Volunteer at AIA: Get involved
Are you looking to develop your leadership skills? Expand your network? Be a mentor to up and coming leaders? AIA offers various volunteer opportunities to support your growth and development. National committees are a great way to stretch your leadership, and to connect the work of members and others to the AIA Strategic Plan.
For more than 160 years, volunteers have devoted their time and talents to advancing the profession through AIA. Select from a range of volunteer opportunities assigned on a long-term, short-term, or even a one-time basis. If you have an interest in an area not listed or if you have talents that you wish to share, please let us know!
A commitment to diversity
AIA champions a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion within the profession of architecture to create a better environment for all. This goal has a direct impact on the profession’s relevance and the world's prosperity, health, and future. AIA’s volunteer member groups shall reflect the diversity of the global society and communities that it serves.
A look at how we all work together
Are you a leader interested in contributing at a national level?
- Are you an enterprising member with a passion for the future of the profession?
- Do you have unique knowledge or skills in emerging areas of practice?
- Do you have expert knowledge in human resources, or firm and practice culture, or in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) strategies in the workforce?
- Are you interested in building your expertise, networking skills, and learning from others?
- Do you have a strong desire to tackle the obstacles of the profession and in society, proactively?
Volunteer opportunities
Volunteer leadership is a great way to support the work of the profession and help advance AIA's mission.
AIA Knowledge Communities
The best architecture and design information, education, and experts share their knowledge in a variety of areas in AIA’s Knowledge Communities.
Seeking candidates
Please share your Board, Strategic Council, National Committee, and Award Jury recommendations with us!
Submit nowVolunteer Stories
Meet a few of our volunteers and read about their inspiring stories of paths to service.
Career and the profession
Why volunteer at AIA? Two longtime volunteers break down the benefits
As 2023 fast approaches, AIA is looking for committed members to take advantage of myriad volunteer opportunities that will help participants develop strong leadership skills, expand their network, and ultimately advance the goals of the architecture profession.
Anna Wu, FAIA
Wu is the associate vice chancellor for facilities services at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She previously served as university architect and assistant vice chancellor for facilities operations, planning, and design where she was responsible for the planning, design, maintenance, and operations of the university’s academic buildings, research facilities, residence halls, grounds, and landscapes. Wu was elected to the College of Fellows of The American Institute of Architects in 2009. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Architecture from Harvard University.
Southern Ellis, AIA
Ellis is an architect and senior medical planner at HKS, a Dallas-based firm. He also is an adjunct professor at the University of Texas at Arlington where he leads the Design for Health graduate studio. Ellis is a board member of the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health , heads the HKS Xchange Fellowship, and was the 2011 HKS Health Fellow. He earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental design and a master’s in architecture from Texas A&M University, where his thesis project involved designing and building a hospital in a remote village in Tanzania.
AIA volunteer opportunities: Grow your network, support the profession
We spoke to Kevin Harris, Associate AIA, about his volunteer experiences. Harris is director of sales and marketing for AGS Stainless, Inc., a Bainbridge Island, Wash.–based company that designs and manufactures prefabricated stainless steel railing systems. Harris currently also serves as secretary of the executive committee of the Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN®) Knowledge Community, which develops knowledge and information to benefit architects engaged in custom residential practice.