The Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA Fellowship was established to honor the service and accomplishments of Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA by providing emerging professionals with opportunities to learn and grow through engagement with AIA events and programs. In recognition that such engagement benefits both the individual and the organization, and also that the cost of attending these events often discourages participation.
Eligibility:
AIA Virginia members in good standing who also meet the definition of an Emerging Professional (EP) are eligible for the Fellowship.
Application:
The application consists of the candidate’s resume and a narrative highlighting the candidate’s aspirations/expectations and need for support (250-word maximum).
Selection Process:
Submissions will be solicited in July. Submissions will be received in August and will be reviewed and ranked by the selection committee based on financial need and the content of the candidate’s submission. The selection committee will notify the awardee(s) in September with the intention of notifying the awardee(s) no less than several weeks before the deadline for early bird registration to AIA Virginia’s Architecture Exchange East. An announcement and celebration of the award(s) may follow.
Selection Committee:
The selection committee will include the officers of the AIAVA Foundation, two members-in-good-standing of AIA Virginia (one of whom is also a Fellow), and Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA.
Terms and Administration:
The Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA Fellowship will be administered yearly and may be awarded to up to three individuals each year.
The award is for a maximum of $1,000.00 (one thousand dollars) to each individual awardee and is meant to cover, in part or in full, the selected candidate’s registration and other related costs to attend AIA national and AIA Virginia programs and events, including:
- AIA events
- the AIA Conference on Architecture and Design
- the AIA Women’s Leadership Summit
- the AIA Leadership Summit [DC]
- AIA Knowledge Community events
- AIA events/programs for Emerging Professionals
- AIA Virginia events
- Architecture Exchange East
- Design Forum
- the Art of Practice
The awardee must submit receipts for the program registration and/or program-related expenses for review and approval by AIA Virginia staff and reimbursement by the Foundation.
Expenses that may be reimbursed by the Fellowship include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Program Registration/Tuition
- Program-related travel expenses, transportation fees (including mileage at the current AIAVA rate), parking fees, lodging, and meals
Expenses reimbursed by a third party are NOT eligible for reimbursement by the Foundation.
Reimbursement shall be issued to the awardee within thirty days of submission.
In the case that the awardee requires financial assistance to register for the event, the Foundation may complete the registration on the awardee’s behalf directly from Foundation monies.
Past Awards
2025 Amanda Harlow, Assoc. AIA, and Stephen Parker, AIA
2019 Hampton Roads YAF – Jeffrey Butts, Jr., Assoc. AIA and Chris Warren, Assoc. AIA
Jeff and Chris are leaders in the Hampton Roads YAF and their idea is to use a design competition as a platform for collaboration among the interns from the architecture, engineering and construction professions. Planning a project for themselves as the client will challenge each participant’s knowledge and creativity and include reflective time to expand one’s thinking about what a summer internship should be.
2017 Shelia Christian, Assoc. AIA
Shelia’s research explored heightened environmental sensitivity among combat veterans with the goal of developing design guidance for facilities housing veterans and others.