April 2020 | Inaugural Issue
Emerging Professionals Zine Inside this issue Vice President’s Message..........1 Committee Bios................... 2-4 Mindfulness for the Emerging Professional.......... 5-6 Discovering Our Potential and Network through WIA.... 7-9 Finding Our Purpose During the Pandemic Era........10 Phase 3 Federal Stimulus Package— The CARES Act..................11-13 Scholarships & Grants............14 The mission of the AIA New York State Emerging Professionals is “to provide an open forum for professionals at the early stages of their careers to engage and connect through networking, leadership, and professional development programs.” We are committed to furthering the professional development of all Associate members, students, and architects licensed under 10 years, through fellowship, education and supportive networking. Providing support to aspiring architects participating in NCARB’s Intern Development Program (IDP) and those working towards licensure, and all architecture graduates in alternative career paths. Our mission is to create community, support career development and foster the next generations of leaders in our profession by collaborating with all of the local AIA NY chapters. AIA NYS EP and it’s local chapter components are interested in engaging in community projects where our members can use their professional skills to serve the community.
Vice President’s Message Throughout my time as Vice President of Emerging Professionals, I have had the opportunity to see first-hand the importance of the future, filling the pipeline, and most importantly listening to the needs of all emerging professionals. Seeing the profession advance and morph over the past ten years has also been exciting and terrifying at the same time. Being a Xennial, or the first of the millennials, I appreciate the past and understand the future. We are described as “individuals who practice the GenX model of work hard and survive independently while starting the tech- based generation of the millennials.” The profession continues to push the boundaries and influence the needs and deliverables of architecture and building. As an Emerging Professional myself, the opportunity to represent those who share our seat at the architecture table is something not to be taken lightly. Relevance is critical and making sure that AIA is relevant for generations to come is important and exciting; keeping the next generations engaged is even more important. The needs of the emerging professionals is an ever changing pendulum and presents an opportunity for AIA. Our seat at the table is profound and respected. We are the voice of the future and will take Architecture along with it. Thank you for letting me take a seat at the table and I am excited to continue the momentum over the next year.
Jeffrey Pawlowski, AIA AIANYS Vice President Emerging Professionals Jeffrey Pawlowski, AIA, is a Project Manager at King + King Architects and brings almost 10 years of professional experience in the Architectural field. At King + King, he has worked on several projects with highly technical spaces including Intensive Care Units,Psychiatric Emergency Departments, and Central Kitchen Facilities. In addition to designing Healthcare Facilities, Jeff is a Past-President of American Institute of Architects Central New York Chapter, is an alumnus of the Class of 2015 for Leadership Greater Syracuse,and participates in several other community organizations. When Jeff is not managing projects, he is the President and CEO of his Event Planning company, Clink it Design. Jeff is a certified event planner with six years professional experience working on weddings, community organization galas and themed holiday decorating. He has served on the planning committee for the Onondaga Historical Association’s, “Our Glorious Workplaces” gala for three years and the American Institute’s annual Celebration of Architecture for five. Jeff is dedicated to his clients’ needs and works with them to achieve success at every level. During his spare time, he likes to spend the weekends at his family’s house on Lake Ontario. Jeff enjoys reading, running and relaxing. He is excited to see where the next adventure will take him.
Committee Bios
Josette Matthew, Assoc. AIA Associate Director – New York Region Representative to the National Associates Committee Josette Matthew is an emerging design professional based in New York. She graduated from New York City College of Technology with a Bachelors in Architectural Technology in 2013. Since then she has gone on to participate in developing projects for local competitions in arts and design. She is currently serving her second year as New York Region Representative to the National Associates Committee on the AIA New York State board. She spent her first year implementing new ideas for programming for the state’s annual conference. She, along with the other emerging professions on the board, brought programming that would encourage emerging professionals to attend the conference along with engaging them in what the AIA has to offer. Josette was involved in revamping the state’s student scholarship competition, allowing for more opportunities for collaboration with AIAS and the state’s schools. She also took part in reinforcing the newly implemented Emerging Professional Manifesto, which allows for more engagement among the local chapters and has led to co-sponsored events throughout 2017. She was also active in the ENYA committee of the AIA New York chapter since graduation, serving as the Project Manager for the City of Dreams Pavilion Competition, an annual design-build competition hosted in collaboration with FIGMENT and SEAoNY. Josette also has collaborated with the Brooklyn Emerging Professionals committee of the AIA Brooklyn chapter developing design-build projects that were entered into FIGMENT’s 2017 and 2018 Dream Bigger competition. The projects were finalists in the competition and were exhibited during FIGMENT’s annual festival on Governors Island. Her collaboration with the BKEP committee resulted in an 2017 Honor award from AIA Brooklyn.
