The Virginia Associates Award recognizes the accomplishments of individual Associate AIA members for being outstanding leaders and creative thinkers for significant contributions to their communities and the architecture profession. For 2024, this award is given to Caitlin Morgan, Associate AIA.
Caitlin Morgan, Assoc. AIA, CSI-EP, began her career at the height of the 2020 global
pandemic and has since found her passion for advocating for emerging professionals across
architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC). Her roles at the local, state, and national levels
for professional organizations exemplify her desire to work with industry leaders to ensure that
future architecture professionals receive the education and mentorship they require for a
successful career serving their communities. Caitlin experienced hardships in architecture upon
graduating from college in 2020 when all professional networking and development
opportunities were placed on indefinite holds. Not wanting to delay her goal of becoming a
licensed architect, she set her sights on creating virtual networking opportunities through her
local CSI and AIA chapters where she formed connections that would shape the future of her
career.
Throughout the pandemic, Caitlin continued to pursue professional development and
networking opportunities, culminating in a position on the AIA Virginia Board of Directors as the
2021-2023 Associate Director. Her experience in this role reminded her of how diverse the
Associate membership is within the AIA, consisting of experience levels ranging from recent
graduates to seasoned design professionals. Through this lens, she has tailored her passion for
emerging professional advocacy to include a wider network of AEC professionals and, in 2021,
co-founded Emerge AEC, a virtual networking platform with a mission to improve communication
between emerging professionals in architecture, engineering, and construction by building
community, supporting career growth, and elevating AEC as a whole.
Since co-founding Emerge AEC as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Caitlin has
forged strong relationships with professionals across the country despite global conditions that
risked setting her back in her professional development. Caitlin continues to pursue roles where
she can work with and advocate for emerging professionals who find themselves at risk of
deviating from architecture career paths – Her passion for strengthening the pipeline of
successful future architects and designers continue to fuel her drive for a more accessible and
diverse industry.
For her service to the profession through AIA and CSI, service to the community, advancing education initiatives, and fostering industry discourse and collaboration, Caitlin Morgan will be honored with the Associates Award at the Visions for Architecture event on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, at the Richmond Downtown Marriott.
Celebrate with Caitlin at Visions for Architecture>>