Welcome to SAH Women in Architecture Affiliate Group Mentoring Program!

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The SAH Women in Architecture Affiliate Group (SAH WiA AG) Mentoring Initiative has been developed and announced on March 1, 2022, as part of SAH Women in Architecture AG Program March 2022: Celebrating Women’s History Month, as a global SAH WiA AG program open to ideas and projects that support the SAH mission. The initiative has been proposed in June of 2021 by Anna Sokolina, SAH WiA AG founding chair, with support by Barbara Ann Opar, co-chair of SAH WiA AG Registers Committee based on her practical mentoring efforts of compiling the first edition of SAH WiA Bibliography and the transcription of Oral History Interviews projects, and with support by Rebecca Siefert, SAH WiA AG executive administrator. Program outline developed and submitted for discussion by Gül Kale, SAH WiA AG Registers Committee member, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada https://carleton.ca/aah/people/gul-kale. Program proposal for the SAH WiA AG Mentoring Program was introduced by Gül Kale, peer reviewed, discussed, expanded, and confirmed on December 15, 2021, at the Sixth Meeting of the SAH WiA AG Council by SAH WiA AG elected group leaders in attendance: Shelley E. Roff, Anna Sokolina, Ola Uduku, Margaret B. Vickery, Rebecca Siefert, Danielle S. Willkens, Yan Wencheng, Ipek Mehmetoglu, Avni Gor, Priya Jain, Ex-Officio Barbara Ann Opar; invited attendance: Gül Kale.

The SAH WiA AG Mentoring Program represents the breath of interests of the SAH community. The program aims to support and provide direction, training, and advising to SAH student members. This initiative aims to include both undergraduate and graduate students in architectural history and theory programs globally through internships and practicum projects that support the SAH Women in Architecture Affiliate Group Mission, with a vision towards equity, diversity, and inclusion.

The Mission of the Mentoring Program of the SAH Women in Architecture Affiliate Group and the SAH WiA AG Registers Committee is to support and contribute to the groundbreaking efforts of documenting, recognizing, and advocating the essential role of women in the creation of the built environment.

The Objectives of SAH WiA AG Mentoring Program are to create, advance, and implement proposed initiatives:

  • The program identifies occasions to engage students in research, introduces new venues to improve student support, and promotes student training and funding opportunities.
  • The program organizes workshops to provide mentorship for students in diverse areas such as: 1) Proposal preparation workshops for grant applications; 2) Application preparation workshops for graduate school; 3) Workshop for graduate students’ job applications; 4) Roundtables to promote and publicize projects on women in architecture.
  • The program offers Internships and Practicum projects to students, to implement the Mission of SAH Women in Architecture Affiliate Group. These shall include developing bibliographies, editing entries, and managing social media accounts. The projects shall be adjusted and developed according to what would be most beneficial mutually, for the Society, the Group, and the students. Students can assist in updating and composing texts on the groups’ websites. They can also compile materials and lists related to women in architecture to contribute to projects-in-progress developing the SAH WiA AG resources.
Structure and Organization
  • Mentoring Program Coordinators: Gül Kale and Barbara Ann Opar
  • Program Support: SAH WiA AG members and leadership team, broader SAH directory, global collegiate

The SAH WiA AG designated Mentoring Program leaders create the open-access resources of information to advocate collaboration, education initiatives, and broader organization. The projects and initiatives are promoted by the SAH WiA AG Communication/Media Team and through the Group Listserv, announced in SAH Opportunities, and facilitated online linked to the SAH Women in Architecture Affiliate Group primary website.

Ways of Communication:

  • Timetable: according to the urgency of updates.
  • Reports to SAH Women in Architecture Affiliate Group Council, liaisons with SAH Board, Listserv to group members, SAH Opportunities announcements — with prior confirmation by the group Council.
  • Virtual collaboration: through Council Listserv, SAH Women in Architecture Affiliate Group website, other as needed.

The SAH Women in Architecture Affiliate Group (SAH WiA AG) Mentoring Program Website has been launched on June 23, 2022. Contents: Gül Kale and Anna Sokolina, design/administration Anna Sokolina, collaboration efforts: Barbara Ann Opar, publication: Rebecca Siefert.

Projects Implementation
Internships and Practicum Projects | The SAH Women in Architecture Affiliate Group Interns
  • Julia M. Kazubowski, B.Arch. student, Syracuse University, School of Architecture, and employee at the King+King Architecture Library, Syracuse, NY. Mentor/Supervisor: Barbara Ann Opar. Feb 2022—Jun 2023. Focus of contribution/assignments:
  1. Technical support and assistance with the second edition of “SAH Women in Architecture Bibliography”
  • Ifeoluwapo (Ife) Deborah Jegede, M.Sc. international student from Lagos, Nigeria, in Biotechnology, at Syracuse University, and employee at the King+King Architecture Library, Syracuse, NY. Mentor/Supervisor: Barbara Ann Opar. Jun 2022—Jan 2023. Focus of contribution/assignments:
  1. Technical support and assistance with the second edition of “SAH Women in Architecture Bibliography”
  • Kiana Darvish, M.A. student, Art History, Carleton University, School for Studies in Art and Culture, Ottawa, ON, Canada. Mentor/Supervisor: Gül Kale. Jan 2022—Jun 2022. Focus of contribution/assignments:
  1. Administrative support with SAH Women in Architecture Affiliate Group Facebook media platform
  • Hannah Joelle Deichler, M.A. student, Syracuse University, School of Education, English Education, College of Arts & Sciences, English and Textual Studies, Syracuse, NY. Mentor/Supervisor: Barbara Ann Opar. Jan 2021—May 2022. Focus of contribution/assignments:
  1. Technical support and assistance with the first edition of “SAH Women in Architecture Bibliography”
  2. Transcription of two Oral History Interview’s recordings, with edits by Rebecca Siefert and reviews by Opar, Siefert, Sokolina
Virtual Programs and Webinars
  • SAH WiA AG Virtual Roundtable, “Doing Fieldwork: Opportunities and Challenges,” a free virtual event held Wednesday, November 30, 2022, from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM CDT/12:00–1:30 PM EST. Organizer/Moderator: Dr. Gül Kale, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, SAH WiA AG Mentoring Program Coordinator. Panelists: Dr. Annapurna Garimella, ART Trust, Bangalore, India, Dr. Zeynep Kuban, Istanbul Technical University, Turkey, Dr. Bethany Walker, University of Bonn, Germany. Announced as part of SAH WiA AG Mentoring Program in the Group Discussion Forum: Discussion – SAH Women in Architecture Affiliate Group – SAH Commons and in SAH Opportunities.

SAH Women in Architecture Affiliate Group is thankful to Society of Architectural Historians for generous support of this virtual event.