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Educator: Hazel Edwards

As the first woman to serve as chair and full professor of Howard University's Department of Architecture since the program was established in 1911, Edwards has worked to increase diverse voices throughout the profession throughout her career. Her innovative educational and mentoring techniques have nurtured a new generation of planning and design professionals approaching the built environment with a broad spectrum of cultural values. Last year, Edwards was appointed by President Joseph Biden to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, where she is the first African American woman to serve as vice chair..