TORCH Mentorship Program

Douglass Alligood, FAIA, is a partner at the international firm BIG, leading the design for the National Juneteenth Museum in Fort Worth, Texas and has recently worked in a leadership role on a wide range of award winning projects around the world, including The Spiral, and, The Smile in New York City, UCONN Innovation Partnership Building in Storrs, CT, and Talan Towers in Astana, Kazakhstan. His experience encompasses a wide range of project types including supertall office towers, residential towers, single family residential, interior design, museums, airport terminals, healthcare, science research, sports, resiliency, masterplans, and adaptive reuse projects. Alligood is a LEED accredited professional, a member of The National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), Urban Land Institute and Fellow in the Urban Design Forum. He is committed to sharing his experience by mentoring young professionals and architecture students, elevating the next generation of design leaders.

Frank Ball is a designer experienced with educational and housing projects in New York City, currently interested in urban design and adaptive reuse. In 2022 he relocated to London and focused research on the evolving nature of central business districts. Now back in the United States, he aims to apply a renewed perspective to projects both locally and abroad. Previously he gained practical experience working on a variety of building types through all phases of design. From 2017 to 2022, he was an architectural designer at ESKW/Architects, where he worked with clients in government and non-profit sectors. He is a graduate of the Architectural Association School of Architecture (M. Arch.) and Pratt Institute School of Architecture (B. Arch.). In 2019, he co-hosted the AIANY event “CLP Panel Explores How Barriers Shape the Public Realm,” and the Development Session, “Civic Leadership Program: Architecture through Participatory Design.

Kai-Uwe Bergmann, FAIA, is a Partner at BIG who brings his architectural expertise to proposals around the globe, including work in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Bergmann heads up BIG’s business development—which currently has the office working in over 40 different countries. He also oversees BIG’s Urban scales projects and supports BIG’s Landscape projects. He is registered as an architect in the USA (13 states) and Canada. Bergmann most recently contributed to the resiliency plan BIG U to protect 10 miles of Manhattan’s coastline. First envisioned through the Rebuild by Design competition to develop proactive responses to Superstorm Sandy, it is now being constructed with a completion date in 2026. Further projects include Reimagining Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Queens Park, Smithsonian Master Plan, Pittsburgh Master Plan and Miami Beach Square. He complements his professional work through previous teaching assignments at the University of Pennsylvania, IE University in Madrid, and his alma mater the University of Virginia. Bergmann formerly was on the Board of the Van Alen Institute, participates on numerous international juries and lectures globally on the works of BIG.

Hao-Yeh Lu, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, is an Associate Designer at Handel Architects, and Registered Architect in Taiwan. He holds M.S.AAD from Columbia GSAPP, and M.Arch from Tunghai University. He is the recipient of Taiwan Government Fellowship for Study Abroad in 2020, and Taiwan National Golden Award of Best New Architect in 2015.

After graduation, Lu gained international and well-rounded professional experience—including Handel Architects, Studio Link-Arc in New York, Akihisa Hirata Architecture Office in Tokyo, and Kaohsiung City Government Department of Buildings in Taiwan—focused on multi-family residential and cultural facilities, and specialized in building code, architectural design, visualization, construction documentation, and photography.

After work, Lu is a traveler. He had a grand tour in Europe for 50 days, and road trip across America for 17,000 miles. His architectural photography has been published in the Aesthetic Education Guide Book by the Taiwan Ministry of Education in 2019.

Gina Bocra, FAIA, is the Chief Sustainability Officer at the New York City Department of Buildings. She is an architect with 28 years of experience in sustainable design and holds a Master of Urban + Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia. Bocra has volunteered with the US Green Building Council since 1997, served as Chair of the LEED Steering Committee and government member of the USGBC Advisory Council, among other roles.

With the New York City Department of Buildings, Bocra is working on the implementation of the Climate Mobilization Act and One City Plan, developing procedures to enforce the Energy Code, and supporting continued development of the New York City’s Construction Codes to accommodate advances in sustainability. She served as a liaison for the Department to the NYSERDA Stretch Code Advisory Working Group. She also served as a committee member on the 2021 Residential IECC. Bocra is a licensed architect in New York and Virginia.