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Committee Bios
Tannia Chavez, Int’l Assoc. AIA Associate Director Since I was a child, I had great admiration for buildings and was able to perceive their unique spirit. As a developer, my Mom was a big influence. Her passion on architecture and design made me dream of becoming an architect. While she discussed construction details, facades specifications, timeliness, etc. I secretly wished to become like her in my adult life. My Mom has supported all of my travels and always encouraged me to speak more languages and value other cultures. I was inspired by the classical edifices of numerous countries, but finally, after experiencing the master works of Antony Gaudi, the sensation became a calling. I began my career in COLIMARQ, as an architectural auditor for the INNFA (Technical Audit of Child Development Centers Nationwide). The institution was created and run by the first lady of my country, Ecuador. There I learned the importance of using quality materials and providing a higher assurance of safety and integrity in the design. Later, I transitioned into high-end residential projects in which the main focus was “design”. It was a must to understand the client’s needs and identity in order to provide a product that would reflect my care for them. This experience helped me gain a deeper understanding of the design process. Eventually, I opened my own firm “UNDA CHAVEZ ARQUITECTOS/CONSULTORES. Eager to learn from the North American market, I arrived to the city of my dreams in the summer of 2014, where I became part of ENYA (Emerging New York Architects). After joining the AIA, I felt like I was among family. I have met so many caring individuals who have supported my growth, offered guidance, and provided an example of professionalism. Through them, I became interested in becoming part of AIA New York State because of their commitment to educate us and to advocate for our profession.
AIA Brooklyn - Women in Architecture Committee
Full Gospel Children’s Home Foundation Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
I believe that staying connected with my roots has helped me understand better the different needs and views of a diverse group of young professionals. I am still part of my colleague association CAE – P (Colegio de Arquitectos del Ecuador - Pichincha), in which I am an International Coordinator for the Pan - American Biennial of Architecture of Quito. As a former Co-Chair of the AIA Brooklyn Women in Architecture Committee, I learned from the strength and diversity of women in our profession. This led me to pursue the opportunity to serve as AIA New York State’s Associate Director. It is my great desire to cultivate a reliable and efficient connection between AIA NYS and its thirteen chapters. My mission is to build a strong Emerging Professional’s network that fosters equity and the overall well-being of its members. It is my honor to contribute to this important Association. PAGE | 3
Committee Bios Casey Crossley, AIA
Young Architect Regional Director – AIA Young Architect Forum Casey J. Crossley, AIA, LEED AP is an Associate with architecture+. An alumni of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Casey joined architecture+ in Troy, New York in 2006 while completing his degree. He has designed numerous projects for higher education, healthcare, and community clients, and enjoys collaborating with other local firms, industry organizations, and colleges. Throughout his career, Casey has been involved with the American Institute of Architects, serving as the Eastern New York (ENY) Chapter’s President-Elect in 2018, President in 2019 and Immediate Past President in 2020. He is dedicated to helping young architects successfully navigate the licensure process which led him to join and eventually lead the ENY Chapter’s Emerging Professionals committee. Casey believes his career has benefited from his involvement with the AIA and the Eastern New York Chapter and encourages all who are eligible to explore opportunities to get involved.
Committee Bios Alexander D’Amato, AIAS Student Director – American Institute of Architects (AIAS) Alexander D’Amato, AIAS is the Past Chapter President for the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) in the School of Architecture and Design at the New York Institute of Technology at Old Westbury. He recently graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Architectural Technology- Concentration in Construction Management. He also holds an Associates in Occupational Studies from the Culinary Institute of America. His involvement in the AIA Emerging Professionals is focused on the advancement and education of his peers with a focus on sustainability, and more importantly the Equity and Diversity of our Industry and our built spaces.
