i. institutional support and commitment to continuous improvement

School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Department of Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects
Master of Architecture
Master of Architecture with emphasis in Interior Architecture
Winter 2008 Prague & Vienna 2
Summer 2007 Prague 1
ARCH/INARC 6222 Sustaining Practice Economies delivers the bulk of the MArch
program’s professional practice content. Students are expected to not only learn about
conventional models of practice but also speculate about the limits and potential of
practical organizations. Regular trips to a variety of Chicago area offices helps students
imagine the role of professional organization can play in the instantiation of their career
goals. This exposure also helps lay the foundation for future employment opportunities.
c) American Institute of Architecture Students, SAIC chapter
As of the 2009–10 academic year, many student governance and communication procedures
have fallen under the purview of the newly formed and recognized AIAS chapter. The chapter is
an important opportunity to participate in student government and professional societies. AIADO
department supported AIAS events for the 2010–11 have been detailed under the Architecture
Education and the Students heading in section I.1.3 Response to the Five Perspectives.
d) Professional experiences
A very exciting new opportunity for students in the MArch program comes through a recent
collaboration between the AIADO and Argonne National Laboratories. This opportunity has
been detailed under the Architectural Education and Society heading in section I.1.3 Response
to the Five Perspectives.
e) Schiff Fellowship
The Schiff Fellowship was founded in 1988 with a generous endowment from Harold Schiff
to support young architects. The fellowship, first granted in 1989 and administered by the
Department of Architecture of AIC, is given annually to one student from either the University
of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois Institute of Technology, or SAIC. The winning student’s portfolio
becomes part of the permanent collection of architectural drawings housed within the Ernest
R. Graham Study Center for Architectural Drawings.
The four-person, independent jury changes every year. Jury members evaluate the
submissions—the portfolios of the students’ regular school work—select the winner and
determine the amount of the award. The yearly cash award has ranged from $5,000 to
$25,000. Some students have used the money to travel, pay for college expenses, prepare
for state licensing exams or purchase equipment for practicing the profession. In the 20 years
since the award was established, seven students from the SAIC have been recognized:
o Sungsuk Yoo, $25,000 award in 2008
o Insun Cho, $25,000 in 2006
o Tristan D’Estree Sterk, $25,000 in 2003
o Rusty Smith, $13,689 in 2000
o Dong Huy Kim, $10,000 in 1993
o Tracy Bender, Honorable Mention of $2,000 in 1991
o Hyeon-Mi Cho, $4000 second prize in 1990.
Starting in 2007, the Schiff endowment was increased to support a new category of
award for Architectural Writing and Criticism. The initial award in 2007 was for $10,000,
which went to SAIC MArch student Taylor Lowe.
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