Konrad Brzykcy is a passionate architect with international (Spain, Poland, Germany, France, and United States) experience in the field of architecture and design. Currently working as Senior Architect at Fogarty Finger (and previously at BIG Bjarke Ingels Group and Selldorf Architects). He is a licensed Architect in the state of New York, an AIA member, and Architectural League of New York program mentor, helping students in their first steps in the architecture profession. Brzykcy’s experience makes him a versatile designer sensitive to the context of each project regardless of its scale and program. He completed his education at the Barcelona School of Architecture in Spain and Cracow University of Technology in Poland. Brzykcy is a laureate of multiple national and international design competitions, recipient of the award for best students in faculty of architecture, with his project nominated for the best thesis in Poland award, and has had his work and writing published in various architectural media outlets.

Stephen Cassell, FAIA, is a Principal and co-founder of Architecture Research Office (ARO). He holds an undergraduate degree in architecture from Princeton University and received his Master of Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He is currently a lecturer at MIT, has twice served as the Shure Professor at the University of Virginia and as the Friedman Professor at the University of California at Berkeley in addition to teaching at Columbia University, Harvard University, Princeton University, Syracuse University, and the Rhode Island School of Design. He has lectured widely throughout the United States and abroad. Cassell served as the Chair of the Board of the Van Alen Institute and was on the Leadership Committee of the Lower Mississippi River Delta Design Initiative. Most recently, he was a 2023 Resident at the American Academy in Rome.

Architecture Research Office is the New York City firm united by their collaborative process, commitment to accountable action, and social and environmental responsibility. Research gives their work purpose and intention. Their architecture unites beauty and form with strategy and intelligence. Their office designs spaces that inspire people, further institutional missions, and advance equity and resilience. This philosophy has earned the firm over one hundred design awards including the 2020 AIA Architecture Firm Award, the AIA New York State Firm of the Year Award, and the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for Architecture.

Jenny Lin, AIA, was born in Shanghai, China, immigrated to the U.S. with her family during middle school, and grew up in San Francisco. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and a Minor in Structural Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Following her move to New York in 2007, she pursued her Master of Architecture from Columbia University, GSAPP, and has been based in New York since. Lin is a Registered Architect in the State of New York, as well as a LEED BD+C and WELL Accredited Professional.

Lin believes that collaboration across disciplines enriches architecture, while architecture in turn improves our lives. Years of experience have channeled her interests into cultural and public projects, facade designs, as well as material research. In addition, as an avid watercolor artist and ballet dancer, she is particularly interested in galleries, museums, and performance spaces, where she explores their connections to facade, context, and impact on the public experience.

Nicole Dosso, FAIA, has spent her 25-year career working in New York City on complex projects demanding a high level of team coordination and collaboration that characterize her career as an architect and her portfolio of work. Projects include: 7 World Trade Center, One World Trade Center, Baccarat Hotel & Residencies,Manhattan West, and 35 Hudson Yards.

As Vice President of Design & Construction at Vornado Realty Trust, Dosso is involved in several projects in the Penn Station District, set to be the epicenter of New York City. Recently completed projects: the adaptive reuse of the civic Farley Post Office which opened in early 2021; this building has been transformed into the Moynihan Train Hall and the transformation of Penn 2, a 1968 office building into a world class tower including a 430-foot-long column free bustle along Seventh Avenue.

In 2012, Dosso was honored in the “40 under 40” issue of Crain’s New York Business, and received an AIA Presidential Citation for contributions at the World Trade Center site. In January 2016, for recognition of her notable contributions to the advancement of the profession of architecture, Dosso was elected to The College of Fellows of The American Institute of Architects.

Dosso is currently serving on the New York State Board for Architecture and Syracuse University, School of Architecture Advisory Board. Dosso is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at The Bernard & Anne Spitzer School of Architecture.

Pakarang Chomprang, AIA, is an architect based in New York City. She earned a bachelor degree of architecture in Bangkok, Thailand and a master’s of science of architecture from Pratt Institute. She has practiced architecture for about 8 years: a full year at Bioarchitek with her undergrad professor, and almost 7 years in 2 firms in New York City. Throughout these years, she has gained knowledge in various building typologies such as arenas and sport facilities, 1-to-2 family houses, multi-family residential buildings, retails, restaurants, and offices. Her interests in the profession involve working with people with diverse background as she believes in collective creativity and design problem solving. Chomprang holds a Thai Assoc. Architect License, and recently receive her Architect License in New York State. She spends her free time working on interior renovations for family and friends and playing tennis with her husband in Hamilton Park, Jersey City.

