Dr. Sharon Egretta Sutton, FAIA

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["i"]],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"An educator, author, and\ncitizen architect with worldwide reach, Dr. Sharon Egretta Sutton, FAIA, has\nshifted the profession of architecture toward a more equitable, diverse, and\ninclusive future. Fueled by a passion for representing the unrepresented, she\nhas shaped a career informed by the obstacles constructed by the country\u2019s\npolitical landscape. Throughout, she has developed research and tools that\nencourage the next generation of design professionals to heed the call of\nactivism. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Sutton\u2019s list of\nachievements is lengthy, and she is no stranger to breaking new ground: She was\njust the 12th African American woman to become a licensed architect in the\nU.S., the first to be promoted to full professor of architecture, and the\nsecond to be elevated to AIA fellowship. Currently, she is a distinguished\nprofessor of architecture at Parsons School of Design, and she previously\nserved on the faculties of the University of Washington, the University of\nCincinnati, Columbia University, and Pratt Institute. Under her tutelage, a\nroster of transformative leaders has risen to pivotal positions in\narchitectural education and practice. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In the early days of her\ncareer as both a professional musician and burgeoning architect, she was a\nstaunch advocate for social justice causes, supporting efforts to end housing\ndiscrimination and dismantle institutional barriers. Later, she drew on her\nexperiences as an affirmative action student at Columbia University\u2019s School of\nArchitecture to reveal how the school recruited and retained minority\narchitecture students. As an intellectual leader, Sutton continues to straddle\nthe worlds of the academy and practice, framing the built environment as a\nsource of oppression for communities of color while giving voice to the unique\nrole African American architects face both inside and outside of the\nprofession. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Sutton\u2019s research, shared across\nsix books she has either authored or co-authored, encapsulates hidden\nhistories, broken pipelines, and other factors that hamper the potential of\narchitecture education today. In 2017\u2019s "],[0,[0],1,"When\nIvory Towers Were Black"],[0,[],0,", Sutton lays the foundation for attracting and\nbolstering a diverse student body with a vision for a curriculum that opens\ndoors of opportunity for the underrepresented in professions such as\narchitecture and planning. In her most recent work, "],[0,[0],1,"Pedagogy for a Beloved Commons: Pursuing Democracy\u2019s Promise Through\nPlace-Based Activism"],[0,[],0,", which will be published in the spring, Sutton offers\na game plan for students and other hopeful citizen architects to learn and use practical\nskills to continue her vital work. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In all\nthat she has done and endeavors to do, Sutton has created the framework and\nvision for a more just and robust profession. By probing the complicated\nrelationship between architects and the communities they are entrusted to protect,\nshe dares architects to strive for a more equitable built environment with her\ntrademark style, generosity, and good humor. "]]]]}