Boston Architectural College

Congratulations to BAC students Clark and Cohen who have been honored as 2026 LAF Olmsted Scholars! This recognition celebrates their leadership, vision, and dedication to shaping a more sustainable future through landscape architecture.

Read the announcement here: https://hubs.la/Q04gPcfl0

Announcing the 2026 LAF Olmsted Scholars The Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) is pleased to recognize 97 exceptional student leaders, including the two national winners and six finalists.Named for Frederick Law Olmsted, the LAF Olmsted Scholars Program is the premier leadership recognition program for landscape architecture students...

How can learning environments actively support sustainability—and the students within them?

Join BAC alum Lori Cowles for an upcoming Spaces4Learning webinar exploring how thoughtful design strategies can create healthier, more resilient educational spaces. From material choices to long-term performance, this session highlights practical approaches to building environments that truly sustain learning.

📅 June 24 2026 | 2PM ET
🔗 Register: https://hubs.la/Q04g-lvM0

Proud to see BAC voices leading the conversation on the future of sustainable design.

Sustainable Learning Environments -- Spaces4Learning In this webcast, experts from HMFH Architects will highlight the newly completed Arlington High School in Arlington MA, an all-electric campus serving 1,750 students and community programs that recently earned LEED Platinum certification. The high school was designed to help the town achieve its goa...

Join us as we celebrate the Class of 2026 and the culmination of their hard work, creativity, and dedication.

Commencement will be held on Friday, May 22, 2026, at the Berklee Performance Center. The ceremony will also be livestreamed on the BAC’s YouTube channel for guests who can’t attend in person.

Livestream: https://hubs.la/Q04hwckq0

Before Commencement, we’ll also recognize outstanding student achievement at the Academic Honors and Awards Ceremony on Thursday, May 21.

Congratulations to the Class of 2026 — this moment is yours.

At the Boston Architectural College, Commencement is an opportunity not only to celebrate our graduates, but also to recognize those whose leadership has strengthened the College from within.

We are proud to announce that Judy Nitsch, founding principal of Nitsch Engineering and former Chair of the BAC Board of Trustees, will receive the degree of Doctor of Design Leadership Honoris Causa for Service to the College at our 2026 Commencement.

Judy’s leadership has played a vital role in advancing the BAC’s mission and future, particularly during her tenure as Board Chair from 2021 to 2025. Her service has been marked by clarity, integrity, and a deep commitment to the College and its students.

As an engineer and entrepreneur, Judy has built a firm with wide-ranging impact across civil, structural, and transportation engineering, as well as planning, land surveying, and resilience and green infrastructure. Her career reflects both technical excellence and a sustained commitment to sustainability and the public good.

We are honored to celebrate Judy Nitsch’s contributions to the BAC and to recognize her as an enduring example of leadership and service. She will be honored alongside Mario Schjetnan, Lee Pelton, and Taniya Nayak at Commencement 2026.

🔗 Learn more about this year's honorees: https://hubs.la/Q04g_64q0

We are proud to announce that Lee Pelton, President and CEO of The Boston Foundation, will receive the degree of Doctor of Design Leadership Honoris Causa for Public Service and Leadership at our 2026 Commencement.

Lee has led a distinguished career across higher education and philanthropy, including his presidencies at Emerson College and Willamette University. Through his leadership, he has advanced critical conversations around equity, education, housing, and economic opportunity in Greater Boston and beyond—bringing intellectual rigor and a strong sense of public purpose to every role.

His connection to the BAC is longstanding. In 2022, Lee served as our 30th Cascieri Lecturer in the Humanities, engaging our community in a wide-ranging conversation on culture, education, and civic life. His return to the BAC in this new capacity reflects a continued shared commitment to these ideas.

We are honored to celebrate Lee Pelton’s contributions and to recognize his leadership as an inspiring example of public service in action. He will be honored alongside GDU - Mario Schjetnan, Taniya Nayak, and Judy Nitsch at Commencement 2026.

