CELEBRATING WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH!

Date: March 13, 2026 (Friday), Time: 12-1pm (Lunch)
Cost: FREE
Credit: 1.0 Learning Unit (LU) | HSW (Health, Safety, and Welfare)

Program Description:
Join us for a compelling one-hour AIA New Jersey webinar that examines the essential, underrecognized contributions of women in the architectural profession in New Jersey. Drawing on extensive research from national and local archives, this program uncovers the historical and contemporary impact of women influencing & shaping the built environment.

Hosted by the Chair of the AIA NJ Women in Architecture Committee, alongside leaders from the AIA NJ Historic Archives Committee, this session explores professional barriers, legislative milestones, and significant projects led by women architects and designers throughout the state’s history. Through archival findings and personal accounts, attendees will gain meaningful insight into how representation, access, and equity have impacted architectural practice and the communities we serve.

By connecting these historical narratives to present-day practice management, this webinar offers architects a valuable perspective on the importance of inclusive leadership in creating resilient, equitable, and sustainable environments.

Moderator:  Erin Sharp-Newton, M. Arch (Chair, AIA NJ WIA, Past President, AIA CNJ)
Co-Hosts:  Elina Shchervinsky, AIA (Past President, AIA CNJ), & Joyce Scatuccio, Associate AIA (Director of HArC)
Special Guest: Suzanne DiGeronimno, FAIA

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:

• Identify the key turning points in New Jersey history that influenced the professional development and barriers faced by women in architecture. (HSW – Welfare: Addresses the historical development of equitable access and social well-being in the profession.)
• Describe how the pioneering work and design approaches of significant female architects and designers in New Jersey contributed to community welfare and the evolution of the built environment. (HSW – Welfare & Design: Focuses on how design elevates the human experience and benefits the environment.)
• Compare the historical role of early women’s architectural organizations with current best practices for ethical contemporary firm and practice management. (HSW – Welfare & Practice Management: Enables equitable access and encourages social interaction in professional settings.)
• Explain opportunities for current AIA New Jersey members to actively engage in the historical preservation and documentation of overlooked architectural legacies in their local communities. (Practice Management: Focuses on the management of professional practice and documentation.)

About our special guest:
Suzanne DiGeronimo, FAIA, is the President and founder of DiGeronimo PC, a Women-Owned Business Enterprise based in Paramus, NJ, and has led her architectural, planning, and interior design practice for 50 years.

A licensed architect known for high-quality, value-driven work across public agencies, transportation infrastructure, multifamily housing, schools, and disaster-relief housing, she provides firmwide leadership in strategic direction, profitability, and QA/QC management. Educated at FIT, Pratt, Columbia, and The Cooper Union, she also holds training in Total Quality Management from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Her portfolio includes major projects such as the $380M Running Repair Shop for MNR at Harmon Yards and early design development for the $8B Trans Hudson Express Tunnel.

A Fellow of both the AIA and SAME, as well as a recipient of SAME’s Gold Medal and Golden Eagle Award, Ms. DiGeronimo remains a trailblazer and influential mentor for women in architecture and business.

REGISTER HERE