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2026 EDITORIAL TEAM
Afomia
Hunde
Location:
Cambridge, MA
Country of Origin:
Ethopia
Gwendoline A. Ndikumagenge
Location:
Denver, CO
Country of Origin:
USA
Arti
Verma
Location:
Atlanta, GA
Country of Origin:
India
Jane
Rodrigues
Location:
Atlanta, GA
Country of Origin:
India
Bhavik
Shah
Location:
San Francisco, CA
Country of Origin:
India
Zuzanna
Bojarska
Location:
Philadelphia, PA
Country of Origin:
Poland
Gabriella
Bermea
Location:
Austin, TX
Country of Origin:
USA
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All Posts
From Manta to the Podium: Why Immigrant Voices Must Lead
I was born in Manta, Ecuador, a small coastal city on the Pacific, the youngest of nine siblings. Growing up in a large family teaches you things no classroom ever could: how to listen before speaking, how to find common ground, how to hold a room full of competing opinions together long enough to build something, and much more. As I like to say, I would not be here if I were not a good compromiser. I came to the United States as a first-generation immigrant with a belief tha
Willy Zambrano
8 hours ago5 min read
Design Your Life: Curiosity, Courage, and Iterative Growth
Photo Credit: San Jose State University Architecture teaches us how to design buildings, cities, and systems—but rarely how to design our own lives. For immigrant architects especially, life often unfolds without a clear blueprint. Cultural expectations, immigration barriers, financial uncertainty, and professional gatekeeping shape our paths in ways that are invisible to many of our peers. In my talk at AIA Women’s Leadership Summit (WLS), I reflected on how I have learned t
Madhubala Ayyamperumal
Apr 243 min read
Get Inspired: Inside the AIA National Associates Committee (NAC) 2026 Annual Meeting
From February 14–16, 2026, State/Territory Associate Representatives (StAR) from AIA State Chapters across the country gathered at the AIA Global Campus for the AIA National Associates Committee (NAC) Annual Meeting, and the energy was contagious. Led by Brett Wedding, AIA NAC President, and Katie Cherrie, Assoc. AIA, Vice President, this year’s meeting embraced a team-building theme: NAC Olympics, a reminder that collaboration, creativity, and community are at the heart of e
Danielle McCormick & Manuel Granja
Apr 164 min read
Navigating Your Career During Unprecedented Times
Over the past few years, the COVID-19 pandemic and shifting geopolitics have reshaped our world, creating unprecedented challenges, especially for immigrant professionals in the United States. In addition to domestic challenges, changing immigration policies and international travel restrictions, global events can quickly affect career opportunities for those of us trying to establish a career abroad. I am an immigrant architect from Yangon, Myanmar, and I started my journey
Dimple Zeng
Mar 264 min read
Leading with Purpose: Advocacy, Leadership, and Connection at the AIA Leadership Summit
From February 10-14, more than 700 members of the American Institute of Architects gathered in Washington, DC, for the annual AIA Leadership Summit, an energizing convening of component leaders committed to advancing the profession through advocacy, governance, and shared learning. Danielle McCormick, Assoc. AIA (AIA Washington, DC Chapter) and Graciela Carrillo, FAIA (AIA Long Island Chapter), actively engaged in the summit’s programming, which served as a powerful reminder
Danielle McCormick & Graciela Carrillo
Mar 203 min read
Designing Access by Building a Scholarship Ecosystem
For many immigrant architecture students, entry into the profession is shaped as much by immigration policy as by architectural talent. The cost of education is rarely just tuition. It is tuition layered with visa restrictions that limit work hours, volatile currency exchange rates, and the need to rebuild professional networks from scratch. It is navigating OPT timelines, work authorization renewals, and the uncertainty of sponsorship while trying to focus on studio and exam
Saakshi Terway
Mar 123 min read
The Heavy Head That Wears the Crown: Navigating leadership, motherhood, and burnout while designing hope for others
Photo Credit: Jeffery Sauers and Wiencek+ Associates Architects+ Planners Pandemic Beginnings: Isolation and Leadership My son was born during the height of the pandemic in May 2020, when hospitals were tense, cities had shut down, and fear filled the air. We brought him home to a world of isolation: no visitors, no celebrations, just silence. At the same time, I was adjusting to remote work and first-time motherhood. With no boundaries between home and office, no breaks, and
Krutika Shah
Feb 263 min read
Building a Brand by Building Something: How My Pandemic Tea Brand Shaped My Personal and Professional Identity
As someone who currently works in a corporate environment where branding is supported by large budgets, agencies, and dedicated teams, I understand how distant that model can feel from individual practitioners. But in reality, the most powerful brands are often built by individuals through intention, consistency, storytelling, and service. My journey into branding didn’t begin in a corporate boardroom. It started with tea. I chose tea as my medium because it was personal. Dur
Oyuki Thomas
Feb 204 min read
Starting Your Own Firm – Part 2
( Link to Part 1) Having my own firm has been a dream of mine since childhood. Executing that dream, however, is a much more challenging undertaking. In my previous blog, I shared some general tips on how to start your own firm. In this post, I would like to spend some time discussing the technical aspects and paperwork involved in setting up a business. Since I reside in California, the procedures and steps discussed in this article are based on my experience establishing a
Yu-Ngok Lo
Jan 294 min read
Making “Otherness” Your Superpower
