STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
Through active participation in student organizations, both at the A-School and across Grounds, our students are at the forefront of leading positive change to create more just, sustainable, and healthy futures. Presidents from each student group serve on the Council of Presidents which oversees the operations of all student organizations. Anyone with questions about A-School student organizations should contact Associate Dean of Student Affairs Cindy Kiefer for assistance.
SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE STUDENT COUNCIL (A-SCHOOL STUDCO)
The School of Architecture Student Council (A-School Studco) is an elected body that serves the School of Architecture community through social, community building, and service events and initiatives. Serving as the bridge between students, staff, faculty, and administration, A-School Studco advocates for the interests, concerns, and issues of all School of Architecture students to create a better architecture school for all.
Contact the 2023-2024 A-School Studco Executive Team:
President: O'Shen Burgess, B.S. Arch '24, olb8jd@virginia.edu
Vice President: Anderson Packwood, B.S. Arch '25, kps7hq@virginia.edu
Treasurer: Emma Sontag, B.S. Arch '24, eds8jj@virginia.edu
Secretary: Alyssa Levy, B.S. Arch '25, uek7ht@virginia.edu
ALPHA RHO CHI (APX)
Alpha Rho Chi is a student-led organization that aims to create relationships among students of all years and disciplines, relating to the School of Architecture, through philanthropic, educational, and social events within the school and local community. Members are provided opportunities to further their leadership involvement, career development, and connections with other students through consistent programming that is centered around the three main pillars of philanthropy, professional development, and relationship-building.
Contact: knv5uz@virginia.edu (Alan Watts, President)
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS - UVA CHAPTER (AIAS)
AIAS is a national, student-run organization that diversifies architectural education through professional, social, and leadership opportunities. The UVA AIAS chapter creates supplementary educational opportunities through networking, skill workshops, and community engagement to demystify the profession and critically equip our members for practice. Our mission is to provide a more sustainable, healthy, and equitable future by empowering student voices, ideas, and actions.
Contact: uva@aias.org
CE+ (PHD STUDENT ORGANIZATION)
CE+ is the official Contracted Independent Organization (CIO) representing all students and candidates in the Doctoral Program in the Constructed Environment at the University of Virginia School of Architecture. Our mission is to represent the Program’s students and candidates, advocating for their wellbeing and needs among the School’s faculty and staff, and across the University. We work to enrich and expand educational and professional development opportunities for all our members, also providing financial support, as well as encouraging dialogue and stimulating interdisciplinary research and collaboration.
Contact: uva.cephd@gmail.com
MANIFESTA: EQUITY IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AT UVA SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
manifestA is a collectively-led organization, facilitated by students, that aims to foster meaningful conversations and educational programming in order to strengthen the A-School community's ability to address issues of justice and equity in academic and professional work.
Contact: manifestauva@gmail.com
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF MINORITY ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS - UVA CHAPTER (NOMAS)
NOMAS seeks to unify students of color across majors within the School of Architecture through service, professional, and social events.
Contact: nomas-uva@virginia.edu
SOCIETY OF ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIANS (UVASAH)
UVASAH is the oldest student-run chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians. It serves as a social and scholastic link between the faculty and students of UVA's Department of Architectural History, which is the oldest such department in the nation. In this capacity, UVASAH hosts lectures by distinguished scholars, coordinates guided trips to historic sites, arranges social events for students and faculty, engages with the community, and provides leadership and feedback on the changing discourse of our discipline
Contact: UVASAH1826@gmail.com
STUDENT ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATE ARCHITECTS (SAGA)
The Student Association of Graduate Architects (SAGA) at the University of Virginia is dedicated to representing and supporting graduate architecture students within the School of Architecture. Our mission is to foster a vibrant, inclusive community, empowering members through professional development, collaboration and advocacy, while promoting architectural excellence, social responsibility, and the exchange of critical information. All graduate students pursuing a Master of Architecture degree within the School of Architecture are active, voting members of SAGA.
Contact: saga@virginia,edu
STUDENT ASSOCIATION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS (SALAD)
The Student Association of Landscape Architects is an organization centered on highlighting roles that landscape architects have in stewarding and designing for ecological systems across multiple scales. SALAD seeks to strengthen connections between design disciplines and to our community at large. To achieve these aims, SALAD brings lecturers, organizes career and social events, and coordinates volunteer opportunities for Landscape Architecture students throughout the year. In addition to bringing outside resources into the school, SALAD sponsors open studios with local partners, internship and portfolio discussions, and other activities to promote interaction and learning. Finally, SALAD collaborates with other student organizations to identify overlapping interests and organize events to bring student groups together.
Contact: salad@virginia.edu
STUDENT PLANNERS’ ASSOCIATION (SPA)
The Student Planners Association (SPA) promotes the general understanding of urban planning practice at UVA and the School of Architecture and supports the professional and academic development of its members. SPA is a Planning Student Organization (PSO) as defined by the American Planning Association (APA).
Contact: spaleaders@virginia.edu
CLASS OF 2024 TRUSTEES:
The Trustee promotes the 4th year Trustees’ Giving Campaign and coordinates Trustees-sponsored 4th year career-related, student/alumni networking, and social/wellness events.
School of Architecture Representative: Frances Carraway, BS Arch ‘24
School of Architecture Representative: Jaeger Lajewski, BS Arch ‘24
School of Architecture Representative: Grace Lunak, BS Arch ‘24
UVA HONOR COMMITTEE
The Committee is comprised of students from each school within the University and is responsible for conducting honor trials, investigations, and educational sessions. The School of Architecture Student Council selects two student representatives to serve.
School of Architecture Representative: Tim Dodson, MUEP/JD ‘24
School of Architecture Representative: Maille Bowerman, BUEP ‘24
UVA JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
The Committee aims to educate and promote the Standards of Conduct put forth by the Board of Visitors. The School of Architecture Student Council selects two student representatives to serve.
School of Architecture Representative: Karsten Brown, BS Arch ‘25
School of Architecture Representative: Heather Byrum, BS Arch ‘25
UVA GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL COUNCIL
The University of Virginia Graduate and Professional Council is the student governing body for all UVA graduate and professional schools. Sponsored by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs, representatives from each graduate school meet monthly to discuss needs, concerns, and solutions for our graduate and professional students. The School of Architecture's representative acts as a critical liaison between the A-School student body, graduate and professional schools, and University administration.
School of Architecture Representative: Olivia McGeough, MArch '24
UVA STUDENT COUNCIL
The student governing body of the University of Virginia. Elections are run by the Student Council and occur at the beginning of November. The School of Architecture Student Council selects one student representative to serve.
School of Architecture Representative: Isabella Koch, BS Arch ‘26
LUNCH
lunch is the design research journal of the UVA School of Architecture. Each issue is developed by an editorial team of A-School students.
Contact: info@lunch-journal.com
UVA SAWMILLING
UVA Sawmilling seeks to redirect the current material pathway for downed trees on University of Virginia Grounds. There are many beautiful and memorialized trees, as well as unique species, that come down every year and will live on if turned into lumber. Rather than dumping these logs at nearby log yards, leaving them for contract arborists to deal with, or chipping them, UVA Sawmilling proposes that potentially valuable logs be milled and made available to interested parties at the University.
Contact: uvasawmilling@gmail.com