Effective Mentoring for a Diverse Environment

Students and faculty are invited to join local practitioners for discussion on building effective mentorship  relationships. Organized by AIA Buffalo/WNY, the event features presentations by Lori Brown of Syracuse University and ArchiteXX, Dr. Luis Colón, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence for UB's College of Arts and Sciences, and Brandon Baxter, a UB alumus and emerging professional in the City of Buffalo who will discuss his own mentoring experience.

This is a two-part course for architects in Buffalo and Western New York. The program is structured around three presentations about effective mentorship. After presentations from each speaker, the program will conclude with a panel discussion led by Kelly Hayes McAlonie. Participants will learn about the AIA Equitable Practice Guides, the UB Architecture Mentoring Program, and the experiences of each of the presenters in developing mentoring programs and best practices in their respective organizations.  

3:30 pm Networking and Refreshments

4:00 pm Presentations by Dr. Luis Colón, Lori Brown, FAIA, and Brandon Baxter (MArch ’18)

5:10 pm Break

5:20 pm Open panel discussion with moderator, Kelly Hayes McAlonie, FAIA

Brandon Baxter, a 2018 graduate of UB's MArch program, is an emerging professional currently employed by the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority.  Baxter will discuss his experience in both a formal and informal mentor/mentee relationship and the impacts this has had on his career advancement. He will also address effective strategies to interact with mentees from the mentee's perspective.

Lori Brown, FAIA, is the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Syracuse University, and founder of ArchiteXX, a women and architecture group in New York City. This group seeks to raise the awareness of women in architecture, create support and mentoring networks and create design actions broadening the exposure of architecture out in the world.   

Dr. Luis Colón is the A. Conger Goodyear Professor of Chemistry, SUNY Distinguished Professor, and Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence in the College of Arts and Sciences at UB. Dr. Colon was named by President Barack Obama in 2015 as a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring.