Over the past couple of years, graduates from the UMass Master of Architecture program have assumed leadership roles as presidents in three of the seven New England chapters of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Dorrie Brooks ’11 M.Arch leads AIA Massachusetts; Garth Schwellenbach ’13 M.Arch is guiding AIA Western Massachusetts; and Kathryn Wetherbee Wise ’13 M.Arch headed AIA Maine. This remarkable accomplishment is particularly noteworthy considering the relative newness of the Master of Architecture program and the substantial number of architecture schools in the Northeast. In a special edition of the UMass Department of Architecture newsletter, Professor and Chair of the Department of Architecture, Stephen Schreiber, FAIA engaged in interviews with all three accomplished alumni.
All three alumni interviews are continued on our website. Please click through on each interview to continue reading about why they chose to attend UMass Amherst, what they learned about leadership while earning their Master of Architecture degrees, what they are doing now, and their accomplishments and goals for their tenure as leaders of the AIA.
Schreiber began the conversation by mentioning that each of the alumni had non-architecture backgrounds before they pursued a Master of Architecture degree at UMass. He asked them to say a bit about those backgrounds, and why they pivoted to architecture.
Brooks: Of the three of us, I am the oldest by a pretty wide margin. I had been producing documentaries and television for 20 years. I initially entered UMass to take a break from my 20-year long career as a video producer. I had become a documentary producer out of college and had grown up overseas and thought educating Americans about the rest of the world might be a useful and interesting career. Producing documentaries was also an outlet for my insatiable curiosity. I wanted to tell the stories that were not being told. But eventually the internet came along, and I felt that it was getting harder to make an impression in this new, oversaturated media landscape. Video began to feel too ephemeral.
Schwellenbach: I majored in anthropology as an undergrad then bounced around the country playing and teaching music, among other things. After an extended trip around the world with my wife Liz we settled in Asheville, North Carolina. In Asheville I worked as a carpenter for a few years until I was lucky to get a job with an Architect that had designed a project I built. After working for Keith Hargrove Architect for three years I decided to pursue a master’s in architecture, which eventually brought me to UMass (with a baby and renovating a house in Maine in between).
Wise: Before my graduate studies at UMass, I earned an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Maine. I loved engineering but actually found myself as an architecture intern after starting a summer engineering internship at an A/E firm. I still do use my engineering degree, especially when working with engineers, and I am so thankful for that background as I practice architecture now.
| Schreiber then asked why each chose to attend UMass. |
| Brooks: In 2008 I was working for a local company that created immersive experiences for museums around the country. I had two young children, and my wife was running a café in Florence. I was traveling a lot and losing enthusiasm for my work. I had never considered architecture as a career because I assumed it required small motor skills that I definitely lack, but I was placed in an eight-person architectural studio, and I loved it immediately. I loved the whole-brain workout of every studio project. It was exactly the kind of analytical, creative, collaborative and impactful work I was looking for. |
| Schwellenbach: I was attracted to UMass primarily because of the friendliness, openness and flexibility I saw in the program. I had the sense the program would be supportive of both my academic goals and my personal well-being, which turned out to be true. I was also drawn by the location and the idea that our family would be happy living in the area. The tremendous value of public education was also important in my initial interest and final decision. |
| Wise: This is a fun story. I was accepted into multiple programs for graduate school, and I was waitlisted at UMass. The minute I received my letter, I knew this was the program that I wanted. The immediate disappointment I felt by being waitlisted at UMass made me realize that UMass was my top choice. So, I drove down to see the campus, and I met with Steve Schreiber (I do not think I had an appointment). I showed him my portfolio and kindly begged him to let me in! Ha! I am very thankful for the opportunity to go to UMass and equally as thankful that Steve gave me a chance at that first meeting with him. I also look back on that time in my life as a powerful lesson in going for what you want and not letting the first answer you get be the final answer you get. And I like to think that Steve never regretted it! [Editor’s note: best decision ever!] |
