New Haven-based design firm Hoffmann Architects + Engineers, which specializes in rehabilitating building exteriors, has contributed $25,000 to fund the Hoffmann Diversity Advancement Scholarship, administered through the Connecticut Architecture Foundation.
This contribution will provide scholarship awards for students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups who are seeking degrees in architecture or engineering. The scholarship is open to students entering or enrolled full-time in an NAAB-accredited architecture program or ABET-accredited civil or structural engineering program or full-time college/university students located in southern New England or the eastern Mid-Atlantic regions.
Alison Hoffmann, communications manager at Hoffmann and chair of the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, said, “With architecture and engineering programs still enrolling a predominantly white student body, there is little room for the kind of innovations that come from bringing together diverse perspectives. This scholarship aims to take steps toward addressing that imbalance.”
The Hoffmann Diversity Advancement Scholarship will also offer students the opportunity for paid internships in one of Hoffmann’s offices. Students will gain practical experience that they would otherwise not gain in their studies.
The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and the National Organization of Minority Architects reported that only 37% of people completing the Architectural Experience program, which is needed for an architecture license, were either Black (3.4%), Hispanic/Latinx (12.5%), or Asian/Pacific Islander (16.6%).
Hoffman Architects + Engineers was founded by John J. Hoffmann, who immigrated from Hungary to the United States in the 1950’s.
“As someone who started off by working full-time and going to night school, I know what it’s like to struggle to build a career,” said John J. Hoffmann, an alumnus of The City College of New York.
Hoffmann and his wife, Susan, contributed personally to help establish the scholarship fund.
“I can’t pay back the people who helped me get to where I am, but I can pay it forward. I hope this scholarship gives promising students a leg up in meeting their goals.”
The deadline to submit application materials is April 28, at 11:50 p.m. EST. Materials can be submitted HERE.
Contact Matt Verrilli at mverrilli@newhavenbiz.com.
