Written by Brianna Rhodes
AIA Potomac Valley (AIAPV) welcomes two MAPP alumni as members of the Emerging Professional Awards Program (EPAP) Class of 2024. Nicholas DiBella (B.A. Architecture ‘20, M.ARCH ‘22) and Duong Le, Associate AIA (B.S. Architecture ‘22), join three other talented design leaders who participated in its annual competition. The five recipients were selected from a pool of 19 emerging professional nominees by a jury of AIAPV Fellows, based on an evaluation of their leadership potential. They were honored on October 19, 2023, at AIAPV's Design + Leadership Awards.
The awards program provides the five winners a yearlong opportunity to hone their leadership skills and professional development through mentorship with AIAPV’s Group of Fellows, the chapter’s most accomplished members. In addition to the mentorship program, they each received a $500 cash award and a stipend for professional development activities.
DiBella is a part of the architectural staff of Miner Feinstein Architects, where he focuses on affordable housing projects. He supports residents’ and the communities’ health through thoughtful, sustainable design. While attending MAPP, he served as a teaching assistant for academic studios.
Le is an architecture designer at Hord Coplan Macht where he utilizes sustainable strategies and carbon modeling in his design work. While at UMD he served as vice president of AIAS and treasurer of Women in Architecture, was active in NOMAS and served as an undergraduate student senator in the University Senate.
Congratulations to the EPAP Class of 2024 members.