Helene Combs Dreiling FAIA Fellowship

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For decades, Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA has contributed exemplary leadership, service, and impact to the American Institute of Architects, its members, and our profession. The Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA Fellowship was established to honor that continuing legacy by providing emerging professionals with opportunities to learn and grow through engagement with AIA events and programs. The Fellowship recognizes that engagement benefits both the individual and the organization, and also addresses the reality that the cost of attending these events often discourages participation.

Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA

You can support this opportunity by making a tax-deductible donation to fund the Fellowship and by encouraging deserving candidates to apply, as outlined below.

Eligibility – AIA Virginia members in good standing who also meet the definition of an Emerging Professional (EP) are eligible for the Fellowship.

Application and Deadline – Candidates need to submit a resume, and a narrative highlighting the candidate’s aspirations/expectations and need for support (250-word maximum) via email to EVP Paul R Battaglia, AIA (pbattaglia@aiva.org) no later than Friday August 22, 2025.

Criteria and Selection Committee – Submissions will be ranked by the selection committee based upon financial need and the content of the candidate’s submission. The selection committee will include the officers of the AIAVA Foundation, two members of AIA Virginia (one of whom is also a Fellow), and Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA. The committee intends to notify awardees in September.

Terms and Administration – The Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA Fellowship will 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: November 5-7, 2025 (Richmond, VA)
    • Design Forum: May 1-2, 2026 (Blacksburg, VA)
    • the Art of Practice: Spring 2027 (AIA Central Virginia)

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 AIA VA 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.

Helene Combs Dreiling FAIA Fellowship – 2019

Posted on by cguske

The selection committee is pleased to announce the winning entry for the 2019 Helene Combs Dreiling FAIA Fellowship.  It is a “summer design challenge” that will be led by the Hampton Roads Young Architects’ Forum and specifically Jeffrey Butts, Jr., Assoc. AIA and Chris Warren, Assoc. AIA.

Jeffrey Butts, Jr., Assoc. AIA

View the winning proposal>>

Chris Warren, Assoc. AIA

The selection committee was intrigued with the idea of using 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. The committee like the idea of setting the tone for collaboration early in one’s career as this project promises to do.

About the Fellowship:

The AIA Fellows of Virginia have honored the service and accomplishments of Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA by initiating an endowed Fellowship to both commemorate and continue her efforts in providing young architects with opportunities to learn and grow professionally. Throughout her career, Helene has championed the unique needs of emerging professionals, and advocated on their behalf as President of AIA Blue Ridge, President of AIA Virginia, Regional Director for the Virginias, as a staff Vice President at the American Institute of Architects, as Secretary of the Institute and finally as National President of the American Institute of Architects.

Sourced through the Virginia Foundation for Architecture, this Fellowship fund is intended to give emerging professionals access to opportunities they might not otherwise have due to cost limitations, knowledge of the profession, or access to a network of peers to help them along their path. With the specific goal of increasing their exposure to and participation in the American Institute of Architects, this scholarship will acquaint emerging professionals with architectural practice in all its forms to assist them in making career choices, understanding the benefits of, and giving them a voice in the evolution of their professional society.

2019 Fellowship Information>>