Mentors needed for AIAS CRIT Scholars

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[["images-card",{"images":[{"url":"http:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/dpcbzfiye\/image\/upload\/v1679325828\/sj28tot1hm9tiwlneas3.jpg","id":"6605958"}],"caption":"Jack Reed, 2020 CRIT fellow"}]],"markups":[["a",["href","https:\/\/www.aias.org\/crit\/crit-scholar\/","target","_blank"]],["strong"],["a",["href","mailto:melaniedecola@aia.org","target","_blank"]]],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Through the"],[0,[0],1," AIAS CRIT Scholars"],[0,[],0," program, AIA members have a unique opportunity to help build the next generation of architects by mentoring a scholarship recipient. The research-based fellowship program, funded by AIA in partnership with other architecture firms, provides students who are passionate about architectural research with a $1,000 grant to support their studies and pairs them with an architect advisor who specializes in their area of focus."]]],[1,"blockquote",[[0,[],0,"\u201cThe intersection of academia and architecture,\u201d says Robin R. Randall, FAIA, \u201cis where the magic happens.\u201d"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Randall, a principal and the director of learning at Legat Architects, is a volunteer mentor to CRIT fellows. In 2021, Randall was paired with Helia Taheri. Taheri, then a PhD student in the design program at North Carolina State University, was studying human-building interaction to improve thermal\ncomfort and indoor air quality in K-12 schools before and after Covid-19. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cMy doctoral research was about understanding teachers\u2019 preferred behaviors to improve thermal comfort and indoor air quality in their classrooms and learn more about the benefits and drawbacks of their behaviors from different stakeholders\u2019 perspectives,\u201d said Teheri, now a senior research strategist at CallisonRTKL. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0," \u201cThe goal of my dissertation was to suggest actionable recommendations to K-12 school stakeholders to mitigate the drawbacks of teachers\u2019 behaviors while enhancing their benefits.\u201d"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Randall\u2019s expertise and her network helped Taheri keep her research moving, even during the pandemic. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cWhen I was looking for schools for the sample of my study, Robin generously connected me a school that her firm designed, and that school is one of the samples of my study,\u201d said Taheri. \u201cRobin\u2019s insights on the K-12 school designs helped me to suggest more actionable recommendations to the architects in my dissertation.\u201d"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Taheri says her early research continues to influence design solutions and the valuable lessons learned during her time as a CRIT scholar serve her daily in her professional work. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cI learned how to design and conduct qualitative and quantitative methods to understand different stakeholders\u2019 perspectives about a specific topic. I also learned the critical role of the researcher to provide a comfortable environment for stakeholders to share their thoughts without the fear of being judged,\u201d said Taheri."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Former CRIT fellow Jack Reed, AIA, says his mentor, Jeri Britton, Ph.D., the director of research at HDR, proved equally as valuable as the research grant he received as a Virginia Tech graduate student in 2020."]]],[10,0],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cIt is a gamechanger. The caliber of mentors is next level. You get access to the very top level of knowledge,\u201d said Reed. \u201cJeri really pushed for rigor in the research process. She would give me detailed feedback and critiques on everything I produced,\u201d said Reed."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The magic, for both Reed and Taheri, happened when they were invited to present their research at professional conferences. The experience, said Reed, \u201cgave me a foundation to build upon to continue pursing those opportunities. The chances to elevate his work and career, said Reed, continue to follow. \u201cWithout the CRIT scholarship, I may not have continued to receive and purse opportunities to present at conferences and be involved in research activities early in my career.\u201d"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[1],1,"Volunteer as a CRIT MENTOR"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Recruiting is under way for 2023 CRIT Mentors, an opportunity Randall says will not only serve early-career architects like Reed and Taheri but will enhance the way established professional practice. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cI learned as much from Helia as she did from me because of her drive and curiosity. It became much more than me just advising her, it was much more of a partnership. She broadened my perspective of how to look at things in the world,\u201d said Randall, who is returning as a mentor this year, \u201cand her knowledge and the research that she brough forward was helpful in improving the way we design and think of projects.\u201d"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"To learn more about how you can become a mentor, contact "],[0,[2],1,"Melanie De Cola"],[0,[],0,", manager, Architectural Research at AIA. "]]],[1,"p",[]]]}