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Mindfulness For The Emerging Professional: Why the fastest growing trend in 2020 is slowing down...but slowing down in a particular way When you think of mindfulness, you may think of a beautiful lake and seat in solitude such, amber glow of sunrise or sunset, a blissful and complete slow down from the craziness of modern life. Nice. The more you picture this beautiful way of being, the good feeling builds in you like a balloon filling up. You think, “How lovely that would be” for a moment. Ahhhh...then the balloon slowly deflates, turning to “I don’t have time for that, perhaps when I’m on vacation, yes that’s good. Or better yet, when I’m retired, you know, when I don’t need to do all I’m expected to do.” The result: You may just think, “I’m not the mindful type.” Oh, but you are! What I want you to know is that mindfulness is a way of being in relationship with the world. It’s slowing down in a particular way that fosters wellbeing. To engage in this relationship, you may slow down for 30 seconds, or perhaps 2-5 minutes, with an option of more when it serves you. Mindful moments are a way of caring for your precious brain, that is often multitasking, rushing, frustrated, rearranging, and accomplishing. Multitasking is actually task switching and often prolonged periods of interruption lead to inability to focus when we need and want to focus. Mindfulness is also a way of caring for your body. These daily frustrations, irritations, and speed of operating, have a way of manifesting in our bodies as stress tension and headaches and potentially even worse discomfort or ailments.
Kim Perone is a Success, Bereavement, and Resilience Coach and Mindfulness Trainer at Center4C (The Center for Clarity, Compassion & Contentment) offering 1:1 coaching, workshops, programs, retreats, workplace training and resources to support you on your life’s journey. Kim is the author of The Case For Clarity, Compassion, and Contentment: Finding Your Center available at www.center4c.com and Amazon. For more information about cultivating clarity, compassion, and contentment in your life, contact Kim at kperone@center4c.com or (518) 301-359 or visit www. Center4C.com. *Schaufenbuel, Kimberly, Bringing Mindfulness to the Workplace, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Executive Development, 2014.
I know you are a busy and accomplished person, so ‘d like to bust the myth that you aren’t built for this. Three main characteristics of mindfulness are: Intention to be present. Attention to whatever you are doing noticing sights, sounds, feelings, and thoughts. Attitude
cultivate an attitude that is non-judgmental, patient, trusting, nonreactive, and open.
Research supports that our overtaxed brains benefit from this. Mindfulness is a form of living meditation. It is a way to observe the world and yourself in a moment in your life. Mindfulness is defined as observing the present moment non-judgmentally. It seems so simple, but our brains don’t like simple and let’s face it, non-judgmental is a monumental task! Our brains like to label everything, good, bad, up, down, etc. rather than “is”. Mindfulness is a way of grounding us in the greatest reality in our lives - the present moment, aka the “Now”. Studies by Mind/Body Institute of Harvard, National Institute of Health continued on page 6
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UK, John’s Hopkins, among others have shown that mindfulness improves cognitive function, productivity, client relationships and job satisfaction, while reducing illness and absenteeism in the workplace.* The benefits far outweigh the cost of time or investment. This conversation could go on for days, weeks, months and even years and still be useful...and I hope it does! Let’s make 2020 a mindful year and decade for us all. Connecting with ourselves so that we better connect with others, and enjoy an overall sense of wellbeing, is a worthy pursuit that does not need to wait until we have more time. Mindfulness returns time to us, while allowing us to be more productive, present, and powerful! For more information on how to increase valuable time or to make mindfuless a personal and professional priority in 2020, feel free to contact me about 1:1 coaching and group training, as well as speaking engagements for audiences who are ready to live and grow in the power of the present moment.
