San Diego—Dec. 14, 2012—NewSchool of Architecture and Design (NSAD) is pleased to announce that three of the school’s alumni have been recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 2012 for outstanding contributions while in the early stages of their careers. Shari G. Grant, AIA, received the Young Architects Award from the national AIA; Bruce Fallon, AIA, received the Young Architects Award from the AIA Utah chapter; and Benjamin White, AIA, received the Young Architect of the Year Award from the AIA San Diego chapter.

“I am thrilled that three of our alumni would be recognized by the AIA in 2012 for their leadership and contributions to the architecture profession at the local, state and national levels—all in the same year,” said NSAD President Steve Altman. “The recognition earned by these alumni reflects the high caliber of students that NSAD attracts, the quality of education they receive and their significant individual commitment to their profession. We congratulate them.”

Shari G. Grant, who graduated with a Master of Architecture from NSAD in 1999 and later obtained a doctoral degree, was one of the recipients of the national 2012 AIA Young Architects Award. In announcing the award, the AIA noted that her “nontraditional career as architect, engineer, and artist is focused on developing simple, functional, and yet beautiful designs using a personal approach and hand sketches. In bringing inspirational design to people in all walks of life, her compassionate vision and diligence have benefited individuals, communities, boards of directors and nonprofit organizations.”

Grant, who is principal of Architectural Presence in Del Mar, Calif., said, “My hope is that others, including women, will be inspired by the jury's recognition of my efforts when so many other emerging architects could rightly have been recognized instead of me. To have this much confidence placed in my architectural work and my leadership skills by my peers at a national level has caused me a great deal of introspection,  resulting in a renewed passion for the transforming effect the profession of architecture can have on all, including the less fortunate.”

Bruce Fallon (photo above), principal of WPA Architecture in Provo, Utah, received the AIA state chapter’s Young Architects Award. Fallon, who graduated with a Master of Architecturefrom NSAD in 2000, has been involved with the AIA on the local, state and national levels. In 2008, he was selected to serve as the programs advisor for the Young Architects Forum (YAF) where he developed programs for national AIA conventions from 2009–2011 and for the Grassroots Conferences in 2009 and 2011. Fallon helped develop the YAF’s national mentoring initiative to assist firms and AIA components in providing mentoring for emerging professionals, and he has helped select recipients for the College of Fellows Emerging Professional Component Grants. “I’m excited to be recognized for the work I’ve done to promote good design in the profession,” Fallon said. “At the same time, it’s humbling that I would be recognized for simply doing what I would expect anyone else to do if they were in my position.”

Ben White (photo above), who obtained a Bachelor of Architecture from NSAD in 2001, received the AIA San Diego chapter’s Young Architect of the Year Award. In 2007, White became licensed and started teaching environmental science at NSAD at the undergraduate and graduate levels. In 2008, he joined Roesling Nakamura Terada Architects and was promoted to associate in 2009, leading the firm’s San Diego City College Business and Humanities Buildings project. Currently, White is pursuing a Master of Environmental

Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, to enhance his goal of developing truly sustainable architecture. “Receiving this award is a tremendous honor,” White said. “I look at the previous winners and see some of the brightest architects that San Diego has to offer; to be compared to them is humbling. My experience is diverse in different ways: teaching, community service and leading large projects at established firms. It’s good to see that the AIA is willing to reward hard work and effort in a variety of ways.”

About NewSchool of Architecture and Design
NewSchool of Architecture and Design (NSAD), founded in 1980, is located in San Diego, California. NSAD is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). ACICS is listed as a nationally recognized accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. NSAD’s Bachelor of Architecture, Master of Architecture and Executive Master of Architecture programs are accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). NSAD also offers a pre-professional Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, a Bachelor of Science in Digital Media Arts, a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management, a Master of Construction Management and a Master of Science in Architecture. NSAD was ranked among the top 10 undergraduate architecture schools in the western United States, according to the DesignIntelligence report “America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools 2012.” For more information, visit www.NewSchoolArch.edu.