As part of the Robert L. Wesley Award, the SOM Foundation has established a mentorship program to support the recipients of the annual award. The program is structured around a series of sessions lead by a network of leading practitioners and educators.
Paola Aguirre (2020–Present)
Founder, Borderless
Senior Fellow, Chicago United for Equity
Council Member, Cultural Advisory Council, City of Chicago
Germane Barnes (2020–Present)
Founder, Studio Barnes
Core Organizer, Dark Matter University
Associate Professor, Director of The Community Housing & Identity Lab (CHIL), University of Miami School of Architecture
Monica Chada (2025–Present)
Founder and principal, Civic Projects Architecture
Board of Trustees, Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts
Leo Chow (2020–Present)
Design Partner, SOM
Cochair, SOM Foundation
Chris Cornelius (2020–Present)
Founding Principal, studio:indigenous
Chair, University of New Mexico Department of Architecture
Iker Gil (2020–Present)
Founding Partner, MAS Studio
Founder, MAS Context
Executive Director, SOM Foundation
Jia Yi Gu (2020–Present)
Cofounder, Spinagu
Assistant Professor of Architecture, Harvey Mudd College
Joyce Hwang (2020–Present)
Director, Ants of the Prairie
Core Organizer, Dark Matter University
Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning
Ann Lui (2022–Present)
Partner, Future Firm
Assistant Professor of Practice, University of Michigan A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
Quilian Riano (2020–Present)
Founder, DSGN AGNC
Core Organizer, Dark Matter University
Dean, Pratt Institute School of Architecture
Andrew Santa Lucia (2022–Present)
Director, Office Andorus
Assistant Professor of Practice, Portland State University School of Architecture
Dawveed Scully (2022–Present)
Managing Deputy Commissioner, Chicago Department of Planning and Development
Adjunct Professor, Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture
Stephen Slaughter (2025–Present)
Chairperson of Undergraduate Architecture, Pratt Institute School of Architecture
Maria Villalobos Hernandez (2022–Present)
Cofounder and Artist Creator, Botanical City
Core Organizer, Dark Matter University
Assistant Professor, Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture
Zoe Wang (2025–Present)
Senior Architect, SOM
Robert L. Wesley (2020–Present)
Retired Partner, SOM
Danei Cesario 2020–2022
Roberto Gonzalez 2020–2022
Ojay Obinani 2020–2022
Amanda Williams 2020–2022
