National minority architecture board held annual board meeting at Tuskegee
National minority architecture board held annual board meeting at Tuskegee
TUSKEGEE, Ala. - The National Organization of Minority Architects held their annual board meeting at Tuskegee University Friday through Sunday. The Tuskegee Department of Architecture hosted the members.
"NOMAS is the voice - the representative of minorities in the field (of architecture)," said Kim Dowdel, university liaison for the northeast region. "It helps pave the way for students to obtain internships and careers."
On Friday, a reception for the three-day meeting was held in the department. A large number of Tuskegee architecture students and faculty mingled with NOMAS board members and talked about the challenges of and strides being made in the architecture industry.
"It's very good for both us and the students to get together like this," said Dr. Richard K. Dozier, head of the Tuskegee architecture department. "There are a lot of great real-life mentors here this weekend."
Among the mentors Dozier spoke of is Carlton Smith, NOMAS national president and Tuskegee alumnus. Smith, who is also a former member of the Tuskegee University Marching Crimson Pipers Band, is the managing principal architect at Michael Willis Architects in San Francisco.
"It's all a part of giving back," said Smith about coming back to his alma mater. "Everything I've learned about architecture comes from here. Being here this weekend reminds me of the commitment the instructors have to these students' success."
One of Smith's former instructors, Major L. Holland, owner of a local architecture firm, was also present at the event. Holland taught at Tuskegee for over 30 years.
"It's great to see Carlton (Smith) doing so well, and as the NOMAS national president," Holland said. "He is one of several students I've taught succeeding in this business."
According to architecture instructor Kwesi Daniels, Tuskegee architecture students always show up in great numbers for networking events and conferences.
"Our students are very involved in organizations," Daniels said. "They are frequently exposed to principal architects, owners and CEOs of companies all over the nation."
Among those involved students is Daniel Tobar, a fourth-year architecture student at Tuskgee. Tobar is president of the Tuskegee student chapters of NOMAS and the American Institute of Architecture Students.
"This department puts forth a great effort," Tobar said. "The fact that they are here (NOMAS) is just the icing on the cake of what the faculty does for us. Having these mentors here are a reflection of who we want to be."
NOMAS was founded in 1971 by 12 black architects, as a response to a national outcry for an organization dedicated to the development and advancement of minority architects. The organization strives to be an increasing influential voice that promotes the quality and excellence of minority design professionals. There are NOMA chapters all over the U.S., increasing recognition on college campuses and providing greater access to government policy makers. The organization is based at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
