Tag: emerging leaders

Meet the Emerging Leaders in Architecture class of 2026! This year’s class of 15 comprises of architects and associates from around the state and students from Hampton University and Virginia Tech. We will be traveling around the state throughout the year for our educational sessions and focusing on the Richmond, Virginia area for this year’s class project.

Would you like to support the class as they travel around the state? Contact Delaney Ogden, dogden@aiava.org for more information and please be sure to follow the ELA Instagram account at ela_aiavirginia to follow their progress throughout the year!

Atheeni Eacharath, Assoc. AIA
Brett O’Brien, Assoc. AIA
George Hiss, AIA
Hafsa Ramay, Assoc. AIA
Mars Ben, Assoc. AIA
Ramatoulie Matengu, AIA
Rebecca Barker, AIA
Amanda Harlow, Assoc. AIA (AIA Central Virginia Nominee)
Hanna Keplinger, Assoc. AIA (AIA Northern Virginia Nominee)
Harshit Verma, Assoc. AIA (AIA Blue Ridge Nominee)
Adeline (Pei Lin) Chen, Assoc. AIA (AIA Coastal Virginia Nominee)
Talia Moore-O’Neil, Assoc. AIA (AIA Richmond Nominee)
Camille Ramirez, AIAS (Hampton University)
Sydney Johnson, AIAS (Hampton University) not pictured
Taylor Wypyski, AIAS (Virginia Tech)

Not pictured: Chris Brown, AIA, Chair of 2026 ELA program.

The R. Corey Clayborne, FAIA Scholarship

R. Corey Clayborne, FAIA was in the inaugural ELA class of 2009. Corey has served at local and state AIA components and now is the AIA Senior Vice President, Knowledge & Practice. Corey is a strong believer in increasing diversity in the profession and offering opportunities for all to gain knowledge and advancement in their careers.

In 2022, AIA Virginia established a scholarship in Corey’s name to honor his dedication to emerging professionals and provide financial assistance to those interested in participating in the ELA program.
The R. Corey Clayborne, FAIA ELA Scholarship is available to any ELA applicant with financial need, either to cover tuition or travel expenses for their class year.

The scholarship is awarded to 2026 class member Atheeni Eacharath, Associate AIA, Community Planning + Design Manager at Pillars Development.

In her application for the scholarship, Eacharath commented “I am committed to pursuing licensure and being active in both APA and AIA, yet the pathway for urban designers is not always direct. Our work sits between planning and architecture, requiring additional time, investment, and mentorship—resources that are not always equitable or accessible. Still, I am determined to bridge that disciplinary space. The ELA program offers a structure to deepen this commitment—to build a web of relationships among architects, planners, policymakers, and community members so our decision-making systems become more collaborative, resilient, and humane. This scholarship would allow me to fully participate, engage in conferences, connect with mentors, and continue growing as a community-centered designer—grounded, hopeful, and dedicated.”

Congratulations, Atheeni!

Donations to the R. Corey Clayborne, FAIA Scholarship can be made through the AIA Virginia Foundation here.

AIA Virginia announces the call for applications for the 2026 Emerging Leaders in Architecture (ELA) class: An Honors Academy of AIA Virginia.

The application and more information is available here>>
The application deadline is November 12, 2025

ELA is an intensive program of educational sessions structured around presentations, discussions, team exploration, analysis, consensus-building, collaboration, and case study activities undertaken over the course of a year by a small cadre of participants selected for their potential to be outstanding contributors to the profession and the community. Facilitators and mentors who are established leaders in the building, finance, non-profit, development, university, legal, consulting, and design professions and in the community at large develop and deliver the sessions, designed to provide participants with advanced knowledge and skills related to specific areas of leadership and practice.

The program consists of monthly, day-long seminars, work sessions, or class project presentations, culminating with a presentation at Architecture Exchange East in November.

The seminars are interactive, drawing on real examples and actively involving participants. They rotate among sites in Roanoke, Charlottesville, Richmond, Alexandria, and Norfolk in conjunction with each area’s firms, schools, and the local AIA component.

The class project for 2026 will be in Richmond, so many sessions and the project workdays will be located in the Richmond area.

How to Apply
The committee seeks applicants from three categories:

Component Nominees: Each of the five AIA Virginia local component Boards may nominate one or more individuals for admission to the program. One participant will be selected from each component for a total of five. If interested, please contact your local AIA chapter representative. Each chapter sets its own deadline and application requirements for these positions.

Student Nominees: Any student enrolled in a Virginia architecture program or a professional architecture degree program may apply. A maximum of 2 student participants will be selected each year for the class.

Open Applications: Applicants may apply independently or be nominated by someone else. Participants will be selected from among these applicants to fill the class.

The application and more information is available here>>
The application deadline is November 12, 2025.

If you have any questions, contact Delaney Ogden, Education Director, at dogden@aiava.org