Project Manager at the University of Chicago

Kareem Cousar is a Project Manager with the Facilities Services group at the University of Chicago focusing on construction and design-related projects. His most notable project was managing the construction of the Laboratory School’s Gordon Parks Arts Hall, a 90,000 GSF facility dedicated to the visual and performing arts. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Kareem earned his B.A. in Architectural Studies from the University of Pittsburgh, M.A. in Architecture from Illinois Institute of Technology, and completed a Post Graduate Fellowship at Carnegie Mellon University. Kareem became a dedicated member of NOMA in 2010, and has played an integral role in the Project Pipeline Summer Camp since 2015. In his role as Co-Vice President, Kareem plans to help I-NOMA further develop the already successful Project Pipeline model.

Product Marketing Manager at USG Corporation

Jose Estrada begun his career at USG Corporation as a Technical Support Associate in 2005 and has since become a Product Marketing Manager where his duties include marketing, sales and distribution for products targeting structural engineers, architects and builders. While he did not pursue a licensure in architecture after earning a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Mr. Estrada interacts regularly with architects, engineers and builders. He is also heavily involved in the professional organizations of I-NOMA and Arquitectos. 

Partner at Hanns & Erving

Deon Lucas is currently a partner at Hanns&Erving, an employee owned organization that stabilizes underdeveloped communities through the restoration of blighted properties, which they do so through a community based platform that provides local residents with the opportunity to invest in real estate via physical and intellectual labor. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Tuskegee University and received a dual degree for Master of Architecture and Master of Business Administration at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His experiences revolve the urban environment, architectural design and business innovation. Many of his former occupations had involved being design and business consultants. Mr. Lucas' personal interests in addition to his career interests have converged towards a mission of executing exceptional business leadership and socially responsible practices. He envisions a career that offers not just him, but countless others an opportunity to benefit from the use of capital markets through social innovation. A path that will provide him with the programmatic information he needs to ensure that society benefits as well as contributes to the world's economic and social well-being. 

Principal at husARchitecture

After graduating from UIUC, Chyanne earned her MARCH from Columbia University in New York, and secured her license while interning at Holabird & Root.  She founded husARchitecture in 2010 as a way to use architecture as a medium to bring awareness of social and environmental concerns to the general public. The firm’s work varies in scale from furniture design to public housing and sustainability consulting. She really enjoyed teaching a graduate level studio at UIUC in Fall of 2017 where she was able to pair her students with community groups in Gary, IN to help brainstorm the revitalization of the city's Union Station.

Currently, Chyanne is the vice chair and regional representative of the AIA National’s Small Firm Exchange where she seeks to develop a connective network for small architectural practices across the country.  It is in this role that she hopes to aid the profession in continued growth and community.

Project Manager - Facilities and Services at UIUC

Angela King worked in the private design sector in Connecticut, took a few years off to be a full time mother to three children and now works as a Project Manager / Owners Rep for the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign leading capital projects from the start of design through closeout.  She is an advisor to the NOMAS chapter at UIUC and is a mentor in the Chicago Project Pipeline summer architecture camp for middle schoolers.  She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and has just passed her final exam to become a licensed architect.

BIM Manager & Architectural Designer at Tilton, Kelly+Bell LLC; Real Estate Broker at Century 21 SGR

Tiara Hughes earned her Master of Architecture degree from Drury University and is a Chicago Real Estate School Graduate.

“If there is no well to drink from, dig until you create one” - Tiara Hughes
This is the philosophy Tiara lives by. From previously serving as the Marketing Director & Co-Sponsorship Chair on the executive board for I-NOMA to launching First 500 (a research endeavor focused on highlighting African American Women Architects), the hard work and dedication behind this belief has led her to serve in these roles. In addition to leadership and research, Tiara is a strong believer in giving back through volunteerism. She dedicates countless hours to mentoring black, underprivileged high school students all year around in the NAACP’s ACT-SO program. Her satisfaction from this experience stems from witnessing the students develop and grow their talents. Tiara equally volunteers her time to I-NOMA’s Project Pipeline. Every summer, I-NOMA organizes a week-long camp devoted to introducing minority junior-high students to the ACE (Architecture, Construction & Engineering) Industry. They continue their efforts throughout the year with continuous exposure to ACE through field trips and workshops. Tiara is passionate about architecture and youth development. 
More recently, Tiara has become a Real Estate Broker in Chicago. With this new role, she plans to enhance both her architecture and real estate careers by bringing a different perspective those industries.

ISoA Professor

David Chasco is Professor and past Director of the Illinois School of Architecture (2004-2014). Chasco was originally a member and associate with Gunnar Birkerts and Assoc. from 1983-1994, Design Architect with DiClemente Siegel Design/Gunnar Birkerts FAIA from 1997-2002, joined the College of Architecture and Design at Lawrence Technological University (LTU) in 1994, and served as Interim Dean from 2002-2004.

Chasco received his Master of Architecture and B.S in Architecture from the Illinois School of Architecture in Urbana-Champaign. He was the recipient of the school’s prestigious Plym Travelling Fellowship in 1992.

