Washington, D.C. -- The Architects Foundation announces architecture student Orli Hakanoglu as the 2018-2019 recipient of the Payette Sho-Ping Chin Memorial Academic Scholarship, which is an annual $10,000 grant intended to support the education of women in architecture.

“The opportunity to recognize Orli and honor Sho-Ping through this scholarship elevates the entire profession,” said Marci Reed, Architects Foundation executive director. “Sho-Ping’s legacy is thriving and Orli’s passion for architecture is proof.”

Hakanoglu is the third recipient of the Payette Sho-Ping Chin Memorial Academic Scholarship, which honors the late architect Sho-Ping Chin, a long-time principal at Payette and a health-care practice leader who was instrumental in defining and elevating the national discourse for women in design.

“We started this scholarship to honor Sho-Ping’s memory and it is such a privilege each year to meet outstanding students of whom Sho-Ping would have been proud to have known,” said Kevin B. Sullivan, payette president. “After reading Orli’s essay and reviewing her portfolio, I knew the jury had selected an ideal candidate. Her commitment to serving socially-conscious design is well aligned with Sho-Ping’s values and approach to architecture. We look forward to supporting Orli as she launches her architecture career.”

Born and raised in New York, Hakanoglu is a third-year student working towards her master's degree at the Yale School of Architecture. Prior to her time at Yale, Hakanoglu studied studio art, art history, and architecture at Wellesley College, where she supplemented her coursework with architecture studio courses at the MIT School of Architecture and Planning through the Wellesley-MIT exchange program.

Hakanoglu is passionate about how architecture, art, and design can play a role in promoting equality across a range of societies and cultures. She is also interested in strengthening diversity and inclusivity within the professional and educational fields of architecture. Hakanoglu has worked at Architizer, the Yale University Art Gallery, and is currently working as a summer intern at Deborah Berke Partners. In her free time she enjoys painting, urban sketching, and exploring New York.

Hakanoglu is the third recipient of this first scholarship offered through the Architects Foundation. Applications for the 2019-2020 Payette Sho-Ping Chin Memorial Academic Scholarship will open in the fall of 2018. Qualified students with at least two years of undergraduate or any level of graduate study are encouraged to apply.

For more information, visit architectsfoundation.org.