On January 26, 2023, the AIANY WIA Committee held its 12th Annual Women in Architecture Recognition Award and Holiday Party at the beautiful Brickworks Design Studio. Each year we celebrate the newly licensed female architects and support the next generation of emerging leaders in obtaining their license. We received many impressive applications for the Recognition Award, and we congratulate each for their meaningful contribution to the advancement of our profession. The finalists shared their personal experiences, challenges faced on the path to licensure, and advice. One woman shared that it took her 13 years to become licensed, which is not uncommon. Additional advice included: be persistent, find your support network, be disciplined and follow a schedule, and don’t wait until you feel fully prepared, as there may never be a perfect time.

We were thrilled to announce this year’s 12th Annual Recognition Award recipient, Dana Moore, AIA, who demonstrated an incredible diversity in leadership. In addition to serving as a role model within her firm, supporting her colleagues’ growth through collaboration, research and knowledge-sharing, her advocacy, activism, and community engagement fueled by her passion for climate resiliency was to be commended. A special thank you to our esteemed Recognition Award JuryAndrea Lamberti, AIA;  Angelique Pierre, RA; and Wendi Shafran, AIA for their well-considered and thoughtful deliberation.

In addition to the festivities and networking, we held raffle prizes. Three lucky winners walked away with a coveted WIA tote bag, a copy of Princeton Architectural Press’ book, The Women Who Changed Architecture, and the Grand Prize, dinner with a stellar woman architect! As dinner host, we were honored to have Winka Dubbeldam, Assoc. AIA, Founder and Partner, Archi-Tectonics; Chair, Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania.

Thank you to everyone who attended to celebrate our newly licensed architects, to Brickworks Design Studio for hosting and providing delicious food and beverages, to our Recognition Award Jury, and to our Grand Prize stellar woman architect. The WIA committee is grateful for everyone’s support, and we look forward to seeing you at our next event!