Free month of ArchiPrep! COVID-19 is changing everything, and AIA wants to help. Take some time to study for free. Use promo code FREEMONTH to get one month for free. Offer valid April 1–30, 2020 for Assoc. AIA members. Visit https://www.aia.org/resources/6109972-archiprep for more information. PAGE | 6
Discovering Our Potential and Network Through WIA Graciela Carrillo, AIA, LEED AP BD+C AIA Long Island President | WIA Co-Chair It’s the end beginning of April, 2020. Our entire world is under a threat with COVID-19, a powerful and untreatable virus. Currently, New York State has the largest number of cases of people with the virus. As I sit at home, not knowing how long this will last, I’ve been trying to reflect on our role as professionals and human beings in this society. Do I have a support network to get through this? Am I able to provide others with the support they need? The answer is yes. My professional network through AIA provides me with support and at the same time, I try to give back as well. One of the support groups I am very proud of and one that I connect with constantly is our AIA Long Island Women in Architecture (WIA) Committee. This group has given me the opportunity to help others, as well as receive help and support from others. It all started in 2017, after I returned from the AIA Women’s Leadership Summit (WLS). It was the first time I attended the summit and I will never forget how powerful it was. Throughout my entire career, I have worked with engineers, and as all of us know, it is a male-dominated industry, even more so than architecture. So, being surrounded by 450+ women architects was an empowering and extraordinary experience where we shared a lot of struggles, successes, experiences and advice. Returning to Long Island, I realized that I was missing that network, not only in my daily work but also at the Chapter level. At that time, I was the Chapter’s President-Elect and I noticed how small the attendance of women was at our Chapter meetings and events. Since the WLS allowed me to connect with many women in the industry, I took the initiative to start the AIA LI WIA Committee with the help of my friend, Ebru Sulker, Assoc. AIA. At that time, I was also the Chapter’s Emerging Professionals Co-Chair, so I recruited the women that were active in the EP committee. When I am asked for advice on how to start a WIA committee or any other Committee I always reply, “Look for other members that show leadership capabilities, commitment, enthusiasm and energy. Once you identify them, give them the opportunity to work on whatever area of interest they may have. The association has the resources to allow members to put things in place and it is up to us, the members to make them real.” Besides Long Island, there are other Chapters that are actively working with WIA committees and events such as the NY Chapter—the most established in the region, the Westchester + Hudson Valley Chapter and the Brooklyn Chapter. Activities and events include mentorship, professional development, leadership development, and work-life balance topics. The benefits of having an active women in architecture network group are numerous. The most valuable benefit that I have seen so far is mentorship. Mentorship is a valuable tool that many of us didn’t have the opportunity to experience at an early stage in our careers. The key of mentorship is to create a network of mentors that are at different levels in their careers and can provide continued on page 7
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Discovering Our Potential and Network Through WIA continued
guidance and advice throughout your professional path. Mentorship should be an ongoing activity and effort that emerging professionals should put in place throughout their career. It should start from the university level and go all the way up through and including the experienced professional level. During mentoring, topics to discuss include building a portfolio and resume, preparing for interviews and negotiating a salary. These are skills that architects don’t typically learn while in school unless the students are proactive and join mentoring programs with a local organization, like AIA. Other topics that can be discussed include how to start your own practice, becoming a certified Women Business Enterprise (WBE), career goals, and identifying opportunities and knowing how to tackle them. Besides professional development, leadership development is also a good topic to be explored in a women in architecture network. Leadership skills will help in advancing your career, applying for a job or expanding your network to acquire more projects. Leadership skills can also help in developing strong teams and ensure achievement of project goals. Many women are challenged with how to be an engaged practitioner, a mother, a spouse, a mentor and often question how they can achieve it all. Balancing your career, personal life, family and friends can be a constant struggle. Work-life balance is also a great topic to be discussed among women. Lastly, it’s important to highlight the work and achievements of women that have advanced our profession and have developed leadership positions within their practices. A WIA committee is a great vehicle to highlight women architects at different levels in their careers. Also, there are many architects that have chosen an alternate career path. Sharing their experiences provides emerging professionals with endless possibilities for their future. At the end of the day, when I sit back and reflect on my role as a professional and as a leader, I know I have a support network for encouragement, guidance and inspiration. We are in this together. Here are some thoughts from other inspiring women.