In over 30 years of practice, Rob Goodwin, FAIA, has created a compelling body of work, spanning a broad range of types and scales, unified by the desire to create a unique expression for each project. Driven by a critical investigation of program, site, context and environment, he identifies the essential underlying forces that truly shape a genuine architecture of place and transforms those forces into meaningful architecture through inventive design strategies, integrated sustainability and innovative technologies.

As the Design Director for the New York office of Perkins + Will, Goodwin’s design work has focused on program-driven architecture, encompassing educational, science / research, healthcare and commercial projects. Notable clients include Cornell University, The University of Michigan, Stanford University Medical Center, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Unilever , and Columbia Property Trust.

Goodwin’s approach has been widely recognized, with numerous local, national and international design awards, and in publications including The Architectural Review, The Plan, Architectural Record, Architecture, Fast Company and The New York Times. He has presented his work at the AIA, the Architectural League, Stanford University, Cornell University, MIT and the World Architecture Festival, where he also chaired two prize juries.

Jun Deng, AIA, is an architect currently working at KPF. He grew up in China and later moved to the US to study architecture before embarking on his career in New York City. He has contributed to diverse projects across Asia and North America, immersing himself in various program types.

Passionate about mixed-use programs, Deng focuses on initiatives that enrich communities and contribute to urban density. His work includes leadership roles in projects such as a rural mission hospital in the Philippines and several supertall projects in China. Currently, Jun is actively involved in a mixed-use hospitality project in Miami.

Aside from his many contributions to the team, Deng loves to explore the application of parametric tools to enhance interoperability across different programs. His efforts have been instrumental in bridging the workflow between Rhino and Revit within his work at KPF.

Additionally, Deng is an enthusiastic runner with aspiration of completing the six-star marathons around the world.

F. Eric Goshow, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, is a founding Partner of Goshow Architects. He has more than 40 years of award-winning experience in architectural design and planning. Goshow’s expertise is in the design of sustainable educational and institutional projects, reflecting his professional interest in accessible, sustainable and healthful design for all spaces.

His experience extends from new construction to the rehabilitation and restoration of historically significant structures. Notably, his restoration and addition to the historic Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church (NYC) won accolades from the United States President’s Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Other projects include Nobel Halls, the new 600-bed student residence at Stony Brook University, which won a Design Excellence Award from the AIA Long Island Chapter. The project achieved LEED Gold Certification and is the first sustainable on-campus housing option.

In 2011, Goshow was named President Elect of the New York State Chapter of the American Institute of Architects New York State (AIANYS). In 2013, he served as President of AIANYS. As Past President, Goshow continues to elevate public awareness, advocate for the profession and expand and share knowledge on behalf of the AIA. In 2018, Goshow was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows, an honor bestowed by a panel of his peers. In 2019, Goshow was awarded the prestigious James William Kideney Gold Medal Award from AIA New York State.

Skye Ruozzi, Assoc. AIA, is a versatile designer with an ethical lens and focus on collaborative practices. She has a decade of professional practice alongside community-focused pursuits of housing justice advocacy and fabrication of interactive installations. Upon graduating from Pratt Institute, she completed her licensing work in Brooklyn, gaining knowledge of NYC-specific regulations and filing practices and starting her own expediting company. She is presently a consultant specializing in New York Loft Law. She serves on the steering committee of NYC Loft Tenants, advising tenant groups through the legalization of live-work spaces. She has six years of experience creating community-driven design-build projects with the International Design Clinic. The work received a Special Mention at the 13th International Architecture Exhibition of la Biennale di Venezia as part of the US Pavilion show Spontaneous Interventions: Design Actions for the Common Good. She co-founded Transformative Art Collective, which constructed and toured interactive installations for nine seasons.

Frances Huppert, FAIA, is the founder and principal of Frances Huppert Architect, and a recognized leader in Project Planning, Project Management and Urban Design on major capital projects.

Over the course of a career that spans over 30 years, Huppert has led major projects in the public sector dedicated to fostering an environment of design excellence, quality architecture, and strong community engagement. Currently, Huppert serves as a research and strategic consultant to Pratt Institute’s Decarbonization Group.

