Demir has also established a Grad-to-Undergrad Mentorship Program through the first-generation program.
“Mentorship has always been an important part of educational growth. I dare say without it, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I learned about Ph.D. and [master’s] programs through my mentors, and I would have never even thought about these options without them.”
The other recipients of the award this year are Barbara Brown Wilson and Melody Bianchetto.
Barbara Brown Wilson, Associate Professor, School of Architecture
Social justice, racial equity, climate justice and the relationship among them have been at the forefront of Wilson’s work. The former faculty director at the UVA Equity Center, Wilson works to address these topics by collaborating with community-led groups to provide technical expertise in urban architecture and design, and to identify problems that hinder neighborhoods’ ability to adapt to social and climate change.