How do issues of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) impact the practice of architecture? What can you do to make your firm and the profession more equitable?
Join the AIA Pittsburgh Chapter’s EDI Community and Human Resources Consulting Firm, CEPHR, LLC on March 17th from 12:30pm-2:00pm for “How to Strengthen Your Practice Through Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion,” a workshop to review Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the professional practice of architecture within Pittsburgh and the surrounding region. This workshop aims to bring firm leaders, administrative personnel, and design professionals together in a virtual forum of education and discussion on these topics and how they relate to our clients’ needs, our project work, our firm cultures, and our industry’s pathways to licensure. The presenters will share data, resources, and key terms and definitions, using the AIA Guides for Equitable Practice as a foundational document to steer the conversation. The EDI Community Firm Outreach Task Force hopes to learn from participants what topics are most relevant to their practices and what challenges are being faced by our chapter members.
Earn 1 LU for attending
Register for the workshop here
Learning Objectives
– Attendees of this course will understand how the racial and gender demographics of architects compare to other professions locally and nationally, and how the level of diversity changes along the pathway to licensure.
– The AIA Guides to Equitable Practice are a valuable resource for firm leaders. This course will introduce the principles within the Guides and provide a framework for how to use them to facilitate discussions and inform policies within firms.
– In an open discussion format, attendees of this course will learn from each other what specific challenges local firms are facing to foster an equitable culture both internally and within the community.
– Attendees of this course will understand the moral, ethical, business, professional, and societal case for diversity, equity, and inclusion; and how these relate to the AIA Code of Ethics.
Meet the Speakers
Tiffany Castagno is Chief Executive Officer & Founder of CEPHR, LLC, a Values-Based HR Consultancy based in Pittsburgh. Tiffany has practiced Human Resources for 14 years and embeds Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) into all of her practices. Tiffany is a Mentor and enjoys volunteering her time in the Community. She is on the Board of Directors of two Local 501(c)3 Non-Profit organizations in Pittsburgh that share her Values of DEIB. Tiffany is Co-author of a DEIB Children’s Book “Can a Zebra Change Its Stripes?”, a book in the Series “Bruno’s Amazing Adventures” with a Mission “To Change the World, One Child at a Time.”
Jessie Catenacci-Morgan, AIA, LEED Green Associate is a project architect at Perkins Eastman, with a focus on workplace design. She is the co-leader of the Perkins Eastman Pittsburgh DE&I Working Group, a member of the AIA Pittsburgh EDI Community, and is involved in student outreach for the ACE Mentor Program of Western PA.
Charles Coltharp, AIA, Technical Architect, Gensler, Chair of the AIA Pittsburgh EDI Community
Marco Virgili, AIA, LEED AP, is a project architect at Strada with a focus on historic preservation and adaptive reuse. He is a collaborator on Strada’s DEI Team and a member of the AIA Pittsburgh EDI Community.