On Friday, March 24, 2017, during the 105th ACSA Annual Meeting in Detroit, Lawrence Technological University (LTU) hosted a group of MITArchA members at the Detroit Center for Design & Technology (DCDT). MITArchA President Jacob Kain MArch, ’00, flew from Boston to lead the event, explain MITArchA’s mission, and encourage membership. Course IV alumni involved in architectural education, including: Marilys Nepomechie MArch ’83, Associate Dean at Florida International University and immediate past President of ACSA, Mina Marefat PhD '88, MITArchA VP of Communications and Lecturer at Georgetown University, and local architect Robert Ziegelman, FAIA MArch ‘59 were in attendance, with other alumni and guests.
Constance Bodurow SMArchS ’91, Professor of Architecture at Lawrence Tech and Midwest Regional Board member of MITArchA, handled logistics and arranged participation by LTU design students. CoAD Dean Karl Daubmann SMArchS ’99 and DCDT Associate Director Chris Stefani provided a tour of the facility and spoke about its programs. Ms. Nepomechie observed that this was the first alumni gathering at an ACSA annual meeting, and hoped it would become a new tradition. Members and several guests (including GSD alumni) provided input and ideas, and engaged in a wide-ranging conversation. At the end of the event, Mina Marefat asked attendees to describe their favorite building at MIT—Saarinen’s Chapel and Aalto’s Baker House were the most popular responses.