Jasmyn Byrd received her Master of Architecture from the College of Design at North Carolina State University with a certificate in Public Interest Design. Her research interests are in the geopolitical economy of urbanization, urban-rural transformations, and intersections between race and architecture. She is the Member Chair of the North Carolina Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architecture and recipient of the David Allen Company Dean’s Scholarship (2019), Heister C. Cease Architecture Graduate Award (2019),(2020), Harry B. Gilbert Architecture Graduate Fellowship (2020), and The Dean of the College of Design Wings on Wings Award (2022). Jasmyn has had many opportunities to advance both her understanding of the science of building technology and the art of design. She completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design from the Art Institute in 2017, where she served as President of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). Jasmyn joined the disciplines of Interior Design and Architecture through her position as Architectural Designer at BSA LifeStructures. She aspires to pursue a focus on public interest design by designing sustainable structures for underserved and at-risk populations.
I was born of Asian and African American ethnicity. I was raised with four other siblings, with me being the only girl. Growing up, I was placed in a Christian school, which shaped a lot of my life today. In a small school I was able to explore my academic interests such as Math and Art. I was also able to experience playing several sports such as Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer, and Softball.
Growing up in the Los Angeles region, I experienced the density and housing insecurities that characterize this area. As a result, I started my interest in Architecture in hopes of aiding the housing crisis. Ultimately, my career path for Architecture was directed toward the healthcare industry, however, my initial root desire was to impact the community as best I can. Currently, I am 25 years old and enjoy hobbies such as working out, being active, cooking, hanging out with family, crocheting, and line dancing.
Chisom’s professional career provided her numerous opportunities to create unique scenes by thinking critically, develop creative design concepts, and translate them into working documents. Within the professional field of architecture, Chisom specializes in planning and design with an emphasis on conceptual implementation, building enclosure modeling, interior architecture, and programming. Another area of her strong expertise is photorealistic visualization, documentation drawings, design coordination, and collaboration with team members, clients, engineers, and stakeholders.
Having practiced in China, Malaysia, Cambodia, Brazil, South Africa, and United States, Chisom has been a major contributor on projects of different scales that include residential, civic, cultural, educational institutions, hospitality, office, transportation, and urban design. Today, Chisom is currently working as a Staff Services Architect at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. She started with the Agency in September 2017 after working for the private sector for several years.
Chisom had always expressed interest in the relationship between public policy and architecture, which is evident in her educational background. Chisom holds a Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design degree from Columbia University. She also received her Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Science in Public Policy, Planning, and Management from University of Southern California.
Charnice Burns’ experience encompasses a wide variety of project types and all aspects of the design process from feasibility studies to design development to construction documentation and administration. As a Project Manager Charnice endeavors to implement innovative strategies to her projects to ensure that project goals are effectively met while serving as an ardent advocate to her clients. Charnice has worked on a number of project types including multifamily residential, healthcare, commercial, aviation projects, and major building renovations at higher education institutions. Charnice seeks to maintain excellent client and consultant relations while delivering projects that are design forward, while adhering to budget and schedule.
Esmeralda Aceituno is an undergraduate student at the University of Southern California studying for her Bachelors of Architecture. She is double minoring in Communication Design and 3-D Animation in Cinematic Arts. She was born and raised in East Los Angeles, California.
Annabelle Asali is a first-year at the University of Southern California. She is very excited to study architecture in order to get her B.Arch. She hopes to be a licensed architect with USC’s IPAL Program. In her free time, she loves to do calligraphy, watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and take pictures. She is extremely grateful that the Architects Foundation has sponsored this scholarship as it has helped her get one step closer to achieving her dream.