Established in 2019 through the generous $100,000 endowment by Roula Alakiotou—pronounced “Roola Alah-kyo-too”—an original member of Chicago Women in Architecture (CWA), and recipient of the Chicago Women in Architecture Foundation (CWAF) Lifetime Achievement Award, this annual scholarship began in 2021 and recognizes strong women architecture students in their final year of study for academic and leadership achievements. “With this scholarship,” Roula stated, “I intend to support the continued growth of diversity of the future for women architects,” embodying her long-standing involvement and belief in the CWA community.

The open application will be released in the fall and or eligible students are invited to apply. Applications will be reviewed by a jury including CWA Executive Committee members, officers from the CWAF Board of Directors, and other recognized architecture practitioners. In 2021, the opening year for this scholarship, we awarded two winners. This year, as in 2022/2023, one winner will be celebrated at the CWA Spring Brunch. Roula Scholarship recipients will receive the unrestricted $5,000 award, a one-year membership to CWA, two tickets to attend the CWA Spring Brunch event, and their credentials will be featured on the CWA website.