“WIA has made a positive impact by giving me a sense of community. It has made me more driven and goal oriented, as I’m amongst other accomplished women. The organization has enhanced my ability to teach and mentor others.” - Ebru Sulker, Assoc. AIA “The WIA was the reason I started becoming more involved with the local chapter. The smaller forums and specialized topics create a more intimate feel to the organization and provided a peer group that enables me and the other women to collaborate and promote each other in the profession.” - Renee Marcus, AIA, LEED AP PAGE | 8
Discovering Our Potential and Network Through WIA continued
“WIA has made me aware of all the hurdles women have dealt with throughout history and are still dealing with now. I’ve learned at WIA that I’m not alone in the journey of being present, of being heard, of being respected within the profession. That we, as women need to be united, to encourage each other to reach our goals and to give a hand to future generations to make the profession a more inclusive, diverse and equal opportunity environment.” - Katty Brath, Assoc. AIA “Being a part of WIA has been the most fulfilling act in my career to empower women, inspire young girls and bring professional like minded women together. The connections that I’ve made through our events have proved priceless to my career and to the profession of architecture as a whole.” - Maureen Chavez, Assoc. AIA
Graciela works as a NYS Registered Architect for Cashin Associates, P.C, an Engineering Consulting firm based in Long Island, NY. At Cashin, she has worked on and lead all scales of urban design, planning and architectural projects, including leading municipalities to integrate sustainability features within their projects and LEED project administration and commissioning services. Graciela obtained a B. Arch in Bogota, Colombia, a Masters in Environmental Planning from Pratt Institute and she is a LEED Accredited Professional. Graciela has committed almost a decade of volunteer leadership service to the AIA. She has been involved with the AIA at the local, state and national level, currently serving as the 2020-2021 President as well as the Women In Architecture (WIA) Co-Chair of the AIA Long Island Chapter. On a National and State level in 2017, Graciela was appointed as the 2017-2018 NY Regional Director (YARD) for the Young Architects Forum (YAF) and represented YA on the AIA New York State Board of Directors. Last year Graciela was awarded the 2019 AIA NYS Young Architect Award.
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Finding Our Purpose During the Pandemic Era Christopher Fagan, AIA
Christopher Fagan is chair of the AIA Queens Emerging Professionals Committee and Principal Architect at Christopher Fagan Studio Architecture, PLLC. He founded his practice in New York in 2018. His design work is informed by the practicality and diversity of vernacular buildings, and the power of beauty to uplift the public. Prior to establishing his own firm, Christopher worked as a designer at Robert AM Stern Architects in New York and several architecture offices in Chicago. Christopher holds current licenses in New York, Illinois, and Michigan, and is a LEED Accredited Professional. He collaborates with a growing team of urban planners and designers between New York and the Midwest. Christopher earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from the University of Notre Dame in 2012.
Dear fellow Architects and Emerging Professionals, As our response to the COVID-19 pandemic intensifies, many of us feel uncertain of the future. At the epicenter of this outbreak, New York was among the first states to halt its building industry, and it will not be the last. Fortunately, we can now accept and plan for what is coming: work will be on hold for months, nationwide, and things may not return to “normal”. As architects, it is crucial that we become leaders during this crisis. We must embrace change and offer our problem-solving skills for the greater good. As a sole practitioner, I want to share what I’ve learned as I position my firm to adapt during this crisis.
1. BE OF SERVICE | When so much is out of our control, the smartest investment we can make is in our relationships. For design staff, don’t let your hours shrink and fear of a layoff increase. Be proactive. Offer to support your managers however is needed. Show that you understand the immense pressure they themselves are facing. Self-managers will impress them. For architects, always put your client first. There will be tension between their need to conserve money, and our desire to stay busy and productive. Show empathy and total support for your client’s needs. Work closely with your contractor – the future lies in an integrated, design/build process. 2. BE FIRST IN LINE | For emerging professionals, this is the time to act
decisively. Hiring is frozen for now, but once work resumes there will be record numbers of competing job applicants. This is an opportunity to get in touch with your dream company and make sure they remember you when business picks up. For architects, this downward pressure on the market will reverse with a surge of applications and product orders. Imagine permits and drywall as limited commodities like toilet paper. Encourage your clients to be first in line. It is wise to anticipate the coming bottleneck, complete construction documents now and encourage owners and contractors to order components in advance. If you are caught late, lead times may increase dramatically and delay your project.
3. MAINTAIN OUR VALUES | Remember our greatest commitment is
to the public’s wellbeing. During our present crisis, we have an opportunity to begin creating a more equitable future. We must advocate for a federal infrastructure stimulus. We must reimagine senior housing, assisted living, schools, public transportation, and medical facilities to better face the next outbreak. Let us reaffirm our mission for environmental and economic sustainability. Let’s inspire each other and unite our ideas and efforts. This challenging moment for our industry can be a great opportunity. Stay healthy, safe, and positive!
