University of New Mexico architecture students Elizabeth Wilson, Nicholas Romero and Diana Duran were elected to leadership positions for the UNM chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students for the 2018-2019 school year.
The three students have been appointed to national architecture boards for the current school year, as well. Within UNM AIAS, Wilson is the president, Romero is the vice president and Duran is the graduate student liaison.
Originally modeled after the American Institute of Architects (AIA), AIAS students are represented in the AIA, in addition to the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and the National Architectural Accrediting Board.
Wilson will be serving on the Equity and Diversity Task Force, Romero will be on the Membership Committee and Duran will be on the Learning, Design and Technology Task Force. Within each board, these student representatives are assigned different charges, or responsibilities.
According to Wilson, she will be examining issues of equality and diversity in architectural education. One of her specific initiatives will be to develop programming for Advocacy Month in February. This will be in collaboration with other architectural boards, including the Health and Wellness Task Force and the Resiliency Task Force.
Within this role, she said she will also communicate ways to increase and promote equitable and diverse AIAS chapters, studio and work environments, buildings, individuals, teams, communities and cities.
“I'm super passionate about why it’s vital to have more equity and diversity in architecture because it will help shape a world designed not just for white men,” Wilson said.
Romero will be ensuring the transparency of AIAS membership, Wilson said. One of his initiatives will be to work with the AIAS Board of Directors to create formal relationships with AIA. As part of this position, Wilson said he will consider the cost of member exclusive benefits and consider the creation of an AIAS alumni program and database.
“The membership committee, to me, is a way to reach out to many other students around the U.S., and recently the world, and bring them into AIAS to be a part of the family of like-minded people,” Romero said.
Duran’s general charge will be to advance learning, design and technology within AIAS, Wilson said. This year, one of the tasks is to showcase architecture students as potential leaders and educators and also teaching new skill sets to members.
“(This position) means the opportunity to actively participate in improving our professional development, locally and nationally,” Duran said.
According to the AIAS website, the organization has a total of five chapters, four in the U.S. and one international chapter. For UNM, student involvement in AIAS means global recognition for the University.
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“I want to be on this committee so I can actually make (a change) in allowing more women and minorities into architecture,” Wilson said.
According to their website, AIAS is a nonprofit, student-run organization, dedicated to providing programs, information, and resources on issues critical to architecture and education.
Luisa Pennington is a freelance reporter with the Daily Lobo. She can contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @_lpennington_.
