SCI-Arc 2017 Scholarship Recipients Named

SCI-Arc has announced the recipients of three annual academic scholarships: European Union, Beca SCI-Arc Mexico, and LAUSD.

The SCI-Arc European Union (EU) scholarship covers 100 percent of tuition fees for the two-year, five-term professional Master of Architecture 2 (M.Arch 2) program for a citizen of the EU with a recent architecture degree. This year’s recipient is Yi Ning Lui. She graduated in 2016 with an undergraduate in BSc Architecture from The Bartlett School of Architecture at the University College London and briefly worked for the architecture firm WilkinsonEyre in London.

Juan Villarreal is the recipient of the BECA SCI-Arc Mexico scholarship, which covers 100 percent of tuition for a Mexican citizen who wishes to pursue either the M.Arch 2 program or the recently introduced EDGE, Center for Advanced Studies in Architecture program, which offers four three-semester master’s degree options. Juan is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Mexico. He graduated in 2015 with a bachelor of architecture degree from the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Chihuahua Campus, and has since worked with several architecture and design firms in Los Angeles.

“Ever since its inception by a few visionary teachers, SCI-Arc has stimulated students’ imaginations, fostered critical thinking, and influenced generations of students to pursue careers in architecture all around the world,” says Elena Manferdini, Graduate Programs Chair at SCI-Arc. “Today, SCI-Arc, with its unbounded imagination, is more important than ever. The BECA and EU scholarships are a tangible sign of our commitment to invest in a global future and to foster our youth’s thoughts and brainpower.”

This year, SCI-Arc introduced a full-tuition scholarship for a current Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) student. Intended for a first-year SCI-Arc freshman, the merit-based scholarship will be awarded for the 2017–2018 academic year and can be extended to cover all five years of tuition, provided that the student remains in the top 10 percent of her class. The inaugural LAUSD scholarship recipient is Jessica Mariscal, a recent graduate of the Humanities and Arts Academy of Los Angeles.

“Our LAUSD Scholarship signals our commitment to students of local Los Angeles high schools as well as our recent reinvention of our curriculum to be more broad and focused on both critical thinking and creativity—values which we know LAUSD shares,” says Tom Wiscombe, Undergraduate Program Chair at SCI-Arc. “The role of the architect in contemporary society is changing quickly: It is no longer enough to be a designer or a technician. Architects now must be thought leaders, activists, and savvy communicators. We look forward to continuing to work together with LAUSD to prepare students to engage the most pressing urban and architectural issues of Los Angeles and the world. Jessica has an outstanding academic and creative record, and we are excited that she will be joining us here at SCI-Arc.”

To learn more about SCI-Arc’s scholarship programs, visit this webpage.