As immigrants, we are often reminded of the challenges that shape our professional journeys. These include immigration policies that limit opportunities, language and idioms that obscure meaning, and cultural norms that make us hesitate to advocate for ourselves. Today, however, I want to focus on something different: the strengths that immigrant professionals bring, the traits that make us exceptional problem-solvers and integrators of ideas. These traits are particularly be
ShivaMendez
Jan 223 min read
From Immigrant Paths to Leadership: What WLS 2025 Taught Us
When we signed up for the 2025 AIA Women’s Leadership Summit (WLS) in Atlanta, we thought we were attending a major industry event. What we didn’t anticipate was stepping into one of the most powerful rooms of our careers — a space filled with women who looked like us, sounded like us, and had walked paths similar to ours, redefining what leadership in architecture truly means. As immigrant architects navigating careers in the U.S. on O-1 visas, our journeys have been anythin
Carolina Galvez & Dorota Gocal
Jan 24 min read
Reflecting on My Journey to the College of Fellows
Submitting my application to the AIA College of Fellows was one of the most profound moments of reflection in my leadership journey. When I first joined AIA more than a decade ago, I never imagined that one day I would be applying for Fellowship under Object 3: Lead the Institute. This required documenting not only the roles I had held, but also the impact, advocacy, and ripple effects that grew from them. As an immigrant architect, someone who built her career from the grou
Graciela Carrillo
Dec 4, 20253 min read
Future Unfolding: Reflections from the 2025 NOMA National Conference
Attending the 2025 NOMA National Conference in Kansas City was an energizing, grounding, and deeply meaningful experience. The theme “Future Unfolding” captured exactly what the week felt like. It was a moment where our collective stories, ideas, and identities were opening outward toward possibility. The conference brought together architects, designers, students, and community leaders committed to shaping a more equitable future in the built environment. As an immigrant ar
Taruna Gupta
Nov 25, 20254 min read
How to Get Ready for a Job Interview as an Immigrant Architect in the U.S.
Finding a job as an architect is challenging enough, but doing it as an immigrant adds layers of complexity. Between language barriers, portfolio translation, and cultural nuances in communication, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Yet, preparation truly is the key to confidence. With the right mindset and strategy, you can not only land the interview but also own the conversation once you are in it. Below are practical tips, lessons learned, and strategies tailored specificall
Gloria Kloter
Nov 20, 20255 min read
Expanding Career Horizons for Emerging Architects through Small A, Big E Firms
When most architecture graduates step into the professional world, the destination seems clear: join a design studio or a large architecture firm and create beautiful buildings. It’s a rewarding path—but it’s not the only one. There’s an entire world of opportunity that often goes unnoticed: roles within engineering firms and small architectural practices that contribute to large-scale infrastructure projects. This blog introduces the concept of “Small A, Big E”—a framework t
Krutika Shah
Nov 12, 20253 min read
From Vision to Leadership: Empowering Women and Immigrants at AIA Aspire
The 2025 AIA Aspire Conference, held in Asheville, North Carolina, brought together architects, designers, and industry leaders for meaningful conversations around diversity, leadership, and the future of our profession. For a few inspiring days, the mountain city became a vibrant hub of design, advocacy, and community engagement. The Immigrant Architects Coalition (IAC) was honored to be part of this transformative event. The conference’s theme, “design outside the lines,”
Gozde Yildirim
Oct 13, 20253 min read
Navigating Change Together: Insights from the 2025 NCARB Licensing Advisor Summit
This past July, licensing advisors from across the country gathered in Minneapolis, MN, for the 2025 NCARB Licensing Advisor Summit...
Gloria Kloter
Sep 28, 20253 min read
AIAS GrassROOTS 2025: A Celebration of Leadership and Community
This summer, I had the privilege of attending AIAS GRASSROOTS 2025, the organization’s annual leadership conference, held in Washington,...
Oyuki Thomas
Sep 14, 20253 min read
Beyond H-1B: Immigration Options for Architects & Engineers
Thousands of international students and professionals wait nervously for the H-1B lottery results. Some are lucky. Many are not. But here’s the truth: your U.S. journey doesn’t have to end with a lottery result. For architects and engineers, there are multiple pathways to continue building your career, some temporary, some permanent, and some even more substantial than H-1B itself. EB-2 NIW – The Self-Made Green Card If your work has evident national importance, whether in
Abhi Nair
Aug 21, 20252 min read
Starting Your Own Firm
At some point in their careers, many architects contemplate the idea of starting their own firm. Yet, only a few of us actually take the...
Yu-Ngok Lo
Jul 14, 20253 min read
The information, views, and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and are based on the author’s personal experience. They are provided for general informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice, nor should they be construed as such. The content is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. Readers should consult with a qualified, licensed attorney or appropriate professional regarding their individual legal concerns.
The views and opinions expressed herein do not reflect the official policy, position, or endorsement of the Immigrant Architects Coalition, its board of directors, officers, members, or affiliates.
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