Non-Traditional Career Paths in Architecture

*This event is occurring as a live webinar. Registrants will be emailed a link to access the program.*

The field of architecture is expansive and varied. This program will provide students and emerging/mid-career professionals the opportunity to hear from leaders in the field who have forged unique career paths, offering strategies and inspiration to those seeking to craft a unique professional life.

Speakers:
Julia Gamolina, Founder and Editor in Chief, Madame Architect; Director of Strategy, Trahan Architects
Jeffrey Montes, Senior Space Architect, Blue Origin
Michelle Young, Founder, Untapped NY
Kirsten Sibilia, Managing Partner, Dattner Architects

Moderator:
Sarah Curry, AIAS, Assoc. AIA, NOMA President, American Institute of Architecture Students

Julia Gamolina, Assoc. AIA, is dedicated to the built environment and the visibility of the women who work in it. With expertise in design, communications, and business development, Gamolina is the Director of Strategy at Trahan Architects, focusing on new business and all aspects of firm growth. Gamolina is also the Founder and Editor of MadameArchitect.org, an online publication focusing on the women that advance the practice of architecture. Thus far, she has published over 100 interviews with architects and designers, as well as CEOs, publicists, journalists, business developers, lawyers, and more. Her writing has also been featured in The Architect’s Newspaper, Architizer, and Metropolis Magazine. In June 2019, Gamolina received the Special Citation from AIANY for her work with Madame Architect, and was named one of Professional Women in Construction’s Top 20 Under 40. Gamolina received her Bachelor of Architecture at Cornell University, graduating with the Charles Goodwin Sands Memorial Medal for exceptional merit in the thesis of architecture.

Jeffrey Montes is a space architect and technologist whose work on habitat designs has been awarded by NASA and private institutions and widely exhibited. He is currently a Senior Space Architect at Blue Origin. He was the principal designer and team leader behind Marsha, a novel Mars habitat form which NASA awarded 1st place in the finale of the 3D Printed Habitat Challenge. Marsha was the recipient of the 2019 Index Award which has previously honored the Tesla Roadster, The Ocean Cleanup, and Raspberry Pi. He co-designed the NASA-awarded Mars Ice House (2015) and NASA co-developed Mars Ice Home (2017), two inventive designs that utilized water ice as a light-transmitting shield for cosmic radiation. He holds graduate and undergraduate degrees in architecture from Columbia University and Northeastern University, respectively, and is a research fellow at Open Lunar Foundation.

Michelle Young is the founder of Untapped New York. A graduate of Harvard College in the History of Art and Architecture, she also holds a master’s degree in urban planning from Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, where she is an Adjunct Professor of Architecture. She is the author of Secret Brooklyn: An Unusual Guide, New York: Hidden Bars & Restaurants, and Broadway. Originally from New York, she has traveled to over forty countries and is always looking for the next adventure.

Kirsten Sibilia, Assoc. AIA, LEED, is a vocal advocate for the value of design and the importance of creating resilient and sustainable urban density. As managing partner, she is focused on the health and vitality of the firm, channeling her passion for architecture through her direction of marketing and communications, strategic planning and other office-wide endeavors. Sibilia’s enthusiasm for supporting architectural practice manifests in a number of professional affiliations and leadership roles: she is on the board of the Beverly Willis Architectural Foundation; she has served the AIA New York as Director of Publications, Chair of the Marketing Committee, Oculus Committee and the PR Task Force, and co-chaired outreach efforts for the Chapter’s Post Sandy Initiative. Kirsten holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Parsons School of Design and a Bachelor of Arts from the New School.

Sarah Curry, AIAS, Assoc. AIA, NOMA, lives and works in Washington, DC as the current President of the American Institute of Architecture Students. Once her term ends later this year, she hopes to practice and explore her passions for evidence-based and equitable design while pursuing licensure and continuing to advocate for students. A B.Arch graduate of Auburn University’s Rural Studio, Curry’s very flexible life plans include going to graduate school, teaching, and eventually enjoying nontraditional practice in the vast field of architecture.