Sometimes, the way we learn good news enhances to the quality of the message being delivered. Such was the case for recent AIA Fellow, Jennifer Devlin-Herbert.
Devlin-Herbert, co-managing principal of EHDD’s India studio in Mumbai, was on location when she discovered the recent upgrade to her AIA status. Stationed in Roorkee, a remote northern region (a 4-hour drive north of Delhi) working on a project. As can be in more isolated locations, the internet connection was tenuous at best. But a few moments riding the cyber waves on her iPhone was all Devlin-Herbert needed to glimpse an email with the subject line “Awards at AIA.” Scrolling down the screen squinting to read the tiny message, she saw the word “Congratulations” moments before the connection was lost. But that’s the only word she needed to know she had finally been invested into the prestigious AIA College of Fellows.
By the time the investiture ceremony was held at the AIA National Convention in June, Devlin-Herbert was back stateside. There, she made some new friends. “I particularly enjoyed getting to know my Fellowship class, and spending time comparing notes on the arduousness of the process,” she said. “I appreciated the formality of the ceremony as a reflection of the challenge of becoming a Fellow.”
Anyone who reads her biography on the EHDD website, though, will infer that Devlin-Herbert, FAIA, LEED AP, BD+C, is not one to shy away from a challenging or arduous project. It reads, “… is dedicated to design that elevates the experience of place.”
“It also feels like a poignant start to a new phase—of giving back,” said Devlin-Herbert. From the projects she’s worked on, to the work she continues in India, we’d say she’s been giving back rather significantly for a while now. The proof is in the process and the outcome. Her contributions to the world of design have been significant—the award-winning San Mateo public library being one of them. Being invested into the College of Fellows was an acknowledgement of projects such as this LEED Gold facility.
The design community can only be that much more enhanced with an announcement like that, and we look forward to seeing what more will come.
