2015 Directory

34 WYOMING ARCHITECTURE .15 | www.aia-wyoming.org I n 1997 AIA Wyoming established the Architectural Education Foundation of AIA Wyoming (AEF-AIAWy) to assist Wyo- ming students obtain an architectural education at accredit- ed schools of architecture. There are no accredited schools of architecture in Wyoming. That makes the financial commitment for Wyoming architecture students even more challenging. The Architectural Education Foundation of AIA Wyoming is a 501(c) (3) non-profit corporation registered in the State of Wyoming. The AEF-AIAWy is administered by the Board of Directors selected from the membership of AIA Wyoming. Current Board members are: Randy Byers, President; Larry Berlin, Treasurer; Mike Potter; Brad Oberg, Lisa Hubbard, and Clint Taylor. The AEF-AIAWy awards multiple scholarships each year to deserving Wyoming residents or Wyoming high school gradu- ates. To be eligible, students must have completed three or more semesters in a program leading to an accredited degree in Archi- tecture or have graduated or will graduate with an Architectural Engineering degree from the University of Wyoming, and have been accepted by an accredited school of architecture. The original funds for the scholarship were a gift of $3,000 from the Colorado Producers Council to AIA Wyoming in the late 1980’s. During the 1990’s, AIA Wyoming started distributing a portion of excess funds from the previous year’s budget to the AEF-AIAWy scholarship fund. Those gifts continue still. In the past ten years, the AEF-AIAWy has asked AIA Wyoming mem- ber firms to make a yearly donation pledge. Reminders of those pledges are sent to each firm in November or December of each year. AEF-AIAWy also solicits gifts from allied professionals, Wyoming philanthropic organizations and individuals, and holds periodic fund raising events. The AEF-AIAWy has been able to grow the corpus of the scholarship funds to a level where we can sustain the scholarship awards from yearly earnings. Scholarships are awarded based on overall need, ability, desire, determination and potential for successfully completing their architectural education and entering architecture as a profession. Applicants are required to submit a resume, transcript, samples of work, and a letter of recommendation from a faculty member. In the past 15 years the Foundation has awarded over $100,000 in scholarships to deserving Wyoming students of architecture. PAST SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS 2014 Amanda Anderson, Cheyenne, University of Washington; Amanda Hansen, Green River, University of Oregon; Jayde Gonsalez, Worland, Montana State University 2013 Samantha Compton, Worland, Kansas State University; Jayde Gonsalez, Worland, Montana State University 2012 Levi VanBuggenum, Sheridan/Big Horn/Story, University of Arizona; Amanda Hansen, Green River, University of Oregon; Samantha Compton, Worland, Kansas State University 2011 Kay Guidry, Cheyenne, Boston Architectural College; Cydney Means, Gillette, Montana State University; Kelly Buchanan, Cheyenne, University of Nevada Las Vegas; Levi VanBuggenum, Sheridan/Big Horn/Story, University of Arizona; Samantha Compton, Worland, Architectural Education Foundation of AIA Wyoming BY CLINT TAYLOR, AIA