Healthcare. Higher education. Cultural institutions. Civic organizations. The problems are different. The work is the same.

Yiselle Santos Rivera, AIA, ACSA, NCARB, NOMA, LEED AP BD+C, LSSYB, SHRM-SCP, WELL AP

Yiselle Santos Rivera is an architect, medical planner, educator, and organizational strategist whose practice lives at the intersection of design excellence, social impact, and systems change. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, her career spans two decades across global design firms, academic institutions, and grassroots coalitions.

She is the AIA 2026 President-Elect and will serve as AIA President in 2027. The first Latina and neurodivergent woman elected to this role, she is leading the national association of 100,000+ architects into an era centered on restoring joy, humanity, and awe to the profession. Her platform reconnects practitioners with why they entered the field in the first place.

She is the Founder and CEO of YSR, LLC, a woman- and Latina-owned consultancy advancing intercultural experience design, healthcare architecture, and organizational transformation. She is a full-time Lecturer in the Department of Architecture at Howard University, where she is building the country's first HBCU-based Healthcare Architecture curriculum. Her doctoral research in Leadership Psychology at William James College, with a concentration in applied neuroscience, explores belonging, identity, and systems-level change.

Formerly the Global Director of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at HKS, she led the firm's equity strategy across 26 offices and more than 1,600 employees. She founded WIELD (Women Inspiring Emerging Leaders in Design) and co-founded LA.IDEA, the first Latin American committee within AIA DC. She writes regularly for The Latino Newsletter, where her essays on architecture, politics, and culture reach audiences well beyond the design profession.

The throughline across everything she builds, teaches, leads, and writes: designing environments, organizations, and professions where people can belong and thrive without erasing who they are.

  • Principal & Owner | YSR, LLC (July 2024 – Present)

    • Leads an innovative consultancy focused on Intercultural Experience Design and Architecture, particularly in Healthcare & Wellness Architecture and Organizational Change Management.

    • Develops culturally aware design solutions to enhance health and wellness for diverse communities.

    • Specializes in strategic organizational development, talent optimization, executive leadership, and intercultural management.

    Principal, HealthCare Architect & Global Director of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (J.E.D.I.) | HKS, Inc. (2015 – June 2024)

    • Advised major research efforts on inclusive design and the future of architecture.

    • Led the design and planning of major healthcare and institutional projects, integrating patient-centered, inclusive, and sustainable design principles.

      • Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE

      • Mount Sinai Hospital, Asunción, Paraguay

      • Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Research Addition, Bethesda, MD

      • Methodist University Hospital Gary Shorb Tower, Memphis, TN

      • MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Surgical Pavilion, Washington, DC

      • SAUDES Austin Transit Partnership Project (ATP), Austin, TX

      • WellSpan York Main Pharmacy Renovation, York, PA

    • Led J.E.D.I. initiatives globally, impacting 1,600+ employees. Incorporated equity frameworks into company policies, including hiring, promotions, and corporate culture.

    Senior Design Professional | HOK, Washington, DC (2008 – 2015)

    • Worked on large-scale healthcare, institutional, and urban planning projects, integrating sustainable and culturally sensitive design approaches.

      • University of Maryland Health Science Facility III, Baltimore, MD

      • Duke Raleigh Hospital Operating Room Addition, Raleigh, NC

      • Richmond County Justice Center, Richmond, VA

      • South Dhahran Housing Complex Master Plan, Saudi Arabia

      • King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Design Professional | SmithGroup, Washington, DC (2006 – 2008)

    • Worked on mixed-use, commercial, and institutional projects, with a focus on sustainable design and adaptive reuse.

