Three UMD MAPP alumni have been elevated to Fellow by the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows, the AIA’s highest membership honor for exceptional work and contributions to architecture and society. The announcement was made last month, and will be celebrated at a ceremony on June 7 during AIA Conference on Architecture 2019 in Las Vegas.
Joe Brancato (B.ARCH, B.S. Urban Studies ’80), Jordan Goldstein (B.ARCH ’94) and Tom Jester(M.ARCH ’99) all received the distinction, which is granted to just three percent of AIA members. A total of 27 MAPP alumni have now been recognized as FAIA.
Joe Brancato is Regional Managing Principal in the New York office, co-managing Gensler’s Northeast and Latin American regions and Vice Chairman of the firm’s Board of Directors. For over 30 years, Brancato has worked closely with his partners and clients to position Gensler as one of the top architecture and design firms in the world. He is active in talent development and mentoring, shaping the firm’s internal gConnect program, which focuses on the professional growth of their young leaders. Brancato is also an active member of the AIA, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, Urban Land Institute, Urban Design Forum and CoreNet Global. Brancato is a registered architect in 23 states and three Canadian provinces.
Jordan Goldstein is Regional Managing Principal out of the Washington, D.C. office of Gensler. Goldstein is Global Director of Design & Delivery and co-managing principal of Gensler’s Southeast U.S. Region, focusing on the firm’s vision, strategic direction and business operations. Throughout his 20-plus-year career, Goldstein has led projects that range in scale from The Yards development in Southeast Washington, D.C., to Northern Virginia's Tysons Tower to China's Duke Kunshan University campus. An advocate of helping the next generation of designers, Goldstein teaches a graduate course on design at the University of Pennsylvania, and has been a Kea Distinguished Professor at UMD.
Tom Jester is a Principal with Quinn Evans Architects, which specializes in architecture, planning, urban revitalization and historic preservation, including sustainable preservation and stewardship. A highly regarded leader in preservation, he has contributed to the design of many of Quinn Evans’ signature projects throughout the U.S., including the modernization of the National Academy of Sciences on the National Mall; the renovation of Old City Hall in Richmond, Va.; the renovation of the Benjamin Franklin Museum in Philadelphia and the modernization of Southeast Library in Hennepin County, Mn. Jester is also a Fellow in the Association for Preservation Technology International (APTI) and is a member of Preservation Maryland.
“Congratulations to Jordan, Tom and Joe for this great achievement,” says Associate Dean for Development and Faculty Affairs and Architecture Program Director Brian Kelly. “They are all incredibly accomplished leaders in architecture, preservation and development, and being named an AIA Fellow is one of the highest honors in our profession. We’re very proud to call them Maryland alumni.”