Comprehensive design experiences include such building types as an embassy, cathedral addition/renovation, performing arts center, laboratories, academic libraries and law schools, mixed-use retail/housing/offices, corporate offices, and housing. Chasco has also provided architectural RFP/RFQ selection services for LTU’s $20 million College of Architecture Building and Peoria’s $100 million Museum and Caterpillar Visitor’s Center.

David M. Chasco has received the New York Architectural League’s Young Architect’s Award, a Detroit AIA Honor Award, the Michigan AIA President’s Award for Outstanding Leadership in Education and the Profession, and has contributed to numerous AIA awards, industry awards, and publications with Gunnar Birkerts & Associates. He currently also serves as the Chancellor’s Advisor for Architecture and Master Planning, advising on such issues as the $95 million Electrical Computing Engineering Building, the proposed $110 million College of Law Building, as well as planning issues such as the completion of the west military axis. In 2008, he served on the State of Illinois AIA Board of Director’s.

ISoA Professor

Professor Anthony teaches, conducts research, and writes about how spaces and places affect people. Her expertise focuses on such topics as social and behavioral factors in design, gender and race in contemporary architecture, and entrepreneurship in design. She is the longest-serving female faculty member in the Illinois School of Architecture, currently completing her 34th year on campus and holds the lifetime title of Distinguished Professor from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA). Her research has spawned award-winning books, Design Juries on Trial: The Renaissance of the Design Studio and Designing for Diversity: Gender, Race, and Ethnicity in the Architectural Profession, as well as two iOS educational apps: Design Student Survival Guide and Student Survival Guide. Her publications have sparked media attention nationwide. She recently testified before Congress regarding gender equity in public restrooms.

Professor Anthony has testified before the US Congress on behalf of gender equity in public restrooms. She has served as a media spokesperson and her work has  been published widely. Her newest book, Defined by Design: The Surprising Power of Hidden Gender, Age, and Body Bias in Everyday Products and Places was recently published last year.

Project Manager at Studio ARQ

Since joining in 2012, Mr. Espejo has grown with Studio ARQ as Project Manager. He currently oversees

Studio ARQ’s residential department and performs project management on various commercial and

municipal projects. These projects have included upgrades to existing facilities and buildings. He has

supervised various types of architectural projects with diligence and is able to work with different types

of clients’ requirements with efficiency. He boasts impressive skill in taking projects from design concept,

permitting, scheduling, and construction administration to project completion.

Principle at JP Architects, Ltd.

Jose is a client-focused architect providing 21st century solutions to design challenges. He is a strong, affable leader with a track record that demonstrates enthusiasm and resourcefulness. He is a proven professional in planning, budgeting, coordinating, and scheduling. His excellent understanding of capital improvement projects makes him a great contribution to any team.

ISoA Professor

Professor Murray teaches design studios and seminars and served as the inaugural Chair of the Building Performance Program at the Illinois School of Architecture. He is currently a member of the Editorial Board of the journal Technology ׀ Architecture + Design (TAD). As a licensed architect since 2000, Professor Murray has worked on a variety of building projects ranging in scale from single-unit residences to skyscrapers. He is an UIUC alumni of the architecture undergraduate program and received his Master of Architecture degree at Harvard University.

His current research and design work focus on the technological and cultural significance of contemporary architecture, with an emphasis on innovative building-envelope design and the interactions of architecture and nature. He is the author of the books Contemporary Curtain Wall Architecture (Princeton Architectural Press, 2009) and Translucent Building Skins (Routledge, 2013). His research has been supported by grants from the Graham Foundation, the Hewlett Foundation, and the Campus Research Board at the University of Illinois. He also maintains a design practice based in Urbana, Illinois, which has been recognized with national design awards for projects including a proposal for affordable multi-unit housing in New York City and a residential addition built in Champaign, Illinois. 

Professor Murray has been included on the University’s List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent for more than 25 classes taught since 2005.

ISoA Professor

Dr. Yun Kyu Yi received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Architectural Engineering from Hong-Ik University and Yonsei University in South Korea. He also earned a Master of Science in Architecture and his doctorate in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Yun Kyu Yi teaches environmental and sustainable architecture and technology and conducts research in the area of computational building modeling and simulation, building performance evaluation and indoor occupants behavior. Previously he has lectured several universities in Korea and taught at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was an assistant professor at the department of architecture and primary faculty of the TC Chan Center for Building Simulation and Energy Studies. 

He is also the founder and investigator of Envitect. Enterprise seeks to develop an application for performance-based design support that links research outcomes to the development of new processes, systems, and products.

He is a lead author or co-author of numerous scientific papers. He recently published “Topography integration to wind downscaling,” in the Building and Environment and "Programmable Kiri-Kirigami Metamaterials," in the Advanced Material.

He wrote a chapter called “Building Performance and Computational Simulation,” in “The Design and Construction of High-Performance Homes Building Envelopes, Renewable Energy and Integrated Practice,” edited by Franca Trubiano. He also contributes a translation of “The Design and Construction of High-Performance Homes Building Envelopes” into Korean, and the translated book was awarded for 2015 Sejong Outstanding Scholarly Book in Korea.

He worked on several consultant projects on energy saving, high-performance building design and operation. A Recent project includes University of Pennsylvania Carbon Reduction Action Plan that provided strategic guidance on building energy conservation and Qatar Sustainability Assessment System, which is a performance-based sustainability rating system.