NOMA CONFERENCE 2025 & ASU Mentorship

NOMA ARIZONA SHINE AT THE 2025 NOMA NATIONAL CONFERENCE IN KANSAS CITY

From October 8–12, the Annual National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) Conference convened in Kansas City, Missouri, uniting professionals, students, and leaders from across the country. This year, NOMA Arizona proudly sent more than 20 representatives, including licensed professionals, allied members, and students from the ASU Design School.

Community Service and Opening Events
The conference began with the traditional community service event, providing attendees an opportunity to contribute locally while connecting with NOMA chapters nationwide. NOMA Arizona representatives actively participated in multiple initiatives, fostering collaboration and reinforcing the organization’s commitment to community support.

A highlight of the opening events was Maurita Harris’ attendance at Populous’ Headquarters for a book signing of Letters to Ms. 1,000, a memoir honoring the future 1,000th licensed African American female architect. At the time of publication, only 634 African American women held architecture licenses in the United States. Maurita Harris of PHX Architecture now holds license number 244 nationally and is the third in the State of Arizona, marking a significant milestone for both her career and the local architecture community.

Professional Development and Educational Opportunities
Throughout the conference, attendees had access to numerous seminars offering AIA continuing education credits, covering topics such as the AIA Fellowship process, civic leadership, city planning, and other critical areas shaping contemporary architectural practice. In addition, participants explored Kansas City through guided tours of historic districts and architectural landmarks.

The host chapter celebration was held at Science City at Union Station, an iconic century-old train station that continues to serve daily rail functions while operating primarily as a science center and special event venue.

Keynote Address
Dr. Ruha Benjamin delivered the conference keynote, presenting “The Race to the Future: From Artificial Intelligence to Abundant Imagination.” Her address explored the evolving role of artificial intelligence in architecture and emphasized the importance of maintaining agency, creativity, and human-centered design in shaping the future of the profession.

General Session and Member Recognition
During the NOMA General Session, leadership presented annual reports highlighting membership growth and the organization’s expanding national and international impact. The session reaffirmed NOMA’s mission to elevate and recognize minority architects, whose contributions have historically been underrepresented.

A highlight of the session was the traditional pinning ceremony, honoring newly licensed architects nationwide. This year, NOMA Arizona celebrated one newly licensed member, joining over 20 individuals recognized across the country for reaching this milestone.

NOMA Arizona Earns 5-Star Chapter Status
For the second time since its founding in 2018, NOMA Arizona was honored as a 5-Star Chapter. This distinction reflects the chapter’s excellence in professional development, its Project Pipeline initiatives for middle school students, civic engagement, community service, and overall chapter growth.

ASU MENTORSHIP EVENT

This past October, Atllas Hopkins and Reed Doolan represented PHX ARCHITECTURE at the NOMA x AIA Mentorship event held at Arizona State University. Prior to the event, students seeking mentorship and professionals offering guidance completed an application to be paired for the evening’s activities.

The event provided a valuable platform for emerging designers and established professionals to connect, engage in meaningful dialogue, and collaborate on team-based design challenges. As graduates of ASU’s design program, Atllas and Reed recognized the importance of attending and proudly represented PHX ARCHITECTURE, contributing their experience and insight to support the next generation of design talent.