2027 Roula Alakiotou Scholarship

About

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 2026/2027 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.

About Roula Alakiotou

Roula Alakiotou, FAIA, established her Chicago-based eponymous firm, Roula Associates Architects, Chtd., in 1980 after completing her master’s with honors at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1978). Her study of architecture began in Roula’s native Greece, at the Athens Technological Institute, and continued at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she received her bachelor’s with honors (1975). Throughout her career, Roula has established herself as a leader in women-owned architectural firms and developed her practice specializing in large-scale public sector projects—spanning from Greece to the American Midwest. Additionally, Roula has taught at University of Illinois at Chicago; mentors international architecture students from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; serves as a juror for many student panels and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Gold Metal and Firm Award juries.

Roula was elevated by her peers as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) in 1997. In 2018, she was named the CWAF Lifetime Achievement Awardee and was recently recognized as one of Crain’s 2020 Notable Women in Construction and Design. She is a member of the Chicago Architectural Club, the Chicago Network, Chicago Women in Architecture (CWA), and The Executives’ Club of Chicago. Previously, Roula served on the board of directors of the International Women’s Forum (IWF). She is currently on the board of the Chicago Women in Architecture Foundation.

Learn more here: http://www.roularchitects.com/.

Eligibility

Please read through the submission guidelines for detailed submission requirements!!

Applicants must be female architecture students scheduled to graduate in the academic year for which they are applying (this year, AY26-27, December 2026 and May/June/August 2027) with a M. Arch or a five-year B. Arch degree, with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5/4.0, from a National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB)-accredited architecture program.

Eligible Institutions:

  • Illinois Institute of Technology
  • Judson University
  • School of the Art Institute of Chicago
  • Southern Illinois University Carbondale
  • University of Illinois at Chicago
  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
  • Ball State University
  • University of Notre Dame
  • Indiana University

There is no limit of student submissions per school.

Application includes:

  • Applicants must submit the following materials:

    • Digital Portfolio: One PDF, no larger than 10 MB, showcasing completed work. The portfolio must be anonymized, with the applicant’s ID number in the lower-right corner of each page. If collaborative work is included, a Group Work Memorandum is required from each teammate.

    • Key Image: One image that captures the essence of the portfolio, submitted separately from the portfolio and no larger than 10 MB.

    • Resume: One page maximum, including education, GPA, anticipated graduation date, extracurricular activities, honors and awards, and work experience (if applicable). Use the applicant’s ID number in place of their name.

    • Student Transcripts: Transcripts are required for all completed degrees. Applicants may submit official transcripts or unofficial transcripts accompanied by a letter of attestation from the Dean or Chair of their Department or School of Architecture.

    • Two Personal Letters of Recommendation: One page maximum each, addressing the applicant’s character, leadership, and community involvement. Academic recommendations should also address scholastic performance and leadership and specify the applicant’s program and expected graduation date. Family members may not serve as recommenders.

Submission Process:

  1. Complete the Registration Form on the CWA website to receive your applicant ID number.

  2. Within three business days, you will receive an email with a link to upload your application materials. Contact the Scholarship Committee if you do not receive the link.

  3. Upload your portfolio, key image, resume, and any required transcript or group work memorandum PDFs using the provided link.

Recommenders should submit their letters directly to scholarship@cwarch.org

  • The ID# of the Applicant should be on the email subject line. The contents of the letters do not need to be anonymized. All digital forms of letters of recommendation must originate directly from the institution or company of the recommender and should be PDFs.

Please see the submission guidelines for more detailed instructions regarding the submission requirements and our FAQ page for some answers to frequently asked questions.

Schedule

2027
October 27th, 2026: Roula Registration opens
February 1st 2027, 12pm CST: Roula Submission Deadline
March 2027: Winners Notified
April 2027 (TBD): CWA Spring Brunch
*Winners are expected to keep this date open in order to accept the award and exhibit their work

The Group Work Memorandum can be found here.

View the Attestation template here.

Scholarship Q&A Presentation
Click here to view