Parker VanMeter Stewart3533 Brackenridge Lane, Fuquay Varina, NC 27526919-924-9460pvstewar@ncsu.edu

November 22, 2015

Past President Charlie Klecha, Assoc. AIAElections Committee ChairAmerican Institute of Architecture Students1735 New York Avenue NWWashington, DC 20006-5029

Dear Past President Charlie Klecha,

I am writing to express my intention to run for the office of Southquad Director of the American Institute of Architecture Students for the 2016-2017 term. This organization is a critical voice in architectural education and practice that requires leaders who can speak boldly on behalf of its membership. I am confident that I process the skills, dedication, and passion to be a voice of AIAS. Just as the role of the architect is continually changing, so to is the role of the student of architecture. Student loan debt, studio culture, and intern development are being reshaped creating new challenges for educators, professionals, and, most importantly, students. I am therefore compelled to do everything thing in my ability to empower the next generation of architecture students to succeed and grow in their educations and professional lives.

I’ve been a member of AIAS since my freshman year when Southquad was held in Raleigh, however, it was only after attending my second quad conference at Auburn that I fully understood the significance of AIAS. AIAS has always pushed me to be better and to thrive in my education and profession. Leadership, unlike many project ideations, is not found overnight — effective leadership takes trails and error, engaging with people, and learning from experience. I am running for the position of Southquad director because I want to put others first. At AIAS, people appreciate individuality. I must confess that I am out of style: I dress like I’m 40 and I’m out of touch with today’s music. I’m always lost at Beaux Art Balls. I make cryptic notes and sketches that not even I can decipher after twenty-four hours. And I can’t draw cats…or women’s hair (so much for playing Jack in woman’s fantasies). But I am determined, hard-working, and confident. I want to help establish in all architecture students a serious interest in AIAS. More importantly, I will share the sense of community that I have found and am grateful to be a part of in AIAS.

To share our community with more students I believe the AIAS must have a stronger visibility — AIAS is an organization funded by students and run by students and therefore must serve each and every architecture student. The value of membership is vague to many but by fostering actual experiences and change we can increase AIAS presence at schools and support chapters to succeed in their current and future roles. Like a cowboy, I’ll wrangle together the southern schools to create more interaction among all parties: members, presidents, and the national board. We’ll challenge more students to attend chapter events, Southquad, and FORUM — all life-changing experiences. We’ll cultivate leadership transparency and communication among presidents and executive boards so that each chapter shares their story. I want to empower each and every member to make their mark on this organization and their profession.

Enthusiastically,

Parker Stewart BED-A 2016, North Carolina State University Past Chapter President, AIAS | NCSUStudent Director + AIAS Board Liaison, AIA Triangle

parker stewart

education

North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NCBachelor of Environmental Design in ArchitectureMinor in Art Studies3.563 GPA, Dean’s List 5 semesters

Prague Institute, Prague, Czech Republic

recognition

Shawcroft Prize nomination; awarded to architecture students who demonstrate excellent hand drawing skills

recipient of the Southern Association of Wholesale Distributors College Scholarship

Eagle Scout

design experience

Student Director & AIAS Board Liaison, AIA Traingle, Raleigh, NC

Undergraduate President, AIAS | NCSU Chapter, Raleigh, NC

Habitat for Humanity, Wake County, NC Summer Intern, Wake County, 07.2015 - 09.2015

• prepared and corrected construction drawing sets Volunteer House Leader, Augusta Crossings, 05.2014 - present

• lead volunteers in a variety of daily tasks to build affordable housing on time and budget each Saturday •teach,implement,anddirectframing,exteriorsiding,interiortrim,andfinalpunch

Construction/Deconstruction Volunteer, 08.2009 - 12.2013• assisted in the construction of single-story and multi-story homes• assisted in the deconstruction of multi-story homes and the salvage of materials to be sold in the Habitat for Humanity of Wake County Restore• utilized learned tectonics and construction methods from BED-A work

Ambassador, College of Design, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC• participate in networking events and give tours and conversations to prospective students about the College of Design

Counselor, Design Camp, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC• worked with students and instructors to facilitate learning during each project• inspired students by working with them around the clock in different scenarios and on different projects• helped students make connections between personnel experience and the path toward becoming designers

Teacher’s Assistant, Design Camp, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC• worked with students and instructors to facilitate learning during each project• collaborated with instructor and lead staff on lesson plans and group activities

