Washington, D.C.: The American Institute of Architects (AIA) 2012 Jury of Fellows has elevated Skidmore Owings & Merrill’s Jeffrey J. McCarthy, FAIA, C. Keith Boswell, FAIA, and Ellen Lou, FAIA, to its prestigious College of Fellows, an honor awarded to members who have made significant contributions to the profession. Founded in 1952, the AIA Fellowship program is one of the highest honors the AIA can bestow upon a member. Election to fellowship not only recognizes the achievements of architects as individuals, but also their significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level. Out of a total AIA membership of over 80,000, there are just over 3,000 distinguished with the honor of fellowship and honorary fellowship. The 2012 Fellows will be honored at an investiture ceremony at the 2012 National AIA Convention and Design Exposition in Washington, D.C. As Managing Partner in SOM’s Chicago office, Jeff McCarthy has pioneered new practices and methodologies for city planning and international design. He has managed some of the most successful urban planning and design projects in recent history, including Canary Wharf in London, the Beijing Central Business District East Expansion, and the NATO Headquarters in Brussels. Jeff currently leads the firm’s effort to define best-practice sustainability methodologies, promoting integrated interdisciplinary initiatives for the built environment. As Technical Director of SOM’s San Francisco office and leader of the firmwide Technical Design Group, Keith Boswell’s recent projects include the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, California, Rice University Bioscience Collaborative Center in Houston and the China World Trade Center in Beijing. Keith is the author of the forthcoming book, Exterior Building Enclosures: Design Process Through — and Beyond — Realization. Through her passionate leadership and unique global perspective, Ellen Lou, Director of Urban Design in SOM’s San Francisco office, has advanced the profession of urban design to foster thriving, sustainable cities that support economic vitality, environmental responsibility, and cultural preservation. Her recent projects range from the Baietan Urban Design Plan — a vision for a sustainability-integrated city on the banks of the Pearl River in central Guangzhou, China — to, Tianjin Financial City Master Plan — a visionary plan for an eco-city for the 21st Century, to the University of Utah Campus Master Plan in Salt Lake City, which provides a blueprint for future growth and development of the campus.
About Skidmore Owings & Merrill LLP Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) is one of the leading architecture, interior design, engineering and urban-planning firms in the world, with a 75-year reputation for design excellence and a portfolio that includes some of the most important architectural accomplishments of the 20th and 21st centuries. Since its inception, SOM has been a leader in the research and development of specialized technologies, new processes and innovative ideas, many of which have had a palpable and lasting impact on the design profession and the physical environment. The firm’s longstanding leadership in design and building technology has been honored with more than 1,500 awards for quality, innovation, and management. The American Institute of Architects has recognized SOM twice with its highest honor, the Architecture Firm Award—in 1962 and again in 1996. The firm maintains offices in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Mumbai and Abu Dhabi.