ENVD announces 2026 alumni award recipient

The University of Colorado Boulder Program in Environmental Design is celebrating 100 years of architecture and environmental design education, and has announced the recipient of the 2026 ENVD Distinguished Alumni Award. This year's honoree is Carole Wedge, FAIA, CEO of AIA.

The ENVD Distinguished Alumni Award honors individuals who have demonstrated leadership and made significant contributions to the design and architectural professions.

Celebrate 100 years of ENVD and the 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award winner on Wednesday, Nov. 4, beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the Environmental Design Building. To kick off the celebration, an opening reception will be held featuring an exhibit of CU's architecture education history.

Schedule of events:
4:30 to 5:30 p.m. | ENVD Gallery reception with an exhibit of CU's architecture education history
5:30 p.m. | Presentation of the ENVD Distinguished Alumni Award, followed by a talk and discussion with Carole Wedge

Distinguished Alumni Awardee:

Carole Wedge, FAIA, NOMA, LEED AP, is the Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Wedge, winner of the 2026 ENVD Distinguished Alumni Award, has more than three decades of experience in architecture and design leadership. She served 17 years as CEO of Shepley Bulfinch, one of the nation's largest architecture and interior design firms, where she drove the firm's national expansion, fostered an open and collaborative culture, and spearheaded a rebrand that revitalized the firm's institutional identity. She began her transition into the role of AIA Executive Vice President/Chief Executive Officer in December 2025, and now leads AIA's national office in Washington, D.C., overseeing a team of approximately 150 employees while working with more than 200 chapters across the nation and abroad.

Her leadership extends beyond practice into advocacy and mentorship. Wedge played a pivotal role in founding the AIA Women's Leadership Summit and has served on numerous boards and executive committees, including AIA's Board of Directors, the Architects Foundation, the Large Firm Roundtable, the Boston Society of Architects, Boston Architectural College, and Wentworth Institute of Technology. She also sits on the independent board of AIA Contract Documents.

In recognition of her leadership, Wedge received the 2020 AIA Edward C. Kemper Award. She holds a Bachelor of Environmental Design from the University of Colorado Boulder and a Bachelor of Architecture from the Boston Architectural College.