Design Your Future: ZGF Announces 2024 Scholarship Recipients

Design Your Future: ZGF Announces 2024 Scholarship Recipients

News May 01, 2024

ZGF is thrilled to announce this year’s Norm Zimmer Scholarship and Emerging Black Architects Scholarship recipients.

2024 NORM ZIMMER SCHOLARSHIP: MARIA TELEMAN

Established 20 years ago in memory of founding partner Norm Zimmer, the Norm Zimmer Scholarship exemplifies Norm’s spirit and devotion to design, community, and life-long learning. Each year one student is selected to receive $10,000 for university tuition and fees and a paid internship with ZGF.

The jury evaluated submissions for their innovation, presentation, storytelling, and professional experience. They gravitated toward compelling personal stories about overcoming obstacles, cultural and environmental sensitivity, and a deep sense of curiosity through conceptual and critical thinking.

Maria Teleman, a Master of Architecture student at Yale University, wove these elements together in a powerful essay about how design shapes the human experience at different scales. She demonstrated a mindful and meticulous approach in her portfolio, stemming from her experiences as a first-generation Romanian immigrant in Canada.

“Intentional and curated design shouldn’t be a privilege but a right that everyone deserves to benefit from,” said Maria.

“We looked for value alignment with ZGF and students’ vision for making the world a better place through design.”
– Kate Mann, Partner, ZGF

2024 EMERGING BLACK ARCHITECTS SCHOLARSHIP: CELENA YANCY & CHRISTOPHER STINSON

This marks the fourth annual Emerging Black Architects Scholarship, a $5,000 scholarship for two students and a paid internship with ZGF. In 2020, ZGF employees raised $160,000 on Juneteenth and partnered with the firm’s leadership to create a lasting opportunity to support Black students on their path to becoming architecture and design professionals.

Celena Yancy is a Master of Architecture student at The New School, Parsons School of Design. Growing up in a small, conservative town, Celena felt called to art and science, but she didn’t know that architecture was a potential career path. Things finally started to click when she discovered the architecture department in college, after bouncing around from one major to another. She is particularly interested in healthcare design for its sensitivity to accessibility, which she believes we should bring to the rest of the built environment.

“When we make things more accessible, even for a small group of people, we make things better for everybody,” said Celena.

Christopher Stinson is a Bachelor of Architecture student at the University of Miami, currently studying abroad in Rome. His architecture journey began in a high school drafting class, designing a floor plan for a Florida home. Yet as he searched for other architects to look up to, “it was hard to find architects that looked like me, so I made it my mission to work to become one,” said Christopher.

Still drawn to housing design today, Christopher recalled growing up and moving from house to house as his family expanded and their needs changed. It became increasingly difficult to find homes that would accommodate them, let alone be affordable, especially when they became full-time caretakers of a family member who is deaf and mute. It was clear in Christopher’s portfolio that he carefully considered the people he was designing for and how their relationship to space might differ from one person to the next.

Christopher will intern with ZGF DC this summer.

 

THE JUDGES

ZGF would like to thank the 2024 judging panels for their time and commitment to these scholarships. Both panels are made up of a majority non-ZGF staff and formally recommend the winners to the Oregon Community Foundation. 

2024 Norm Zimmer Scholarship judging panel:

  • Scott Baker, Founding Principal, RELM
  • Jenna McKnight, Architectural Journalist and Senior Contributing Editor, Dezeen
  • Mark Gardner, Assistant Professor of Architectural Practice and Society, Parsons School of Design; Principal, Jaklitsch/Gardner Architects
  • Emily Womack, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Dyson & Womack
  • Braulio Baptista, Partner, ZGF
  • Kate Mann, Partner, ZGF

2024 Emerging Black Architects judging panel:

  • Renee Kemp-Rotan, President & CEO, Studio Rotan
  • John Sivills, Lead Urban Designer, City of Detroit Department of Planning & Development
  • Michael Marshall, President/CEO, Michael Marshall Design
  • Steven Lewis, Principal, ZGF

Learn more at zgf.com/scholarships.

Related

Empowering the Next Generation of Architects & Designers

We chatted with 2023 Norm Zimmer Scholarship and Emerging Black Architects Scholarship winners Nicole Niava, Teonna Cooksey, and Lauren Jasper about their diverse paths to design. 

ZGF Employees Fund New Emerging Black Architects Scholarship

Two students who identify as Black or African American and are in an accredited architecture or design program will be selected to receive $5,000 each toward university tuition and fees. Scholarship recipients will also be offered a paid internship with ZGF.

 

APPLY HERE

Designing a Diverse Future for Architecture

Our decade-long relationship with the National Organization of Minority Architects is an important part of ZGF’s multi-faceted plan to drive Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in our industry. While our work is far from done, ZGF was named 2022 Firm of the Year by NOMA’s Southern California chapter for our support and contributions to the organization.