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Phase 3 Federal Stimulus Package—The CARES Act Michael Burridge
Director of Government Affairs, AIA New York State Signed into law on March 27, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, is the third federal aid package put into place in response to the on-going COVID-19 public health emergency. Totaling approximately $2 trillion dollars, the package seeks to provide immediate assistance for employers and employees who have been hit hard by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
EMPLOYER RELIEF The CARES Act puts forth a multi-pronged approach to assisting small businesses (businesses with 500 employees or less). • Paycheck Protection Program: Small businesses, nonprofits, sole proprietors, and other self-employed individuals are eligible for a forgivable loan up to $10 million to help cover expenses related to payroll, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. This program is meant to act as an incentive for small businesses to keep workers on the payroll and at least 75 percent of the forgivable portion must be used on payroll. Forgiveness is based on the employer maintaining or quickly rehiring employees and maintaining salary levels over a period of eight weeks. Lenders were approved to begin processing loan applications on April 3, 2020. These loans are being provided on a first-come, first-serve basis, so immediate action is recommended. • Economic Injury Disaster Loan: Small businesses, nonprofits, sole proprietors, and other self-employed individuals are eligible to receive a loan advance up to $10,000 due to the loss of revenue caused by COVID-19. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) website, the loan advance will not have to be repaid. • Express Bridge Loan: Small businesses who currently have a business relationship with a SBA Express Lender may access up to $25,000 to keep them afloat while their application for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) is being processed. The difference will be paid in full or in part by proceeds from the EIDL. • Employee Retention Credit: This credit is open to employers of all sizes affected by COVID-19 related shut-downs and provides a refundable payroll tax credit for 50% of wages paid by employers to employees. • Deferral of Payroll Tax: Allows employers and self-employed individuals to defer payment of the employer share of the Social Security tax. Half of the deferred amount must be paid by December 31, 2021, with the other half due December 31, 2022.
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Phase 3 Federal Stimulus Package—The CARES Act continued
• Modification of Business Losses: This provision temporarily lifts the loss limitation to pass-through businesses (S-corps) and sole proprietors, so they can utilize excess business losses and access cash flow to maintain operations and payroll for their employees. AIA National was instrumental in ensuring this provision was included in the CARES Act. • Employer Payments of Student Loans: This provision allows employers to contribute up to $5,250 annually toward an employee’s student loans on a tax-free basis. This payment would be excluded from the employee’s income and applies to both the new student loan repayment benefit as well as other educational assistance (e.g. tuition, fees, books, etc.) provided by the employer. This provision applies to any payments made after March 27, 2020 up until January 1, 2021. • Short-Term Compensation Program: Provides employers with the option to avoid layoffs by reducing an employee’s hours. Employees who see a reduction of hours will receive a pro-rated unemployment benefit, while the employer will receive 100 percent of costs incurred for retaining the employee through December 31, 2020.
EMPLOYEE/INDIVIDUAL RELIEF • Temporary Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program: Extends unemployment assistance to those who are traditionally ineligible for unemployment assistance (e.g. self-employed, independent contractors, etc.) for a period up to December 31, 2020. • Emergency Increase in Unemployment Compensation Benefits: An additional $600 per week will be provided to each recipient of unemployment insurance and the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program for up to four months. • Direct Payment Assistance: Individuals earing less than $75,000 ($150,000 for married couples) will receive a $1,200 direct payment from the federal government. Families in that earning threshold will also receive $500 for each child. A Social Security Number is required to be eligible for the direct payment. • Students or Recent Graduates: Allows higher education institutions to make payments to affected work-study students for a period not to exceed one academic year, if the student is unable to fill work-study obligations due to a qualifying emergency, such as COVID-19. The Secretary of Education will also exclude loans or Pell Grants for any semester that students do not complete due to a qualifying emergency, such as COVID-19, and suspend loan payments due to the Federal Family Education Loan Program or the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program so student loan payments can be deferred until September 30, 2020.
OTHER RESOURCES
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• Continuing Education: For licensees whose registrations are due to renew March 1-June 1, 2020, the State Education Department (SED) will allow all licensees to complete up to 100% of the continuing education as selfstudy, so long as it is taken from a Department-approved provider and is in an acceptable subject are for the profession. Please visit the Office of the Professions website for a full list of acceptable topics.
