Class of 2024 Recognition Ceremony Speakers Announced

The Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts will hold its recognition ceremony for the class of 2024 Sunday, May 12. The event honors graduates in the College & Graduate School of Art as well as the College of Architecture and Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design. Jared Della Valle, MArch/MCM ’96, will give the keynote address, and graduating students Michael Lamont Scarboro, MArch/MSW ’24, and Becky Moon, BFA ’24, will also speak.

Jared Della Valle is a co-founder and CEO of the design-focused development company Alloy. He has been a real estate professional and architect for more than 25 years and has managed the acquisition and predevelopment of more than two million square feet in New York City. He is the current board chair of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, the former chair of the Van Alen Institute, and sits on the board of the Architecture League of New York and Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn. He previously taught at WashU, Columbia University, Syracuse University, Parsons School of Constructed Environments, and Lehigh University. Della Valle has lectured at major universities and institutions and his work has been the subject of dozens of publications, including the monograph “Think/Make.” He is a LEED Certified, licensed architect in New York, holds a certificate from the National College of Architectural Registration Board, a licensed real estate broker, and a fellow of the American Institute of Architects. A member of the Sam Fox School National Council, Della Valle earned his Master of Architecture and Master of Construction Management from WashU.

Carmon Colangelo, the school’s Ralph J. Nagel Dean, shared his excitement on this year’s speaker. “We are honored to have Jared Della Valle as our recognition speaker this year to share his amazing and inspiring story with our graduates. He is a maverick and pioneer who has redefined the approach to development as an architect. His innovative, sustainable buildings include the first all-electric skyscraper in New York City, schools built for maximum energy efficiency, and unique strategies for affordable housing. Jared is an exemplary designer and I am thrilled that he will join us to congratulate the graduating class of 2024.”

Following Della Valle’s address, the two student speakers will give remarks. Raised in Jacksonville, Florida, Michael Lamont Scarboro earned his undergraduate degree in architectural studies at Florida A&M University. He said that he “aspires to consider individuals and communities holistically, centering their emotional, social, and physical needs, and leveraging design to advance equity and social justice for Black and systemically minoritized groups.” Becky Moon, born in Seoul, South Korea, is a multimedia artist who depicts the vibrancy of the human mind through painting, printmaking, sculpture, and time-based media. She collaborates with philosophers around the world to concretize abstract thought into a tangible visual form.

Event details
Sunday, May 12, 2024, 3:00 p.m.
Varsity Gym at the Athletic Complex