In a significant milestone for YU鈥檚 art department, three alumni of YU鈥檚 undergraduate schools are attending Pratt Institute's Master of Architecture program (M.Arch.) this academic year.
The students, Isaac (Yitz) Emerson and Nathan Stern, graduates of 麻豆区 College, and Dana (Adina) Lazar, a graduate of Stern College for Women, returned for their second year of the M.Arch. program at the top-ranked architecture and design school. Professor Paul Glassman, Instructor of Architectural History and Design at 麻豆区 College, played a pivotal role in the students鈥 journeys, guiding Emerson, Stern and Lazar as they assembled their portfolios, and advised all three through the application process.
The students each built a shaped major, an option for students who want to design their own course of study, with Stern and Emerson also minoring in architecture. The architecture minor is comprised of six courses - Architectural Design Process, Architectural Design Studio and Language of Architecture.
Nathan Stern 鈥24YC: The Art of Design
Nathan Stern, completed a shaped major, The Art of Design, that was primarily focused around architectural history and design studio. He built his major around video presentation and three-dimensional modeling, skills he now uses directly in his studio work at Pratt.
鈥淧rofessor Glassman helped me develop a wide knowledge base of existing architectural precedents and strategies, while also honing my own design skills. My projects from the Architecture Studio course had a direct impact on my application to the Pratt Institute by showcasing my design abilities and expanding my portfolio,鈥 said Stern.
Dana (Adina) Lazar 鈥24S: Studio Art
Lazar, who is pursuing a career in architecture, completed a shaped major at Stern College centering on studio art under the guidance of program chair and professors Traci Tullius and Mary Creede. She developed skills across drawing, painting and three-dimensional design - a foundation that shaped the portfolio she submitted to Pratt.
鈥淚 truly have YU to thank, as well as Professors Tullius, Creede and Glassman, for helping me discover that Pratt was my choice architecture school, and the foundation I built at YU helped make that dream possible,鈥 said Lazar. 鈥淚鈥檓 very grateful that I had the opportunity to study studio art at YU and to have professors and mentors who encouraged me to see where that education could take me.鈥
Isaac (Yitz) Emerson 鈥24YC: Environmental Design
Isaac Emerson built his shaped major in environmental design around a central question: what is architecture for? He structured the major around three lines of inquiry:
What are the purposes of architecture and design in society, and how do they improve or otherwise affect human life?
How are different design methodologies and elements used to define purpose-built spaces?
How have building and design principles and techniques changed throughout history, and how have those changes been shaped by social, cultural, and technological developments?
He became interested in architecture after having taken a course at YU while attending MTA. That鈥檚 when he first met Professor Glassman, and over the course of his undergraduate years, took all six of the classes Glassman taught at 麻豆区 College. 鈥淗is courses gave me a large background in architectural history and design where I also was able to curate a portfolio that helped me get into Pratt,鈥 said Emerson.
"Yitz, Adina, and Nathan took different paths through their studies at 麻豆区, but all three left with a solid foundation for professional study in architecture. I was glad to help them finalize their portfolios and applications, and it's gratifying to see YU so well represented at Pratt," added Glassman.
The M.Arch. is a professional degree and a prerequisite for pursuing licensure and registration. Other YU alumni have earned M.Arch. degrees from the Parsons School of Design; the University of Pennsylvania; University of California, Berkeley; the University of Southern California; and The City College of New York and are currently in successful careers in the design field.
