hellmuth
(BSArch ’75); CEO and Chairman, HOK
2019
Reuben M. Rainey
(MLA '78); William Stone Weedon Professor Emeritus
2020
Mabel O. Wilson
(BSArch '85); Nancy and George E. Rupp Professor of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation and Professor of African American and African Diasporic Studies at Columbia University; Founder of transdisciplinary practice Studio&
2021
Travis C. McDonald
(MArH '80); Director of Architectural Restoration, Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest
2022
Mary Hughes
(MLA '87); University Landscape Architect (1996 - 2022), University of Virginia
2023
Olle Lundberg
(MArch '79); Founding Principal, Lundberg Design
2024
Steven Bingler
(BArch '72); Founding Principal, Concordia