Welcome to the SAH Women in Architecture Affiliate Group Registers Committee!
The SAH Women in Architecture Affiliate Group (SAH WiA AG) Registers Committee has been established and announced at the First Meeting of the Committee on December 18, 2020, as a global SAH WiA AG initiative open to proposals and projects that support the SAH mission. The initiative has been proposed and put forward by Anna Sokolina, SAH WiA AG founding chair, peer reviewed and confirmed on September 9, 2020, at the First Meeting of the SAH WiA AG Council by SAH WiA AG elected group leaders: Annmarie Adams, Priya Jain, Kathryn E. O’Rourke, Shelley E. Roff, Rebecca Siefert, Anna Sokolina, Franca Trubiano, Margaret B. Vickery, Julia Walker, and Danielle S. Willkens.
The SAH WiA AG Registers Committee represents the breath of interests of the SAH community by creating a database on women’s professional leadership and contribution to the discipline, with the focus on Registers, Lists, and Catalogues of: 1. WiA Bibliographic Resources; 2. WiA Networks of Likeminded Organizations; 3. WiA Oral History Interviews.
The Objectives of the Committee are to create, maintain and advance:
- SAH WiA Bibliography – a Register of Bibliographic References that is composed of: 1) the list of books written ABOUT women’s contribution to the built environment integrating works in broader diversity, border- and cross-disciplinary studies, covering various geographies, and areas relevant to understanding and teaching the subject; 2) the list of books authored/edited BY women, who are architectural and art historians, educators, curators, critics, other protagonists in our profession; 3) the list of dissertations ABOUT women’s contribution to the discipline; 4) the list of books on contribution of women to the built environment in languages other than English.
- SAH WiA AG Networks – a Register of likeminded organizations, institutions, and other alliances across borders and disciplines.
- SAH WiA AG Oral Histories – a Collection of oral history interviews, both in an audio and video format, and integration of a variety of other inclusive forms of discussion, which transparently consider all sorts of debate: panels, events, book talks, dialogues, conversations and meetings, documenting personal histories of women in profession.
Structure and Organization
- Committee Co-Chairs: Barbara Ann Opar and Anna Sokolina
- Associate Chair: Rebecca Siefert
- Committee Members:
- Advising Member:
The SAH WiA AG Registers are maintained and updated by designated Members of the Committee, as the open-access resources of information to advocate collaboration, education initiatives, and broader organization. The created Registers and Lists are facilitated online linked to the SAH Women in Architecture Affiliate Group primary website.
Terms of the Project: a long-term project; all parts constantly in-progress.
Nature of the Project: Information/Research/Collaboration/Educator resource.
Terms and Guidelines of Service:
- This Leadership Team is a dynamic unit that has a potential to expand, crowd-source, and interactively collaborate with scholars and other professionals across border disciplines.
- As per SAH Women in Architecture Affiliate Group Bylaws, Committee Co-chairs and Committee Members shall not be constrained to limited terms of service.
- Committee Members are not to be elected, but nominated by SAH members, appointed by the Chair/Co-Chairs of the Committee, and are to commit until further notice.
- Any Committee Member may resign at any time by delivering written notice to the Chair/Co-Chairs.
- According to the protocol of best practices of the SAH Women in Architecture Affiliate Group and for the purpose of better serving the SAH community, or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Chair/Co-Chairs are entitled to revise from time to time the structure and organization of the Committee, and act thereof, by appointing or releasing Committee Members.
- The Records are updated on schedule decided by Committee Members.
- Participation of interns, students and emerging professionals is encouraged.
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 this Committee.
- Virtual collaboration: through Committee Listserv, SAH Women in Architecture Affiliate Group website, other as needed.
SAH WiA AG Registers Committee Website has been launched on March 1, 2021, as part of the Program: MARCH 2021: SAH WiA AG CELEBRATES WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH – SAH Women in Architecture Affiliate Group (hcommons.org)
Projects Implementation
1. SAH Women in Architecture Bibliography
This project-in-progress of SAH Women in Architecture Affiliate Group and SAH WiA AG Registers Committee is a groundbreaking effort to document and recognize the essential role women have played in the creation of the built environment. First edition of this Register went through two rounds of peer review and has been published, with Acknowledgements:
– On July 15, 2021, the official open-access website for this project with the list of over 1,100 titles of books and dissertations, Chicago Manual of Style 17th edition, has been launched: The SAH Women in Architecture Bibliography (hcommons.org).
– On August 3, 2021, a reference to “SAH Women in Architecture Bibliography” has been published on SAH Publications and Research site Booklists and Exhibition Catalog Lists (sah.org).
– In May 2023, the revised first edition has been downloaded Download PDF | The SAH Women in Architecture Bibliography (hcommons.org).
2. SAH Women in Architecture AG Oral Histories
This project-in-progress was invited in a format of Oral History Interviews by Pauline Saliga, SAH Executive Director; put forward by Barbara Ann Opar and Anna Sokolina; in-depth research and implementation by Rebecca Siefert.
– Two interviews have been organized, conducted, and recorded by Rebecca Siefert, transcription by first SAH WiA AG intern Hannah Deichler, Syracuse University, College of Arts & Sciences, School of Education, English Education, under supervision by Barbara Opar, transcripts edited by Rebecca Siefert.
– On March 8, 2022, a virtual meetup and sharing life stories in celebration of the International Women’s Day 2022, has been organized by Rebecca Siefert and Anna Sokolina as the first in the line of conversations, with gratitude for support and attendance to Dr. Victoria M. Young, President, Society of Architectural Historians, with special thanks to Barbara Opar and Dr. Carmen Espegel, and to SAH WiA AG leadership team.
– On May 31, 2023, the guidelines have been discussed by the Group leadership at SAH WiA AG 10th Joint Leadership Meeting 5.31.2023, Rebecca Siefert has been designated to head the program. Further proceedings: on June 22, 2023, at the virtual meeting of the designated team, select strategies of the project have been attended and plans discussed for creating a website for the program in SAH Commons.
3. SAH Women in Architecture AG Reference List: Women’s Contribution to Pittsburgh Architecture
This project of SAH WiA AG Registers Committee was initiated and developed by Barbara Ann Opar in preparation for the 75th SAH Annual International Conference in Pittsburgh, PA (April 27–May 1, 2022). SAH Women in Architecture Affiliate Group invited submissions of bibliographic references to create a resource celebrating women who have contributed to Pittsburgh architecture, or whose life and work trajectories are relevant to Pittsburgh’s built environments. www.sah.org/jobs-and-careers/opportunities/recent-opportunities/2021/09/10/default-calendar/call-for-bibliographic-references-women-s-contribution-to-pittsburgh-architecture The list authored by Barbara Opar and supported by Hanna Joelle Deichler, SAH WiA AG Intern under supervision by Barbara Opar, is organized alphabetically and contains names and web links of 53 Pittsburgh professionals.