  • Academic Roles & Teaching Experience:

    • Lecturer, Howard University (2025 – Present)

      • ARCH 365 — Resilient Multifamily Housing (Spring 2026)

      • ARCH 835-05 — HBCU WELL (Spring 2026)

      • ARCH 885 — Architecture Graduate Seminar I (Fall 2025)

      • ARCH 364 — Heat-Adaptive Architecture (Fall 2025)

      • ARCH 467 — The New Immunity (Spring 2025)

      • ARCH 266 — Pre-Design (Spring 2025)

    • Guest Lecturer at Multiple Universities (2022 – Present)

      • Professional Practice & Leadership in Design courses at:

        • Kean University (Spring 2024)

        • Kansas State University (Fall 2022, Spring 2023)

        • George Washington University Corcoran School of the Arts & Design (2022 – 2024)

        • University of Colorado Denver (Summer 2022)

        • Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) (Spring 2022)

        • Howard University School of Architecture (Fall 2021)

        • Syracuse University School of Architecture (Teaching Assistant, 2005)

    Mentorship & Higher Education Leadership:

    • National Architecture Accreditation Board (NAAB) Visiting Team Member (2018, 2023 – 2024)

      • Assessed architecture programs for accreditation and contributed to shaping educational standards.

    • University of Maryland School of Architecture Commencement Speaker (2024)

    • Washington Architectural Foundation Mentor & K-12 Outreach Leader – Mentored students and engaged in STEAM education to promote architecture careers.

    • Doctorate in Psychology (PsyD), Leadership Psychology
      William James College, Newton, MA (2024 – Present)

    • Master of Architecture I
      Syracuse University School of Architecture, Syracuse, NY (2003 – 2005)

    • Bachelor of Science, General Sciences with a Minor in Environmental Design (Magna Cum Laude)
      University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, PR (1997 – 2003)

    • Summer Design Studio Program
      Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture and Planning, New York, NY (2001)

    • Summer Design Studio
      Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico (2002)

  • AIA National Leadership:

    • President-Elect 2026 | Incoming AIA President 2027

    • AIA Large Firm Roundtable (LFRT) CEO JE|DI Task Force Member (2021-2024) – Led the development of the AIA LFRT J.E.D.I. Advocacy Guide.

    • AIA National Board Associate Director (2020) – Advised on AIA National communications addressing social and climate justice.

    • AIA Strategic Council Associate Director (2019)

    • AIA Equity and the Future of Architecture Board Committee Member (2019-2020) - Advised on the creation of the Guides for Equitable Practice Executive Summaries

    • AIA Reimagining - America: Strategies for Safer Buildings Task Force Member (2021)

    • AIA New Urban Agenda Taskforce Member (2020-2021) – Contributed to AIA’s “Equitable Development Frameworks” initiative.

    • AIA COVID-19 Health Impact Task Force Member (2020) – Led the Additional Considerations section for the AIA Alternative Care Site Preparedness Assessment Tool, shared globally by the U.S. State Department.

    AIA Washington, DC Leadership:

    • AIA Washington DC Chapter Immediate Past President (2024)

    • AIA Washington DC Chapter Board President (2023) – Solidified the AIA DC Strategic Plan and redefined board engagement.

    • AIA DC Chapter Board Vice President (2022)

    • AIA DC Chapter Board Treasurer (2021)

    • AIA DC Chapter Board Secretary (2020)

    • AIA DC Chapter Director At-Large (2016-2019)

    • AIA DC Equity Committee by WIELD Past Chair (2020)

    Emerging Professionals & Advocacy Leadership:

    • AIA National Associates Committee (NAC):

      • At-Large Director of Advocacy, Outreach & Education (2017 – 2018)

      • Mid-Atlantic Regional Associate Director (2015 – 2016)

    • Founder, Women Inspiring Emerging Leaders in Design (WIELD) (2017 – 2020) – Created a platform for emerging women leaders in design.

    • Co-Founder, Latin American Interior Designers, Engineers, and Architects (LA.IDEA) DC Committee (2013 – 2015) – First Hispanic/Latinx AIA DC committee promoting professional development and community engagement.

    • National Architecture Accreditation Board (NAAB) Board Member (2023-2024) - Advocated for equity-driven policies and regulatory progress.

    • National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) Research & Development Chair (2021 – 2022) – Embedded research and strategy into NOMA’s long-term mission.