Assistant Director, New Sense Studios, Raleigh, NC• mentor underprivileged youth as a volunteer at the Washington Elementary Boys and Girls Club• lead and plan art-based activities such as personality themed masks that provide youth an outlet to communicate their ideas and passions through artistic expression

skills

• Mac OS and PC, Revit, AutoCAD, SketchUp, Abode Photoshop, Indesign, and Illustrator• freehand, watercolor, acrylic paint, woodworking, model making, full-scale design/build• management and leadership, communication and advocacy, collaborative problem solving

05.2016

lifelong

06.2014 - 08.2015

07.2014 - 07.2015

08.2013 - 05.2014

04.2014 - present

06.2014

08.2009 - present

03.2014 - 06.2015

10.2014

08.2013 - present

pvstewar@ncsu.edupvstewart.com

9.2015 - 12.2015

    Campus Box 7701

Raleigh, NC 27695

919.515.8340 (p) 919.515.7330 (fax)  

November 20 2015 Charlie Klecha, Assoc. AIA Chair of the Elections Committee American Institute of Architectural Students Dear Members of the Election Committee: As Head of the School of Architecture at NC State University, I am writing to express my full support and endorsement of Parker Stewart in his quest to become Southquad Director of AIAS. Parker is a junior in the School, and currently serves as Undergraduate President of the NC State AIAS Chapter. Parker is a highly engaged aspiring architect who, in addition to being the Student Director and Board Liaison for AIAS in the Triangle section of AIA NC, has worked with Habitat for Humanity since 2009 (is currently a Volunteer House Leader), is an Ambassador for the College of Design, is a counselor in the College of Design summer Design Camp, and has volunteered as a mentor to underprivileged youth through the design student engagement organization, New Sense Studios. Most importantly, Parker is able balance his volunteer efforts with academic success. Parker has maintained a 3.5 grade point average and has made the Deans List for academic achievement several semesters. His drawings and designs have been selected for competitions and exhibitions of the work of the school. I should also note that the senior year at NC State is comparatively “light”, particularly in comparison to third year, so he should be comfortably challenged by this position and not at all overwhelmed. Parker is personable, organized, and well respected by his peers. He is a wonderful representative of our student body, and I am confident he will serve AIAS well as the Director for Southquad. I give him my highest recommendation for this position. Please let me know if you require further information, With kindest regards,

Robin Fran Abrams, Ph.D., FAIA, ASLA Head of the School of Architecture rfabrams@ncsu.edu

American Institute of Architecture Students2016-2017 National Board of Directors ElectionsCandidate Questionnaire

Q1: Describe your origin story as a student leader. What prompted you to get involved? What advice would you give others who have yet to realize their potential for leadership?

I became a student leader because I wanted to grow our organization so that we could establish in more architecture students at North Carolina State University a serious interest in AIAS. Much too often people become leaders because doing so was merely the next logical step. I may have been cloudy on what I wanted to get from being a chapter president but I knew what I hoped to give: I wanted to share the sense of community that I had found and am grateful to be a part of in AIAS. I am still reeling from the passion, intelligence, and forward-thinking of my first two Southquads and I ran around my campus wanting my peers to have the same experiences that I had had that year. It is only appropriate that our executive board’s motto during my term as president was ‘together we can engage and excite.’

For those who have yet to realize their potential for leadership, my advice is to say ‘yes.’ All of us have the potential to step up and lead our chapters deftly into the future as we inspire our peers and colleagues. The importance of saying yes is doing the doings that scare us, that make us face our fears head on, and grow as a result. I ran for president of my chapter as I raced around campus fueled by AIAS passion because I relished the challenge leading my chapter would bring.

The passion and excitement of AIAS awakens the latent potential for leadership that most students did not know they even processed. AIAS is the epitome of leadership and vulnerability in our growth. By putting ourselves on the stand as a unified voice, whether that be for change in studio culture, student loan debt, or diversity in education, we create agents of change that become leaders by advocating.

Q2: In recent years, the AIAS has increased its efforts in advocacy for architecture students on issues including but not limited to student loan debt, studio culture, intern development, leadership, technology and diversity. What one issue do you personally find the most important? How would you make progress on this issue as an elected leader on the AIAS National Board of Directors?