Huppert previously served as Associate Vice-President, Capital Project Management at Columbia University, a portfolio valued over $150 million dollars, as Senior Vice-President of the Design and Construction Department at Empire State Development Corporation where Huppert was recognized for her role in supporting design excellence on major public development projects including; the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center (4 million+ GSF), Moynihan Station Redevelopment ($550+ million rehab and adaptive re-use), and Queens West Development, 74 acres of mixed use development along 7,000 feet of shoreline, and 6,000+ residential units.

Huppert has served as an Advisor to the AIANY Torch Mentorship Program, is a Regional Representative to AIA National College of Fellows, and a member of the AIANY Advocacy Committee.

Huppert is a Registered Architect, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from Pratt Institute and a Master of Urban Planning from City College.

Minghan Lin, Assoc. AIA, is a junior architectural designer at FXCollaborative who is interested in the social impact of architecture and the integration of nature into the environment. He believes that architecture should not be designed to serve the selected few, but to embrace the public as a connection between people and cities.

Lin received his Bachelor of Architecture from the Bartlett School of Architecture in London before receiving his Master of Architecture from Columbia University GSAPP, where he had the pleasure of working as a mentor for the graduate design studios and was dedicated to delivering his skills and thoughts to the younger students.

Prior to working at FXCollaborative, Lin also interned at KPF in New York and worked in a firm specializing in retail and commercial design in Beijing. His professional experience includes work in multi-family residential, mixed-use development, and retail projects.

Sameer Kumar, FAIA, is the Founder of Techne, a building enclosure design and consulting firm based in New York. With over 23 years of experience in the field of architectural facades, Kumar’s accomplishments represent a consistent pursuit of design excellence through the balance of craft and environmental performance in a wide variety of material expressions on several prominent projects around the globe.

Kumar extends his contributions to the architecture profession through his academic engagement as visiting faculty member with Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania, as well as through active participation in various architectural conferences as speaker and panelist.

Kumar is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. He is a licensed architect in the State of New York. He holds degrees in architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and CEPT University, Ahmedabad.

Han-Ning Tsai is a Designer at Leong Leong in New York, where he closely collaborates with clients from project conception to construction completion. Recently, he has focused on high-end retail and tower façade design projects. With previous experience in urban design, cultural architecture, and multi-family residential projects, his work is grounded in thorough research of place and material experimentation.

He holds a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Architecture from Cheng Kung University in Taiwan. During his time at the GSD, Tsai served as the chair of Taiwan GSD, a group addressing design issues from his hometown through symposia and exhibitions.

As Design Director, Vivian Lee, FAIA, leads creative vision with aesthetically balanced, practical solutions that drive sustainability and human-centric spaces across commercial, residential, education, and cultural projects. She is former Co-Chair of AIANY Women in Architecture, through which she develops programs and events to promote design and help advance women to leadership roles. Beyond her contribution to the AIANY Board of Directors, Lee is a frequent panelist at industry events, speaking on her work, the current climate, and what is to come. In 2021-2022, she participated as a juror for the AIA National Latrobe Prize, a grant awarded for research in significant advances to the architecture profession. From her early life in Taiwan and Paraguay to her professional practice in the U.S., China, and Italy, Lee’s experiences are a boundless collection of cultures, histories, and consciousness. Her exemplary design portfolio awarded her elevation to the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows.

Originally from California, Grace (Do Eun) Jeong moved to New York after receiving her bachelors in architecture from UC Berkeley. She continued her education at Parsons where she received her Masters in Architecture. At Parsons, Jeong participated in the Design Build Workshop and was recognized for her research in civic spaces by receiving the Thesis Award. Professionally, Jeong has experience as an adjunct professor teaching undergraduate students at NJIT and has worked on retail, civic, and private residential projects. Her educational and professional background has shaped her passion in community work and career goals in leadership. Currently, Jeong is seeking to learn more about the business and administrative side of architectural firms and the industry. Outside of work, she enjoys her hobbies in making clothes, continuing to practice on her golf swing, and people watching in cafes.

Lloyd Sigal, FAIA, is a Managing Principal at Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) with more than 36 years of experience. He plays a key role in managing the 650-person firm, and has led some of its most challenging projects to numerous global awards, including two National AIA Honor Awards.

Sigal’s management approach fuses design with engineering and construction, emphasizing collaboration to develop creative, integrated solutions. This is epitomized by mega-projects like Hudson Yards, Mohegan Sun, Baruch College’s Vertical Campus, Port Authority Bus Terminal, Terminal 5 at Changi Airport in Singapore and a series of projects that use architectural “surgery” to reposition outdated buildings, including Centra Metropark in New Jersey, 390 Madison Avenue, and the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. He also oversees KPF’s West Coast work and KPF’s San Francisco office.