🔗 Read more about this year's honorees: https://hubs.la/Q04h6VxV0

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Heading to AIA26—or based in San Diego?
Join President Mahesh Daas and the BAC community for an evening of networking and conversation with guests of AIA26, alumni, and friends!
📍 Hilton San Diego Bayfront 📅 Thursday, June 11, 2026 ⏰ 6:30–8:30 PM
RSVP today: https://hubs.la/Q04h7HsF0
We look forward to seeing you in San Diego!

Margulies Perruzzi welcomes BAC Alum Catalina Montanez B.Arch as Experiential Design Lead!

With nearly a decade of experience in design and project management, Catalina will help shape immersive, brand-driven environments that bring identity, storytelling, and place to life. We’re excited to see the impact she’ll make across the firm’s experiential design work.

🔗 Read more here:

Margulies Perruzzi welcomes Montanez as experiential design lead Catalina Montanez Boston, MA Margulies Perruzzi (MP) has welcomed Catalina Montanez as experiential design lead, a strategic addition that expands the firm’s ab

At the Boston Architectural College, Commencement is not only a celebration of our graduates—it is an opportunity to recognize the impact of a BAC education in practice, in public life, and across the design industry.

We are proud to announce that Taniya Nayak, BAC alumna and Principal of Taniya Nayak Design, will receive the degree of Doctor of Design Honoris Causa for Alumni Excellence at our 2026 Commencement.

Taniya has built a dynamic career spanning residential, hospitality, and commercial design, while becoming a widely recognized voice in the field through national media platforms including HGTV and Food Network. Her work reflects a powerful intersection of design excellence, entrepreneurship, and public engagement.

A dedicated member of the BAC community, Taniya returned to campus this spring as our 2026 Hive Week Keynote Speaker, joining a conversation on creative practice, entrepreneurship, and the evolving role of designers today.

We are honored to celebrate Taniya Nayak’s achievements and to recognize her as an inspiring example of alumni excellence. She will be honored alongside Mario Schjetnan, Lee Pelton, and Judy Nitsch at Commencement 2026.

🔗 Learn more: https://hubs.la/Q04g-DWS0

The Boston Architectural College is honored to announce that internationally acclaimed landscape architect and urbanist Mario Schjetnan will deliver the 2026 Commencement keynote address and receive the Doctor of Design Honoris Causa on May 22.

Recipient of the 2025 Cornelia Hahn Oberlander International Landscape Architecture Prize, Mario Schjetnan is widely recognized as one of the most influential voices in landscape architecture and urbanism today. Through his visionary work integrating ecology, infrastructure, culture, and public life, he has transformed cities and communities across Mexico and beyond.

As the Founder of Grupo de Diseño Urbano (GDU - Mario Schjetnan) in Mexico City, his celebrated projects—including Xochimilco Ecological Park, Bicentennial Park, and the Chapultepec Park restoration—have become global models for resilient, landscape-driven urban transformation.

This year’s commencement carries special significance as the BAC celebrates its designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, reinforcing our commitment to access, equity, inclusion, and global perspectives in design education.

The BAC will also confer honorary degrees upon:
✨ Taniya Nayak, MSIA'03 — BAC Alumna, Principal, Taniya Nayak Design, and Television Host, will receive the Doctor of Design Honoris Causa for Alumni Excellence
✨ Lee Pelton — President and CEO of The Boston Foundation and a nationally respected leader in higher education and civic engagement, will receive the Doctor of Design Leadership Honoris Causa for Public Service and Leadership
✨ Judith Nitsch — former Board Chair, current member of the Board of Trustees, and champion of the BAC community, will receive the Doctor of Design Leadership Honoris Causa for Service to the College.

“As we gather to celebrate this graduating class, we are equally honored to recognize leaders whose work reflects the values at the heart of the BAC—design excellence, civic leadership, creativity, and service,” said BAC President Mahesh Daas.

Congratulations to the Class of 2026 and to this extraordinary group of honorees whose work continues to shape a more resilient, equitable, and inspiring future through design.

FULL STORY HERE: http://the-bac.edu/news-index/internationally-acclaimed-landscape-architect-mario-schjetnan-to-deliver-2026-commencement-keynote-speech-and-receive-honorary-doctorate-from-the-boston-architectural-college