Professor Sharon Haar, who also serves as chair of the architecture department, has been elected to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) College of Fellows, one of the highest honors the AIA can bestow upon a member. It not only recognizes the achievements of the architect as an individual but also elevates before the public and the profession those architects who have made important contributions to architecture and society on a national level. The stringent requirements result in only 3 percent of the AIA’s more than 91,000 members being recognized as Fellows. Prospective candidates must have at least 10 years of AIA membership and demonstrated influence in at least one of the following categories:

• Promoted the aesthetic, scientific, and practical efficiency of the profession;

• Advanced the science and art of planning and building by advancing the standards of architectural education, training or practice;

• Coordinated the building industry and the profession of architecture through leadership in the AIA or other related professional organizations; or

• Advanced the living standards of people through an improved environment.

Haar’s current research investigates the role of entrepreneurship, design innovation, and global networking in the transformation of architectural practices devoted to social activism and humanitarian relief. Professor Haar’s publications include The City as Campus: Urbanism and Higher Education in Chicago (University of Minnesota Press, 2010) and Schools for Cities: Urban Strategies (Princeton Architectural Press, 2003). She also has published numerous articles, book reviews, and book chapters, and previously served as reviews editor for the Journal of Architectural Education. She has received numerous grants from institutions including the Graham Foundation, Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Fannie Mae Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and American Architecture Foundation.

She will receive her Fellowship medal at the Investiture of Fellows Ceremony at the AIA Conference on Architecture in Las Vegas on June 7, 2019.

The 2019 College of Fellows were elected by a seven-member jury: Mary P. Cox, FAIA (Chair); Peter Bardwell, FAIA; Mary A. Burke, FAIA; Philip Castillo, FAIA; Mary Johnston, FAIA; Paul Mankins, FAI;, and Nancy Rogo Trainer, FAIA.