Louis F. Valentour Traveling Scholarship

Carnegie Mellon Architecture is currently accepting applications for the fall 2025 award. Applications are due on Friday, October 31, 2025 at 11:59pm ET.

Apply Now

The Louis F. Valentour Traveling Scholarship was established through the generosity of Louis Franklin Valentour (1923-2006). Born in McDonald, Pa., Valentour put his college studies on hold to serve in the Army Air Force as a pilot during World War II, flying harrowing cargo missions over the Himalayas. After graduating from Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) in 1949, he joined the firm of Kuhn & Newcomer, later Valentour English Bodnar & Howell (VEBH Architects). Valentour became president of VEBH in 1973 and retired in 1993 after 44 years of service. The renowned Pittsburgh-based firm merged with Eckles Architecture in 2022 to form DRAW Collective. Valentour's notable projects include Hillman Library and Posvar Hall at the University of Pittsburgh. He served as director and president of both the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Pennsylvania Society of Architects.

Valentour was an avid world traveler with an appreciation for destinations off the beaten path. His dedication to learning from and building appreciation for world cultures inspired the establishment of this scholarship, which supports international travel and research.

To be considered for the Louis F. Valentour Traveling Scholarship, 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 2025 Jury: Diane Shaw (Chair), Doug Cooper, Neal Lucas Hitch, Nida Rehman

Fall 2025 Award Amount: $6,500 each (two (2) available)

The Louis F. Valentour Traveling Scholarship is open to all fourth-year Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) students.

Carnegie Mellon Architecture is currently accepting applications for the fall 2025 award. Applications are due on Friday, October 31, 2025 at 11:59pm ET.

• 2024: Xian Li (B.Arch ’28), Proposal: Post-Industrial Cityscapes in Northeast China: Urban adaptations to Paradigm Shift
  Jerry Xu (B.Arch ’26), Proposal: Defying Urbanization: The Resilience of China’s Nail Houses
  Waku Ken-Opurum (PhD-AECM), Proposal: Visualising the Breath of a Region: Exploring the Nexus of Air Quality, Health, and Community Engagement in the Niger Delta Through Art
  Ifrah Asif (PhD-Arch), Proposal: Travel for PhD Research Investigating the Impact of Climate Change on Built Heritage in Pakistan
  Ronishka Sabu Nalpathil (PhD-Arch), Proposal: Disrupted Lineages: Colonial Dispossessions, Erasure and the Unmaking of Kerala’s Matrilineal Taravads
• 2023: Henry Von Rintelen (B.Arch ‘25), Title: Latin America: Fusion as an Act of Survival
  Nathan Cottrell (B.Arch ‘27), Title: Exploring Chiang Mai, Thailand’s Vernacular Lanna Compound Homes
  Morgan Newman (PhD-Arch), Title: Spatial Research Methods at Forensic Architecture (FA) and Goldsmiths University
• 2022 (fall): Brian Hartman (B.Arch '24)
  Kit Tang (B.Arch '24)
  Colin Walters (B.Arch '24)
  Shray Tripathi (B.Arch '24) (Honorable Mention)
• 2022 (spring): Jackson Lacey (B.Arch '23)
  Madeline Cotton (B.Arch '23)
• 2021: not awarded due to Covid-19 travel restrictions
• 2020: Hsiao Tyng Peck (B.Arch '21)
  Gil Jang (B.Arch '21)
  Christoph Eckrich (B.Arch '21)
  Daniel Noh (B.Arch '21)
• 2019: Cotey Anderegg (B.Arch '20) 
  Shariwa Sharada (B.Arch '20)
  Min Young Jeong (B.Arch '20)
• 2018: Kelly Li (B.Arch '19)
  Elizabeth Levy (B.Arch '19)
• 2017: Sophie Nahrmann (B.Arch '18)
  Rachel Muse (B.Arch '18)
• 2016: Matthew Porter (B.Arch '17)
  Cy Kim (B.Arch '17)
  Kelsey Simpson (B.Arch '17)
  Mark Terra-Salomao (B.Arch '17)
• 2015: Gabriel Vidal Hallett (B.Arch '16)
  Gloriana Gonzalez (B.Arch '16)
• 2014: Tony Zhang (B.Arch '15)
  Penelope Hopen (B.Arch '15)
  Amir Jahanibin (B.Arch '15)
• 2013: Rohan Rathod (B.Arch '14)
  Morgan Stampf (B.Arch '14)
  Phillip Denny (B.Arch '14)
• 2012: Talia Perry (B.Arch '13)
  Jensen Ying (B.Arch '13)
• 2011: Alex Greenhut (B.Arch '12)
  Zachary Cohen (B.Arch '12)
• 2010: John Soh (B.Arch '11)
  Ellen Garrett (B.Arch '11)
• 2009: David Kennedy (B.Arch '10)
  Christopher Gallot (B.Arch '10)
• 2008: Blake Lam (B.Arch '09)
  Natale Cozzolongo (B.Arch '09)