    • Women in Healthcare Industry Council Chair (2023) – Advocated for inclusive and equitable healthcare design.

    • High-Profile J.E.D.I. Editorial Committee Member (2021 – 2022) – Contributed thought leadership on equity and inclusion in the built environment.

    • International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) Health Equity Advisor (2021 – 2022) – Integrated health equity frameworks into WELL-certified projects.

    • LCI DEI Advisory Group Member (2023 – 2024) – Provided expert guidance on industry-wide diversity initiatives.

    • Advisor, DC NOMA Board (2021 – 2022) – Supported leadership and advocacy initiatives for minority architects.

    • IIDA Talent Collective Founding Member (2023) – Advocated for inclusive talent pipelines in design industries.

    • Urban Land Institute (ULI) Real Estate Exchange (REEX) Program Presenter (2022 – 2023) – Guided real estate professionals on equity-centered development.

    • Mentor, National Architecture Accreditation Board (NAAB) Visiting Team Member (2018, 2023 – 2024) – Evaluated architectural education programs for accreditation.

  • Industry & Leadership Awards:

    • Washington Business Journal Diversity in Business Award (2024)

    • American Institute of Architects (AIA) Young Architect Award (2022)

    • Women We Admire: Top 50 Women Leaders of DC (2022)

    • Marquis Who’s Who in America – Executives Biographical Listee (2021)

    • World Architecture News Female Frontier Awards – Pioneering Award Finalist (2021)

    • AIA Diversity Recognition Program Award (2019)

    • Great Diverse Designers Library – Designer Entry (2019)

    • AIA Associate Award (2018)

    Project & Design Awards:

    • Equity by Design Hackathon Team Winners (2018)

    • AIA Washington, DC Excellence Award in Urban Design/Master Planning – KAPSARC, HOK (2017)

    • Design-Build Institute of America National Award of Merit – Richmond City Justice Center, HOK (2016)

    • USGBC Best of Building Award – Best Regional Project Mid-East, KAPSARC, HOK (2015)

    • AIA Religious Architecture New Facilities Honor Award – KAPSARC Community Mosque, HOK (2014)

    • Faith & Form Magazine Religious Architecture Honor Award – KAPSARC Community Mosque, HOK (2014)

    • USGBC LEED Core and Shell Project of the Year Award – 1331 L Street NW, SmithGroup (2009)

    • Washington Architectural Foundation Firm of the Year Award – SmithGroup (2007)

  • Books & Chapters:

    • "The East Wing Demolition Is an Architectural and Political Failure" (March 24, 2026) — on the White House East Wing demolition as cultural erasure and political statement.

    • "The Casita as Cultural Memory" — on Bad Bunny's Super Bowl stage set and what architecture owes to place and identity.

    • Out in Architecture (2023) – Co-author and contributor, exploring LGBTQ+ experiences in architecture.

    • Making the Invisible Visible in Latinas in Architecture: Stories of Raising the 1% One Latina at a Time (2021) – Personal narrative on equity, identity, and leadership in the field.

    Articles & Thought Leadership:

    • “Adopting the J.E.D.I. Mindset” – DesignIntelligence (2021) – Discusses Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (J.E.D.I.) in architecture.

    • “It’s OK to See Color” – Architect Magazine (2019) – Addresses racial identity and representation in the design profession.

    • “Reforming the Building Industry: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion” – BuildingGreen (2020) – Advocates for inclusive practices in the built environment.

  • Features & Interviews:

    • Elevated Conversations: Yiselle Santos Rivera, AIA – AIA Architect (2022) – Highlights her career, advocacy, and leadership in architecture.

    • “Voices of Change: Navigating DEI in the Built Environment” – DesignForce (2024) – Discusses strategies for diversity, equity, and inclusion in architecture.

    • “Pride by Design: The Power of Storytelling to Transform” – Pride by Design (2023) – Explores the impact of storytelling in leadership and inclusivity.

    • “How Design Can Benefit from Indigenous Ways of Being and Doing” – HKS Research (2023).