Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee
JOIN US FOR A PANEL DISCUSSION
Women in architecture, breaking the glass ceiling
Times are slowly changing, architecture firms have made a deliberate effort to make their practices more representative of society as a whole by promoting gender equality. Only 17% of all registered US architects are women, and in leadership positions is still very slow. Join us on November 2ND, noon to 1 PM via ZOOM for a panel discussion with architects Graciela Carrillo, AIA, LEED AP, Mitra Memari, AIA and Bea Spolidoro, AIA, WELL AP
A casual conversation with leaders in architecture, their professional journey and experiences hosted by AIA CKC President Juan Ricardes, Int'l Assoc. AIA and moderated by AIA CKC's Megan Smith, Assoc. AIA.
About our panelists:
Graciela Carrillo, AIA, LEED AP
2022 Young Architects Award
Originally from Colombia, Graciela Carrillo, AIA, immigrated to the United States in 2003. She works at Nassau BOCES Facilities Services as a Senior Manager where she is in charge of coordinating school’s capital and operational projects serving Nassau County school districts. Graciela have been involved with the AIA at the local, state and national level, currently serving as AIA New York State representative for the AIA National Strategic Council, the Past President of the AIA Long Island Chapter, and the Chapter’s Women In Architecture Founder and Co-Chair. Graciela is also the Co-Founder of the Immigrant Architects Coalition, a group committed to helping and providing resources for immigrant architects to achieve a prosperous career in the US. In 2019, Graciela was the recipient of the AIA NYS Young Architect Award and in 2022 she was the recipient of the AIA Young Architect Award. In 2021 she was an honoree of the Top 50 Women in Business in Long Island.
Graciela is a national speaker, featured author in book “Latinas in Architecture: Stories of raising the 1% one Latina at a time”, and has been featured on various industry podcasts.
Mitra Memari, AIA
Mitra Memari has over 25 years of professional experience in architecture.
Her work represents a mix of large-scale and technically complex projects, ranging from research laboratories, academic facilities, and healthcare buildings to high-performance commercial and mixed-use developments. Born in Iran, Mitra emigrated to the United States when she was a teenager. Her experiences adapting and learning in a new country fostered a strong passion for diversity, inclusion, and equity. In her practice of architecture, she has channeled this passion into fostering a culture of respect and support, and implementing changes to encourage all employees to reach their full potential. Throughout her career, Mitra has taken a collaborative approach to project leadership, guiding multidisciplinary teams and diverse client / user groups from programming through construction, while paying attention to the nuances of each design challenge to successfully deliver impactful projects. Her portfolio encompasses projects for The University of Arizona, The University of Texas at Arlington, City of Hope, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, and the University of Southern California, where she was responsible for the Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research—a recipient of the American Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum & The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and the Laboratory of the Year High Honors from R&D Magazine. Mitra graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture. She currently serves as president of AIA Los Angeles.
Bea Spolidoro, AIA, WELL AP
Bea Spolidoro (AIA, WELL AP) is an Italian architect living in Pittsburgh, PA. She holds a MArch from the University Politecnico of Milano. Bea is a Principal at Fisher ARCHitecture and has been serving her profession as an active American Institute of Architects (AIA) member at a local, state and National level. Her volunteering gigs span from leading Young Architects Forum of Pittsburgh, to being a judge for the AIA National Honor Awards. Bea is the 2022 President of AIA Pittsburgh. She often teaches and presents on architecture-related topics, promoting how design impacts our everyday-lives. Bea is also passionate about designing sustainable, healthy environments. For her, good design should improve both the physical and mental health of people.
Save the Date! November 2ND, noon to 1 PM via ZOOM
Register for the event here:
www.eventbrite.com/e/women-in-architecture-breaking-the-glass-ceiling-tickets-432013332507
A casual conversation with leaders in architecture, their professional journey and experiences hosted by AIA CKC President Juan Ricardes, Int'l Assoc. AIA and moderated by AIA CKC's Megan Smith, Assoc. AIA.
About our panelists:
Graciela Carrillo, AIA, LEED AP
2022 Young Architects Award
Originally from Colombia, Graciela Carrillo, AIA, immigrated to the United States in 2003. She works at Nassau BOCES Facilities Services as a Senior Manager where she is in charge of coordinating school’s capital and operational projects serving Nassau County school districts. Graciela have been involved with the AIA at the local, state and national level, currently serving as AIA New York State representative for the AIA National Strategic Council, the Past President of the AIA Long Island Chapter, and the Chapter’s Women In Architecture Founder and Co-Chair. Graciela is also the Co-Founder of the Immigrant Architects Coalition, a group committed to helping and providing resources for immigrant architects to achieve a prosperous career in the US. In 2019, Graciela was the recipient of the AIA NYS Young Architect Award and in 2022 she was the recipient of the AIA Young Architect Award. In 2021 she was an honoree of the Top 50 Women in Business in Long Island.
Graciela is a national speaker, featured author in book “Latinas in Architecture: Stories of raising the 1% one Latina at a time”, and has been featured on various industry podcasts.
Mitra Memari, AIA
Mitra Memari has over 25 years of professional experience in architecture.
Her work represents a mix of large-scale and technically complex projects, ranging from research laboratories, academic facilities, and healthcare buildings to high-performance commercial and mixed-use developments. Born in Iran, Mitra emigrated to the United States when she was a teenager. Her experiences adapting and learning in a new country fostered a strong passion for diversity, inclusion, and equity. In her practice of architecture, she has channeled this passion into fostering a culture of respect and support, and implementing changes to encourage all employees to reach their full potential. Throughout her career, Mitra has taken a collaborative approach to project leadership, guiding multidisciplinary teams and diverse client / user groups from programming through construction, while paying attention to the nuances of each design challenge to successfully deliver impactful projects. Her portfolio encompasses projects for The University of Arizona, The University of Texas at Arlington, City of Hope, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, and the University of Southern California, where she was responsible for the Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research—a recipient of the American Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum & The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and the Laboratory of the Year High Honors from R&D Magazine. Mitra graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture. She currently serves as president of AIA Los Angeles.
Bea Spolidoro, AIA, WELL AP
Bea Spolidoro (AIA, WELL AP) is an Italian architect living in Pittsburgh, PA. She holds a MArch from the University Politecnico of Milano. Bea is a Principal at Fisher ARCHitecture and has been serving her profession as an active American Institute of Architects (AIA) member at a local, state and National level. Her volunteering gigs span from leading Young Architects Forum of Pittsburgh, to being a judge for the AIA National Honor Awards. Bea is the 2022 President of AIA Pittsburgh. She often teaches and presents on architecture-related topics, promoting how design impacts our everyday-lives. Bea is also passionate about designing sustainable, healthy environments. For her, good design should improve both the physical and mental health of people.
Save the Date! November 2ND, noon to 1 PM via ZOOM
Register for the event here:
www.eventbrite.com/e/women-in-architecture-breaking-the-glass-ceiling-tickets-432013332507