Professor Emeritus Ralph Bennett and Clinical Professor Amy Gardner have been elected to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) College of Fellows (FAIA). Ralph and Amy are two of over 100 members elevated this year out of 80,000 AIA members. This prestigious honor recognizes their extensive contributions to the advancement of the profession through teaching and practice. Amy and Ralph will be honored this May at the AIA Annual Convention in Atlanta, Georgia.
Ralph Bennett has practiced architecture since 1966, and for 25 years has been President and Partner of the Silver Spring-based firm, Bennett Frank McCarthy Architects. An active practitioner and advocate of sustainable design and development, Ralph is Vice Chair of the Affordable Housing Conference of Montgomery County and President of Purple Line NOW. He has been teaching architecture at the University of Maryland for over 25 years.
Amy Gardner is a founding partner of the firm Gardner Mohr Architects LLC. Her professional and academic work have earned countless design honors, and has been featured in publications worldwide. A faculty member of the school since 1989, she was the lead faculty adviser to the University of Maryland’s LEAFHouse 2nd place entry to the 2007 Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, as well as principal investigator for WaterShed, UMD’s winning 2011 Solar Decathlon entry.