Certifications
While working in master planning and architecture in 2008, I completed the process of becoming a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional (AP). As a LEED AP, I managed LEED projects at the architecture and engineering firm of John Portman and Associates (JPA). Two key projects included the 1) Norfolk State University Master Plan (2008) and 2) LEED Commercial Interior for JPA’s office space in downtown Atlanta (2008-2009). At the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), I had the opportunity to complete a Certificate in Aging and Disability from Boston University (BU) in 2013. As stated on BU's website, this certificate approaches “aging and disabilities from a biological, psychological, and social perspective.” As a city planner working on issues affecting older adults and people with disabilities, it is critical to understand person-centered intersections often associated with the social work profession to understand more effective, holistic solutions. In 2014, I completed the certification process of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). This process helped to round out my knowledge of and experience in city planning. |
Awards
Most of my university education has generously been funded through scholarships. During 2000-2004, I received a Presidential Scholarship from Lambuth University to cover tuition for a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. While at Lambuth, I worked as a Residential Assistant to cover additional fees. In 2006 while working on my Georgia Tech Master of Architecture degree, I received an Urban Studies Scholarship from the Atlanta-based architecture firm TVS to attend a semester of graduate school in Genoa, Italy with Clemson University. While at Georgia Tech 2004-2007, I worked as a Graduate Assistant for the Architecture Lecture Series to pay tuition. During 2009-2011, I received an Erasmus Mundus scholarship from the European Commission to gain a Master of Science in Urban Development and International Cooperation from the Technische Universität in Darmstadt, Germany. Various projects have also won awards. In 2008 with a team of 9 Georgia Tech professors, we won an Infinity Design Award during the History Channel’s “City of the Future Atlanta: A Design and Engineering Challenge” competition held at Underground Atlanta. Our proposal was called “LWARPS: We can reverse SPRAWL.” In 2009, while living in Germany, I took part in a 1-week urban planning competition that took place in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was hosted by the International Union of Architects (UIA). We were a team of three from different European universities, and our landscape design proposal to adapt to sea level rise in Copenhagen was selected for the Velux Natural Resources Award. In 2010, I was awarded a Young Professionals Award by the International Federation of Housing and Planning (IFHP). I submitted results of housing project development in Haiti while working with Caritas Germany. The award included a trip to Porto Alegre, Brazil to present the work at the annual IFHP conference. |