Elevated to AIA Fellowship in 2017, Sigal is actively involved in Urban Land Institute, Council on Tall Building and Urban Habitat, REBNY, New York Building Congress, and SPUR in San Francisco. He is deeply involved with Publicolor, a program that empowers high school students through arts-based programs. Within KPF, he oversees A.C.E. Mentorship, and the firm’s in-house education program.

A graduate of Penn State, he was honored in 2022 as an Alumni Fellow and in 2016 with its College of Arts and Architecture Alumni Award. He has served as a frequent lecturer, guest critic, and mentor.

Sophia Zhu is a creative designer at Rockwell Group with 7 years of experience delivering innovative architectural design across various scales and typologies. Trained as an architect at Princeton University, Zhu’s passion lies in expanding the boundaries of traditional architectural practice, with a dedicated focus on enriching human experiences and embracing cultural identities.

She aspires to choreograph everyday spaces into immersive and theatrical environments that evoke emotional resonance. Zhu’s completed work includes notable projects such as Amazon PenPlace HQ2, Oasis Central Sudirman, Heartland 66 plaza, and Maison Belle Golden Eye. Currently, she is engaged in a confidential museum project in DC, multiple restaurant projects in the US, and a resort complex in Saudi Arabia. She has won international competitions in Italy, China, Cambodia, and Indonesia. Her personal work has earned recognition in exhibitions across New York, Boston, London, and Hong Kong.

Rebecca Kosar, LEED GA, is an emerging architecture and interior design professional eager to continue learning and embracing new experiences. She believes that architecture is an interdisciplinary practice that balances pragmatic constraints with imaginative artistry to define performative spaces that guide human interactions. Kosar has an interest in experimentation and is passionate about health and wellness. She enjoys being outside to draw inspiration from natural elements.

From Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Kosar grew up as a pre-professional dancer and avid painter before attending the University of Southern California where she received a Bachelor of Architecture with a minor in Dance. She also spent a semester studying at La Salle University in Barcelona, Spain. After graduating in 2020, Kosar has worked on a range of civic, cultural institutional, educational, mixed-use residential projects; some of which have been awarded the AIA Tampa Bay Honorable Mention in Sustainability, AIA Los Angeles Architectural Design in Architectural Installations, and SARA Student National Design Award of Excellence.

John Woelfling, FAIA, is committed to creating sustainable and resource-efficient designs, using an integrated and holistic approach that reduces impacts on the environment and positively affects the health and comfort of building occupants. He leverages his broad experiences working across project typologies, from education and recreation to healthcare and infrastructure, to inform his leadership of the firm’s mixed-use residential projects.

A recognized Passive House expert, Woelfling’s focus on sustainable design practices is guided by proactive education of evolving green technologies and incorporating them into his design work. He leads Dattner Architects’ residential work, designing large-scale, urban affordable housing that embodies environmental responsibility and resident wellbeing. Under his leadership, the firm has developed specialized expertise in designing and building sustainable multi-family buildings; his commitment to sustainability and innovation has resulted in the completion of 961 new units of Passive House affordable housing for New Yorkers.

He frequently lectures about affordable housing and sustainability, speaking at the Center for Architecture, AIA NYS, Urban Green and GreenBuild, Forum for Urban Design, Reimagine Conference, and the PHIUS Passive House Conference. Woelfling holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Tech.

Born and raised in New York, Jeremy Iannucci, AIA, is deeply influenced by the city’s ever-changing landscape. His architectural philosophy is founded on the potential of each project, intricately woven with the site’s narratives and heritage.

After graduating from The Spitzer School of Architecture in 2018, Iannucci has since embarked on a diverse professional journey. His portfolio encompasses endeavors spanning from rustic residences in rural Idaho to dynamic mixed-use developments along Brooklyn’s waterfront. A common thread unifying his design ethos is the deliberate fusion of historical and spatial contexts, meticulously entwined with a thorough program analysis.

Iannucci’s creative exploration traverses various mediums, embracing novel technologies and methodologies to articulate the realms of design. Currently a member of the Marvel design team, he also serves as a respected design critic at The City College of New York and Pratt Institute, nurturing emerging talent in the field.