President, Susan Maxman Architects, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
1997
Citation:
As one of few prominent female architects of international renown, your numerous accomplishments in this demanding field have been truly exceptional. You have employed your considerable talents to the advancement of environmentally sensitive architecture, becoming a nationally recognized expert on the principles of sustainable design and historic preservation. You have provided instruction and consultation for organizations such as the National Park Service, the Smithsonian Institution, Girl Scouts USA and the University of California-Berkeley. You have offered invaluable expertise through your service to national and international committees, including the Eco-Efficiency Task Force of the President's Council on Sustainable Development; the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro; the 1993 U.S. and France Joint Meeting on Building, Energy and the Environment; the 1995 National Park Service Design Charrette on Pennsylvania Avenue at the White House; the 1996 U.S. Department of Energy Blue Ribbon Committee; and to the University as you chaired the 1995-1996 Architecture Task Force of the Commission on the Future. Your position among the elite of American architects is emphasized by your appointment as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, a distinction awarded to less than five percent of your peers. As a result of your civic contributions, you have received numerous awards acknowledging your creativity and resourcefulness, including; the 1985 McArthur award for Adaptive Reuse, the 1991 and 1995 AIA Honor Awards, the 1994 Northeast Sustainable Energy Association commercial Building Award, the 1995 AIA Citation of Recognition, and the 1995 National Trust for Historic Preservation Grand Prize. Your exceptional accomplishments have forged new ground for professional women, and you have been recognized through awards such as the 1992 YWCA Academy of Women Achievers, the 1993 Women's National Democratic Club "Shattering the Glass Ceiling" Award, the 1995 Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania Award, and the 1996 Pennsylvania Commission for Women "Best 50 Women in Business" and "Honor Roll of Women" awards. As the first woman national president of the American Institute of Architects, you served with great distinction, enriching and emphasizing the AIA's focus on environmentally sensitive design. In honor of your energetic commitment to sustainable architecture, to the advancement of the profession and to the efforts of community-based organizations, the University of Detroit Mercy is pleased to confer upon you this Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Commencement, University of Detroit Mercy, May 10, 1997.