Kinnard, a recognized leader in architectural education and the award's namesake, has dedicated her decades-long career to excellence in design teaching and has helped create opportunities for historically underrepresented groups in the design disciplines.
"Judith is a trailblazer in every sense of the word," says J. Meejin Yoon, Gale and Ira Drukier Dean of Architecture, Art, and Planning. "Throughout her career, she has been a leader and an inspiration to so many talented early-career educators and designers in the field of architecture. AAP is deeply honored to be entrusted with Judith and Ken's gift, which will not only positively impact both architectural education and the college now and for years to come, but enable us to invest in the next generation of leaders in the field."
The Judith Kinnard Early Career Design Fellow in Architecture is the first endowed faculty position at AAP named solely for a woman. According to Schwartz, he suggested the position be named for Kinnard because she has been "a 'first' at nearly every stage of her professional journey." Immediately following her time at Cornell, Kinnard was among the first women to teach design studios at Syracuse University, Princeton University, and the University of Virginia (UVA), where she was the first female architect to be tenured. She taught at UVA for 22 years and chaired the architecture department from 1998 to 2003.
"The pathway into both academic and professional careers in architecture can be long, especially for students with non-traditional backgrounds," says Kinnard. " When I was a student at Cornell, there were no women teaching in the architecture program. Since then, and over my long career, I have had the privilege of teaching at four different schools and mentoring many students who might not have considered a teaching career. We hope this gift helps support emerging educators who advance design teaching and learning."
In 2011, DesignIntelligence named Kinnard one of the 25 Most Admired Educators, and the American Institute of Architects awarded her a fellowship in 2004 for her leadership in architectural education. She is also the former president of two of three architectural education organizations in the US: the National Architectural Accreditation Board and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture. Kinnard currently teaches architecture at Tulane University and is an active member of the AAP Advisory Council.
"When we began thinking about a gift to AAP, Judith and I realized how fortunate we've been for opportunities that came at early stages in our lives, and that we might be able to help make these kinds of opportunities more accessible to more entry-level design educators," adds Schwartz. "We sincerely hope this position can provide a powerful running start that accelerates an individual's growth in the inspiring setting of the Department of Architecture at Cornell."
