National Organization of Minority Architecture Students

This past year the SARUP chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS) coordinated a number of activities that are in line with the NOMAS mission to foster community and communication among minority architecture students and their greater academic and social environment. Participation in the NOMA Conference in October, the University of Illinois at Urbana—Champagne Symposium, and firm tours all helped to meet this mission by creating opportunities for NOMAS students to connect with peers and professionals, present their work, and advance personal and professional goals. Throughout these events, NOMAS students engaged in discourse to understand the issues—political, social, environmental, and professional—and how they affect architecture. These crucial experiences and connections allow NOMAS students to find their niche and enter the professional world more prepared and with an expansive support network. NOMAS students brought these new insights back to the UWM SARUP community.

This upcoming school year NOMAS will again participate and present their design competition entry in the NOMA Conference that will be held in Houston, Texas, in October. Further events planned throughout the year will address the needs and interests of the SARUP student body to engage the greater NOMAS community. Potential events include a trip to the Chicago Architecture Biennial, firm tours, and other conferences.

NOMAS at UWM with their competition entry during a recent National Organization of Minority Architecture Students conference in Houston