Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation Hosts Leadership Awards Gala

Thursday evening, the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation (BWAF) honored six industry professionals at the third annual BWAF Leadership Awards Gala at the Prince George Ballroom in New York. Established by Beverly Willis in 2002, the organization is committed to transforming the practice of architecture to be more inclusive of women.

Award recipients were celebrated for their efforts in advancing women architects and women-led firms. Honorees included Greg Kelly, president and CEO of WSP | Parsons Brinkerhoff; Ray Daddazio, president of Thornton Tomasetti; Marilyn Jordan Taylor, professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design; Dolores Hayden, professor at Yale University; Rosa Sheng, senior associate at Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Architects; and Architectural Record editor-in-chief Cathleen McGuigan.

Since its founding, the BWAF has worked to change the culture of the building industry through documenting women’s work, educating the public, and developing strategies to improve the progression of women leaders in the field. Recent accomplishments by the foundation include the Built by Women (BxW) program—a crowd-sourced competition celebrating women’s contributions to the built environment—and the Industry Leaders Roundtable program, which provides firms with research, tools, and the support to be agents of institutional change.

Alex was an associate editor at Architectural Record. Prior to joining the magazine, she worked in marketing and communications for New York–based architecture firms. Her writing has appeared in the Architect’s Newspaper and CityLab. Alex holds a master’s degree in design criticism from the School of Visual Arts and a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University.