NOMA’s HBCU Professional Development Program is reshaping architecture by expanding opportunity, building networks, and investing in underrepresented talent.
When I think about the future of architecture, I don’t just see buildings – I see people. I see untapped potential in classrooms, communities, and cultures that have long been excluded from shaping the built environment. The NOMA HBCU Professional Development Program is a direct response to this exclusion. It’s not just a program – it’s a movement grounded in equity, mentorship, and the intentional development of underrepresented talent.
I’ve spent the past decade navigating this profession – its triumphs and its trials – and one thing is clear: access to opportunity is still not equitably distributed. Programs like the HBCU PDP aren’t just a good idea; they’re essential. They provide critical touchpoints between architecture firms and students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) – students whose brilliance, creativity, and lived experiences can reshape the field if given the right platform.
Co-founded by Melvalean McLemore-Catina, Anzilla Gilmore, and Zhetique Gunn, and inspired by Jonathan Moody’s charge for direct action, the HBCU PDP was built to close the opportunity gap in architecture. The goals are straightforward but powerful: build networks to award-winning firms, help students secure entry-level positions, and establish lasting mentorship rooted in support, not charity.
That last part is key: this isn’t about charity – it’s about justice.
As someone who attended an HBCU, Tuskegee University, and has deep roots in Black and Afro-Caribbean culture, I recognize the unique environment HBCUs provide: cultural belonging, community strength, and academic excellence in the face of systemic adversity. Today, only seven HBCUs have NAAB-accredited architecture programs, making up just 5 percent of all such programs in the U.S. Yet these institutions are bursting with talent. One-third of all Black architecture students attend an HBCU.
When I first learned about the HBCU PDP, I was immediately struck by the thoughtfulness of its design. This is a program built on relationships – between students and professionals, firms and schools, mentors and mentees. It’s not about checking a DEI box. It’s about investing in people who have always had the potential but not always the access.
Don’t take it from just me.
Jayden Woullard, a Tuskegee University student, said: “Before Tuskegee, I had limited exposure to architecture. As a Black woman, that access was even more limited. The HBCU PDP changed everything – it gave me mentorship, exposure, and confidence. It’s more than a program. It’s a village.”
Ricard Charles, from Morgan State University, shared: “The HBCU PDP was my stepping stone. Coming from community college, I lacked connections. This program gave me mentors who guided me into my first full-time role. The support is real – and lasting.”
Ronald Caldwell, a student at Howard University, reflected: “Despite the odds, we’re here – riding the ripples of those before us and creating waves for those who follow.”
We often talk about the “pipeline problem” in architecture, but the truth is, the talent exists. The problem lies in limited efforts in recruitment and failure to expand beyond comfort and familiarity. What the HBCU PDP does differently is that it expands access in recruitment by connecting firms directly with the seven NAAB-accredited HBCU programs across the country. The program is also offered to firms at no cost, with the option to support financially through the Prescott Reavis Grant. Learn more here! Firms aren’t just invited to mentor; they’re expected to hire, sponsor, and invest. And students aren’t just expected to observe; they’re encouraged to lead, ask questions, and shape the culture of the profession itself.
I’ve personally been moved by how this program redefines mentorship. It’s not top-down; it’s mutual. I’ve learned as much from mentees as I have from peers and mentors. The students who participate in HBCU PDP are not just looking for jobs – they’re looking to make an impact. They bring a clarity of purpose and a hunger that is contagious.
If you’re a student reading this, I’ll offer the same advice I wish someone had told me earlier: take the leap. Show up to that info session. Apply for the cohort. Be prepared with questions. Your presence matters. And if you’re a professional or firm leader: get involved. This is where the profession is going – toward justice, toward equity, toward impact. But we can’t get there if we leave people behind.
The work isn’t done. We need more touchpoints, more funding, more institutional support. But we also need more belief – in programs like the HBCU PDP, in students from HBCUs, and in the possibility that this profession can reflect the richness of the world it’s meant to serve.
The future of architecture is here. It’s in our classrooms, our studios, our communities. And it looks like Jayden. It sounds like Ron. It motivates like Ricard. It leads like the founders of the HBCU PDP. And if we keep showing up, supporting each other, and holding the door open – we just might build something truly revolutionary.
Ricardo Jesus Maga Rojas, Assoc. AIA, NOMA, WELL AP, LEED AP BD+C, PMP is an assistant project manager at Stantec. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
Click here to learn more about NOMA’s HBCU professional development program.