SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

Catherine A. McNeel 2006-07 AIAS National Vice-President

Catherine A. McNeel, a 2006 graduate of the Mississippi State University School of Architecture, will serve as the 2006-2007 national Vice President of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS). Catherine was elected by her peers at AIAS FORUM in Cincinnati, Ohio, the annual convention and business meeting of the AIAS. McNeel will serve during the 50th year anniversary of the national student organization.

As required for the position, McNeel will live in Washington, D.C., for a year beginning July 1 and work in the executive offices of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the parent organization. In the role of national Vice President, McNeel also serves as the treasurer and secretary of the organization. The Vice President is responsible for:

• Maintaining, developing, and interpreting the organization’s governing documents.
• Overseeing the operating budget and conducting an annual review of the financial health of the AIAS.
• Serving as the student director on the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) board of directors.
• Representing the AIAS on the Intern Development Program Coordinating Committee (IDPCC), which is overseen by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).
• Representing AIAS on the AIA/American Architectural Foundation (AAF) scholarship committee.
• Overseeing the membership of the organization.
• Overseeing design competitions organized by the AIAS and the annual honor awards program.
• Visiting chapters of the AIAS, typically conducting about 30 chapter visits throughout the course of the year.

Under McNeel’s leadership as chapter president during the 2004-2005 school year, the Mississippi State AIAS chapter was named the Chapter of the Year, an honor award selected from the 143 national AIAS chapters.

Two other MSU students have held the office of AIAS Vice President: Whitney Powers in 1984-1985 and Irene Dumas Tyson in 1988-1989.

For more information about the AIAS, visit www.aias.org.