Supported by a 2012 RWU Presidents Inclusive Excellence Fund Grant to Dean Stephen White, SAAHP launched its Womens Leadership Network (WLN) at Alumni Weekend on June 9, 2012, in a session attended by 20+ graduates who returned to RWU, along with SAAHP deans and university leaders. The session focused on issues and potentials achievable through establishing womens’ leadership connections from K-12 through undergraduate and graduate school, alumni in the early part of their careers as well as senior professionals.  Women students in SAAHP disciplines across the country are highly successful as students, yet are less represented in number and professional achievements than their early academic success would indicate. Mentoring and professional advancements for women in SAAHP  fields are key elements of the WLN initiative.  SAAHP is collaborating with national academic and professional groups to advance this initiative, whose success will be measured in greater presence, recognized achievement and leadership of women in years ahead. 

Twelve Roger Williams and Rhode Island School of Design students participated this Summer 1 Session in an Architecture graduate seminar on Furniture Design, taught by Visiting Professor Carl Safe of the Sam Fox School of Design at Washington University, one of the US’s leading art, architecture and design schools. Safe described:

“The defining characteristic of this design course is that the final product is not a representation of a proposal, it is the proposal.  This is a course about making. Architects are in the business of designing beautiful environments, spaces, places and objects because we know something but more importantly, because we believe something.  This is an opportunity to design and make a beautiful object that is born of a set of intentions (what you believe) and has meaning beyond the fact that you made it.

While it is sometimes difficult to get excited about building maintenance, the skylight replacement completed this June and July has transformed the school! The light now restored to studio spaces, hallways and the Architecture Library from mid-June to mid-July is clear and inspiring. Kite Architects, Providence designed the installation, following through on their 1985 and 2005 AIA Award winning original design and expansion. Thanks to Albert Garcia, AIA, Principal, and Kyle Bamrick, AIA, Associate from Kite, thanks to Behan Brothers Construction led by Jeff Lipshires, and the RWU team led by Steve Terrien. All shared a celebratory 72-foot long subway sandwich on July 13 in the fabulous Main Hall of the school, appreciating the longest length of the new skylight installation.

The Kaestle Boos Associates (KBA) Scholarship program continued in Summer 2012, coordinated by Professor of Architecture Bill McQueen with Charles Boos, AIA, Principal at Kaestle Boos Associates, New Britain , CT and Taunton, MA.

From a group of eight applicants, the following winners were chosen:

1st Place                     Bryan Apito      $1000
2nd Place                    Mark Iovieno      $500
Honorable Mention    Devin Picardi      $250