Nominations for 2022 Watts Scholar invited
Published February 10, 2022
In honor of Black History Month, the School of Architecture and Planning welcomes applications for the 2022 Watts Scholar. The scholarship program for UB architecture students from underrepresented groups is supported by Watts Architects & Engineers, a progressive, minority-owned architecture and engineering firm with offices in Buffalo, Syracuse, and New York City.
The scholarship is open to graduate and undergraduate architecture students from underrepresented groups. Awards will be made on the basis of student performance, engagement, and demonstrated financial need. Applications are due by 5 PM on March 14, 2022. The winner will be announced during the Spring ‘22 semester.
“For over fifteen years, our company has provided scholarships to deserving minority students that are on a pathway to careers in architecture and engineering,” said Edward Watts, Jr., president of Watts Architects & Engineers. “As long as our company remains in business, we will continue to partner with educational institutions to help provide access to students that are dedicated to pursuing their dreams.”
As a minority-owned firm in an industry where Blacks have been historically underrepresented, Watts Architects & Engineers is itself a story of triumph against the odds. It was founded in 1986 by Watts’ father, Edward O. Watts, who left his childhood home on a small farm in central Alabama to pursue an engineering degree. Thirty-five years later, Watts has grown from a one-man environmental engineering consulting firm into a leading interdisciplinary team of more than 90 architects and engineers.
Robert Shibley, dean of the School of Architecture and Planning and SUNY Distinguished Professor, said the program reinforces a shared commitment to equity and inclusion in the study and practice of architecture. “While other professions have made considerable progress, racial equity remains a major concern in the built environment professions. With leaders like Watts Architects & Engineers, we can work together to dismantle the legacies of systemic racism and mobilize our professions toward racial justice.”
Read more about recent Watts Scholars Petreen Thomas (BS Arch ‘21) and Samendy Brice (MArch ‘20, BS Arch ‘18).
“For over fifteen years, our company has provided scholarships to deserving minority students that are on a pathway to careers in architecture and engineering,” said Edward Watts, Jr., president of Watts. “As long as our company remains in business, we will continue to partner with educational institutions to help provide access to students that are dedicated to pursuing their dreams.”