Architects shape the world. But before architects shape the world they put themselves and their ideas on the stand to create catalysts for next-generational ideas. For each architect it all starts with a crippling panic as they look around their studio during their first presentation. Fast-forward through the challenges and growth AIAS provides and the idea of wiping our entire bodies with antiperspirants before standing up in front of a lot of people and talking seems out the question. AIAS has dried up the antiperspirant industry because AIAS prepares the next-generation of design leaders.

Architects learn how to think critically and go beyond the status quo to form meaningful new ideas. We are trained to see the big picture and reframe the questions to see different perspectives. How do architects learn to mobilize people to act on this knowledge? By learning how to effectively lead. Students must learn not only how to work in a team, but to supercharge and inspire a team. We should teach students not only to work with others, but to bring out the best in others.

Q3: The AIAS has over 160 chapters across the U.S. and around the world, ranging in size from just a few students to hundreds. How would use your position on the Board to better connect and engage our geographically and culturally diverse membership? What resources would you propose to better serve Chapter leaders seeking to grow their chapters and connect to other students around the world?

To engage our geographically and culturally diverse membership we need an individual who understands connections. I’ll be that individual, that cowboy, wrangling chapters together into a communication that is more transparent and open towards their members. To foster actual experiences and change members must be present. From increased national resources and chapter communication we will create an environment that challenges students to attend more chapter events and, therefore, more quad conferences and FORUMs.

We must act to engage and excite our members and non-members. A stronger Southquad presence on Facebook and Instagram is only the beginning. We must be transparent in our social media: chapters should be sharing their events so that other chapters might be inspired to try; fundraising opportunities, FBD projects, and social events should also be told like the stories we share about ourselves. Facebook is the ultimate social media connector but it is not the shelf for the Southquad toolbox. Our main AIAS page should have ‘Quad’ pages where members, executive councils, and presidents can find useful resources, updates, and a member-blog.

Q4: Describe one area in which you see an untapped opportunity for the AIAS to engage in a new way, either with other organizations (ASLA, AIGA, etc), with school faculty and administrators, with the profession, or with the international design community.

Designers shape the world. AIAS and its members must challenge themselves to develop further and better connections with other design organizations (ALSA, AIGA, etc). We should all care to share. Therefore, we should tap on the other design profession now and not only during our professional careers. Creating interdisciplinary professional connections with other organizations is in conjunction with the ideology of AIAS as a second-layer of education or as an organization which builds beyond studio. These experiences and connections diversify our educations in meaningful ways. Just as our personal lives thrive on relationships, so to do our professional lives.

If we stretch and define architecture through innovation, then architects are constantly pushing — pushing for new technologies, new typologies, and new solutions for the way we live today. And we push and push until we completely alienate everyone. We wear all black, we get very depressed, and spend 90% of our day indoors and the other 10% asleep at our desks (if we’re lucky). Outsiders think we’re adorable. But we must also innovate ourselves and push our profession to become more open, connected, and entangled with the other design disciplines. Despite a transformed global context, the same models of studio culture since the Beaux Arts, Bauhaus, and the Texas Rangers have remained in place until AIAS challenged educators with Studio Culture in 2000. Many of AIAS’s members now study in interdisciplinary colleges, therefore, AIAS is perfectly positioned to challenge our profession to create a bigger and better design community. Only then can we create an interdisciplinary environment that makes sense of the world for the benefit of the public.

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AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS CANDIDATE CONTACT INFORMATION FORM Candidate contact information will only be used by the Elections Committee to communicate elections-related information. If provided, social media handles will be shared when candidates are posted publicly on AIAS website and social media. Name (as preferred):________________________________________ Chapter:__________________________________________________ Chapter Leadership Position (if any):___________________________ Email Address:_____________________________________________ Mobile Phone Number:______________________________________ Social Media Account Handles (optional):

o Facebook:__________________________________________

o Twitter: @__________________________________________

o Instagram:_________________________________________

o Other:____________________________________________

To engage and excite our geographically and culturally diverse membership we need an individual who understands connections. I’ll be that individual, that cowboy, wrangling Southquad chapters together to create more interaction. We’ll share the sense of community that we’ve all found and are grateful to be a part of in AIAS by fostering actual experiences. Together, we’ll empower each and every member to make their mark on this organization and their profession.

Parker Stewart Candidate for AIAS Southquad Director 2016-2017