Seeking to build relationships with people and to grow together via the design process shapes my design philosophy.  The city where I grew up, ever changing Pittsburgh, likewise anchors my outlook.  The evolving growth, decay, and renewal of downtown, its eclectic fabric of buildings, and the people who bring life to this place, all inspire me to contribute to the built environment.  I have studied costume history, preservation, urban planning, and opera, and I think that these areas all contribute to a growing sense of design, challenges, and problem solving.  I aim to become a licensed architect, and I am active in the AIA.  I was a writer for the AIA National Associates Committee, and I am presently involved with AIA Pittsburgh on various committees as well as being the past secretary of the Pittsburgh Young Architects Forum.  I yearn to continue my professional development in a setting that fosters creative problem solving, pragmatism, and curiosity.