Phase 3 Federal Stimulus Package—The CARES Act continued
• ARE Testing: As of today, all test center locations through Prometric have been closed until at least April 15th. New York State’s mandatory work from home order is in effect until April 29th, so testing is on hold until further notice. NCARB is granting a 90-day rolling clock extension to candidates who have a passing score on a division which has not expired. If you have an exam appointment scheduled within the next three business days, you are advised to not go to the test center. Your exam eligibility will be automatically reset the day after your scheduled appointment, and NCARB will apply a seat credit to your account allowing you to reschedule at no cost. For more information, please visit the NCARB website. • Higher Education: Students deemed to be “impacted students,” meaning students deemed by their college to be unable to complete courses for the term or earn fewer credits than required, are still eligible for NYS-aid programs such as TAP and the Excelsior Scholarship. More information can be found on the NYS Higher Education Services Corporation website. For those students who are not covered by the CARES Act because their loan is serviced through a private lender, the NYS Department of Financial Services (DFS) has secured an agreement with several major private lenders to cover some 300,000 students who are ineligible for the federal protections. This agreement provides that students with loans serviced by a private lender are eligible to receive a minimum of 90 days of forbearance relief, waiver of late payment fees, protection from a negative credit report, and a suspension of debt collection lawsuits for 90 days. For more information and guidance, please visit the NYS DFS website. • Unemployment Insurance Claims: The NYS Department of Labor is experiencing an enormous volume of UI claims at the moment. NYSDOL is highly recommending applications based on the first letter or you last name. Last names starting with (A-F) should file on Monday; (G-N) file on Tuesday; and (O-Z) file on Wednesday. If you missed these days you are instructed to file on Thursday-Saturday. For more information, please visit the NYSDOL website. • Applying for Loans: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is handling the operation of the Paycheck Protection Program, the EIDL Loan Advance, and the Express Bridge Loans. More information on how to apply can be found on their website. • Tax Relief: The deadline to file New York State personal income tax and corporation tax returns has been deferred until July 15, 2020. At the federal level, the filing deadline for income tax has also been extended until July 15, 2020. For more information on how to apply for Employee Retention Tax Credit, please visit the IRS website.
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Scholarships & Grants For more information, please visit aianys.org/scholarships-awards
ARE Scholarship The AIA New York State Emerging Professionals Committee has developed a scholarship program to encourage participation in the Architect Registration Examination (ARE). This scholarship is intended to recognize Associate AIA members in New York State who have made significant contributions at an early stage in their careers to the profession and to encourage their pursuit of licensure. Scholarships are awarded based on both a demonstration of financial need and the merits of the individual’s contributions to the profession, his/her community and/or the AIA.
John A. Notaro Memorial Scholarship The AIA New York State John A. Notaro Memorial Scholarship was established in 2007 to recognize design excellence in our next generation of architecture practitioners. This annual program serves as a way of engaging and recognizing students who will soon be emerging professionals in design, giving the opportunity to interact, share ideas and concepts with professionals, to advance our every evolving profession. AIANYS, in partnership with the AIA Component Matching Scholarship Grant Program, is sponsoring the annual award and encourage your school’s participation to recognize our future leaders in architecture. Two project recipients can earn up to $2,500 to be used towards tuition. If there are collaborative efforts, the award will be divided evenly among team members; collaborations should include the names of all students and specifics of involvement.
College of Fellows Grant The College of Fellows has established a grants fund to assist AIA components in the development of programs which foster the mission of Young Architects and Associates. These funds may be used to enhance the activities of an existing Emerging Professionals group or as seed money to help start a new one. Because one of the goals of the component grants program is to make Emerging Professionals groups a vital component activity, an explanation or demonstration of component commitment and support is essential. PAGE | 14
Emerging Professionals Zine is a publication of the AIA New York State Emerging Professionals Committee. Please send photo, article, announcement, or presentation information for consideration for publication to Cara Longobardi at clongobardi@aianys.org or Emma Rozell at erozell@aianys.org. CORRECTIONS: Please contact Emma Rozell at erozell@aianys.org if you find any areas that need correction in the Emerging Professionals Zine. The AIA New York State Emerging Professionals Committee appreciates all comments and feedback.
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