Donald and Joanna Sunshine Architecture Fellow Alumni Award

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The purpose of the Donald and Joanna Sunshine Architecture Fellow Alumni Award is to provide a selected alumnus of the Virginia Tech Architecture graduate or undergraduate program with a special opportunity for the further study of architecture during the early stages of his/her professional career. The biennial award currently carries a stipend of $7,500 to be used for a minimum period of six weeks* of independent study and travel in the US or abroad.

As a young practicing architect, Professor Sunshine was afforded a similar opportunity by being selected as a Plym Fellow. This experience was a defining moment in Professor Sunshine’s life as an architect and one that Donald and Joanna would like to make permanently available to our alumni.

Preference will be given to alumni who graduated at least three years ago, but not more than 10 years ago.

In order to be considered for the award, applicants should send a letter of intent describing the travel study proposal, an updated résumé and a portfolio (8½” × 11” format) of their professional accomplishments as an intern architect or as a practicing architect by March 15, 2020 to:

The Sunshine Architecture Fellow Selection Committee
c/o Director, School of Architecture
201 Cowgill Hall, Virginia Tech (0205)
1325 Perry St.
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061

Only individual submissions will be considered. Joint submissions will not be considered. Portfolios, which include work produced in collaboration with others, should clearly articulate the applicant’s responsibilities.

The recipient of the Donald and Joanna Sunshine Architecture Fellow Alumni Award will be announced at the School’s annual awards ceremony in April.

Previous Donald and Joanna Sunshine Architecture Fellows:

2000 Gregory Luhan (B.Arch. 1991)
2001 Mason White (B.Arch. 1996)
2002 Danielle DiLeo (B.Arch. 1996)
2004 Troy Schaum (B.Arch. 1999)
2006 Travis Hanks (B.Arch. 2000)
2008 James Ruhland (M.Arch. 2006)
2010 Luis Véléz-Alvaréz (M.Arch. 2007)
2012 Christian Wopperer (B.Arch. 2004)
2014 Kalin Cannady (B.Arch. 2011)
2016 Dylan Fuller (B.Arch. 2011)
2018 Ashton Hamm (B.Arch. 2014)

The next award will be made in Spring 2020.

*The six-week period of study and travel must occur no later than six months after receiving the award. The recipient, if employed, should be on a leave of absence during the six-week period, and not otherwise employed in order to devote full-time to this study. Upon selection the recipient is to submit a detailed travel itinerary and budget for approval. Upon completion of the study/travel period the recipient will be required to submit a final document of the study as well as give a public lecture at the University in a format of his/her choice. The total amount of the award is $7,500; the first $5,000 will be awarded within 30 days of study approval and the final $2,500 upon completion of the public lecture and acceptance of two sets of the final documents (4-6 18” × 24” exhibition boards) to the selection committee. A portion of the final $2,500 shall be used to pay the expenses for the fellow’s lecture and travel to Blacksburg.