The John Knox Shear Award supports international travel and research under the guidance of a faculty advisor for fourth- and fifth-year Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) students.
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Carnegie Mellon Architecture is currently accepting applications for the fall 2026 award. Applications are due on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at 11:59pm ET.
Mission
The John Knox Shear Award was established in memory of John Knox Shear (1917-58). He attended Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University), earning a bachelor's degree in Architecture in 1938. He was a member of the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and a professor of architecture, teaching at both Princeton and Carnegie Tech. He served as head of the Department of Architecture (now School of Architecture) at Carnegie Tech from 1948-55. Shear served as Editor in Chief of Architectural Record magazine from 1955 until his untimely death in 1958. His work included residential, commercial and religious architecture. He was an accomplished architect, academic, editor, and a leader in the profession.
Members of the architecture department, graduates, and friends set out to establish a memorial to commemorate Professor Shear's distinguished contributions to architecture and to architectural education and to benefit future architectural students at Carnegie Mellon. The John Knox Shear Award supports international travel and research for fourth- and fifth-year students in the Bachelor of Architecture program.
Evaluation Criteria
To be considered for the John Knox Shear Award, applicants must submit a complete application that includes the following information as a single PDF document:
- Travel proposal statement on how the travel will enhance your architectural education (200 word maximum). For example, studying an architect's work, a specific building typology, or construction technique.
- One-page detailed, line-item travel budget
- One-page detailed schedule of proposed travel
- Name(s) of faculty you are considering having as your advisor
The recipient prepares a proposal under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Travel award winners must submit complete travel proposals following their selection and are required to receive proposal approval prior to the distribution of funds.
Fall 2026 Jury: Nida Rehman (Chair), Niloufar Alenjery, Jimmy Wei-Chun Cheng, Jongwan Kwon
Fall 2026 Award Amounts: $4,000 first place (one (1) available) and $3,000 runner-up (up to three (3) available at the jury's discretion)
Eligibility & Schedule
The John Knox Shear Award is open to all fourth- and fifth-year Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) students.
Carnegie Mellon Architecture is currently accepting applications for the fall 2026 award. Applications are due on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at 11:59pm ET.
Award Recipients
Beginning in fall 2025, this award supports international travel and research under the guidance of a faculty advisor for fourth- and fifth-year B.Arch students.
- Fall 2025: First Place: Angela Yang (B.Arch '26), Proposal: "Soft Power, Hard Space: Fieldwork in the Architecture of Childhood"
Honorable Mention: Khoi Do (B.Arch '26), Proposal: "Joy As Resistance"
Honorable Mention: Shreeja Harisrikanth (B.Arch '26), Proposal: "Travel to Chiang Mai, Thailand, to Study Lanna Vernacular Architecture"
From 2022 to spring 2025, this award recognized fourth-year B.Arch students for exceptional design and representation as demonstrated through studio work.
- Spring 2025: First Place: Angela Yang (B.Arch '26)
First Place: Henry Youngren (B.Arch '26)
Runner-up: Leyi Han (B.Arch '26)
Runner-up: Patrick Zheng (B.Arch '26)
Runner-up: Mingyang Zhu (B.Arch '26) - 2024: Sharon Fung (B.Arch '24) & Chengming (Jacky) Jia (B.Arch '25)
- 2023: Yonghao Zhang (B.Arch '24)
- 2022: Franklin Zhu (B.Arch '23)
Prior to 2022, this award was offered as a graduation travel award for B.Arch students.
- 2021: Emmanuel Nwandu (B.Arch '21)
- 2020: Keon Ho (Hugh) Lee (B.Arch '20)
- 2019: Gunn Chaiyapatranun (B.Arch '19)
- 2018: Anthony Nitche (B.Arch '18), "In Pursuit of Paradise: Morocco, Egypt, Andalusia"
- 2017: Sinan Goral (B.Arch '17)
- 2016: Kirk Newton (B.Arch '16)
- 2015: Laura Gonzalez (B.Arch '15)
- 2014: Peter Salim (B.Arch '14)
- 2013: Matthew Adler (B.Arch '13)
- 2012: Jacob Douenias (B.Arch '12)
- 2011: Joseph Koon (B.Arch '11)
- 2010: Ranjit Korah (B.Arch '10)
- 2009: Craig Rosman (B.Arch '09)
- 2008: Xianghua Wu (B.Arch '08)