I am quickly becoming the Indiana Jones of Architecture. What does it mean to be the Indiana Jones of Architecture? I’m not sure but I think it involves exotic locales and a bullwhip! I am an architectural designer and construction manager and most of my work has centered in the developing world. I have yet to use a bullwhip in a professional setting but while working with Engineering Ministries International I’ve been involved in projects in Uganda and post-earthquake Haiti. I have designed many buildings, completed hundreds of post-earthquake structural assessments, and overseen construction on three major projects- all in cross-cultural environments.

I am an advocate for the potential the profession of architecture has to bring dignity and change to the most resource-challenged parts of the globe. My immersion in vastly different cultures, and the empathy it has garnered in my personality, informs the way I reflect and influence my own culture and contributes an uncommon viewpoint within the architecture profession. There are a lot of different terms for this kind of work but I prefer Social-Purpose Architecture. I welcome opportunities to share my experiences as a way to challenge others to invest their lives in something that matters. 

I received a Bachelors Degree in Architecture from the University of Minnesota in 2008 with a Minor in Business Management. During my undergraduate I studied architectural drawing in Istanbul, Turkey and played trumpet in the U of M’s Marching Band and Jazz Band. In the fall of 2012 I will be returning to the University of Minnesota for the College of Design’s Master of Architecture program with the goal of becoming more effective in improving the lives of the bottom 2%.