Mississippi State architecture students awarded travel grants for international research.

STARKVILLE, Miss.—A junior architecture student at Mississippi State University will have the opportunity to expand her global perspective thanks to a $20,000 Aydelott Travel Award.

Yuria J. Sloane from Charleston, South Carolina, is set to journey to Bolivia, Japan, New Zealand, and Norway this summer to delve into the use of architecture as a tool for both oppression and liberation in indigenous communities. Her research will take her to architect Freddy Mamani’s El Cholets in El Alto, Bolivia; the Okinawa Prefectural Museum in Naha, Okinawa, designed by Ishimoto Architectural and Engineering Firm; Tennent Brown’s Te Wharehou o Waikaremoana in Te Urewera, New Zealand; and Christian Sunby’s and Stein Halvorsen’s Sameting in Karasjok, Norway.

“Being awarded this grant has really opened my eyes to the diverse possibilities within the field of architecture beyond the traditional scope,” expressed Sloane. “This opportunity to deeply explore something so personally significant to me is truly inspiring, possibly steering me towards a research-focused trajectory in my academic and professional journey.”

Assistant Professor Silvina Lopez Barrera will serve as Sloane’s research mentor.

“As a member of an indigenous community myself, I am naturally drawn to structures with profound cultural roots,” Sloane explained. “When considering contemporary instances of indigenous architecture, the social context enveloping these structures and their potential impact on the architectural realm cannot be overlooked. I chose my subject because I believe it is crucial to examine how architecture was once utilized to harm and how it can now be repurposed for restoration.”

The $2.4 million endowment, established by the late Memphis architect Alfred Lewis Aydelott and his wife Hope Galloway Aydelott, grants an award annually to four architecture students enrolled in professional degree programs at Mississippi State University, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Auburn University, and University of Tennessee.

In addition, senior architecture student Anna Rives Gully from Starkville is the recipient of a $4,750 Trussell Travel Award backed by MSU School of Architecture alumnus Ted T. Porter. This award will assist her in exploring, analyzing, and understanding Daniel Libeskind’s Jewish Museum in Berlin, Germany, particularly examining how the building interacts with and integrates into the historical context of Berlin post-World War II and the Holocaust. Gully will further her comprehension of WWII in Europe through visits to Austria and Prague.

“The Aydelott and Trussell Travel Awards open up phenomenal prospects for our students to immerse themselves in architecture on a global scale,” remarked Karen Cordes Spence, School of Architecture Director and F.L. Crane Professor. “We are incredibly fortunate to have this level of support for our students and extend our gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Aydelott and Mr. Porter for enabling these opportunities.”

Mississippi State University’s School of Architecture houses the only professional architecture degree accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board in the state. For more information, visit www.caad.msstate.edu. Discover similar opportunities available to current architecture students at caad.msstate.edu/current-students/architecture/fellowships-awards.