Robert L. Easter, FAIA

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["i"],["sup"]],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Through his staunch advocacy\nand commitment to education, Robert L. Easter, FAIA, has continually proven\nhimself to be a leader for all members of the profession who embody\narchitecture\u2019s progressive values and seek to shape our world for the better.\nEqually active in practice and the academy, Easter has embodied Whitney M.\nYoung Jr.\u2019s famous 1967 call to action, and he has worked tirelessly to ensure\nthe profession becomes much more diverse and inclusive than he once found it. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Easter\u2019s work to broaden\ndiversity, equity, and inclusion began early in his career while he was a\nstudent at Virginia Tech. As a graduate student, he was instrumental in\nadvancing a minority lecture series that introduced an overwhelmingly white\ndesign academy to the work of architects and planners of color. Later, while\nserving in the US Army Corps of Engineers as a senior instructor, he helped young\nofficers with little design, math, or engineering backgrounds transition into\nthe corps. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Following his service,\nEaster founded Kelso \u0026 Easter Architects in Richmond in 1983 and, shortly\nthereafter, was introduced to the National Association of Minority Architects\n(NOMA). NOMA recognized his energy and commitment, and Easter was swiftly\nelevated to serve in several of the organization\u2019s national leadership\npositions, beginning with a three-year term as national secretary. In that\nrole, he developed NOMA\u2019s national newsletter, "],[0,[0],1,"NOMANews"],[0,[],0,", which still\ncirculates today. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In 1992, he was elected to\nserve a two-year term as NOMA\u2019s 15"],[0,[1],1,"th"],[0,[],0," president. During his tenure,\nhe created the NOMA Council to recognize the extraordinary contributions its\nmembers have made to the profession. After forging an alliance with South\nAfrica\u2019s design community, Easter helped create a sister organization to NOMA\nthere and traveled to Johannesburg to meet with its leadership, facilitate\nsessions with the South African Institute of Architects, and discuss terms for\ncooperative leadership. Additionally, Easter worked to advance critical research\nand documentation of African American architects in the U.S. and partnered with\nAIA and other organizations to establish AIA\u2019s first diversity conference. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"After nearly 30 years of\npractice, Easter returned to Hampton University, where he completed his\nundergraduate studies, to become chair of its architecture department. He\ninherited an excellent program that needed to adjust its professional\ndirection, specifically to prepare students for their eventual licensure. In\nhis nearly 15 years as chair, Easter has promoted licensure as the highest\npriority and responsibility for graduates, interweaving IDP and now AXP\nrequirements into the professional practice curriculum. He has also secured\nfunding for a lecture series that introduces students to renowned Black\narchitects, and he leverages his relationships with peers to provide mentorship\nopportunities that help graduates become familiar with new professional\nenvironments. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In 2017, Easter was invited\nto attend the AIA Large Firm Roundtable\/Dean\u2019s Forum at Tulane University,\nwhere he made an impassioned plea to the firms leading the profession to\nembrace their social responsibility regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion.\nEaster hosted the roundtable at Hampton University in 2019 and was asked to\njoin its Diversity Task Force, where he penned a position paper that offered a\nfoundational understanding of the challenges to diversifying the profession. He\nalso connected the roundtable\u2019s leadership to NOMA, igniting a dialogue on\nstrategies firms could use to bolster their diversity profiles. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"More recently, Easter\nshaped a proposal for the roundtable to better assist minority-serving\ninstitutions, particularly historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).\nThe impact of his work has been significant: Many of the roundtable\u2019s firms\nhave committed to partnering with HBCU programs and have changed their\nrecruiting process. Additionally, the roundtable has entered into a memorandum\nof understanding with NOMA to support scholarships and sponsor K-12 outreach\nefforts. "]]]]}