Recognizing Emerging Professionals in the Design and Building Industry
Video by Tree Swing Video
Oregon’s Next recognizes the achievements and community contributions that emerging professionals in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry are making. Today’s leadership knows that future opportunities and challenges can be met with the energy of our bright and dedicated rising stars in our field. By awarding Oregon’s Next at Honored Citizen, we can both recognize the lifelong achievements of our honorees while showcasing our support for promising generations to come.
Meet our 2025 Awardees
Join us in congratulating our 2025 Oregon’s Next awardees!
Peter Harrison, Assoc. IIDA, LEED AP ID+C, Fitwel Amb., LFA
Peter Harrison is a strategist and queer next generation leader connecting people, place, and purpose through his framework of Radical Belonging. Through design, consulting, and coaching, he helps organizations elevate workplace culture—centering wellbeing, belonging, and leadership behaviors that enable teams to thrive with courageous empathy and authenticity. Named to GreenBiz’s “30 Under 30” and recognized by the American Society of Interior Designers as “One to Watch,” Peter has contributed to projects of impact—including the Portland International Airport—while championing climate action and advancing interior design legislation as Past President of the IIDA Oregon Chapter. Featured in The Wall Street Journal for his perspective on workplace wellness, he brings forward the voice of a new generation, shaping how organizations understand and design the employee experience—creating spaces, both physical and cultural, where people thrive together.
Nikita Kumar, Assoc. AIA, NOMA
Nikita Kumar is an Associate Architectural Designer 3 at Mackenzie. With eight years of experience in the A/E industry, Nikita primarily focuses on semiconductor technology development and industrial design. Nikita is passionate about raising awareness of architecture among K-12 students and helping to illuminate the journey from school to the profession. For the past four years, she has served as a mentor with ACE guiding high school students, has actively volunteered with AFO Architects in Schools teaching elementary students about architecture, and has volunteered with NOMA PDX’s Project Pipeline camp for middle school students. She is also a recent co-chair member of NOMA’s education committee. As a representative of female minorities in architecture, she is deeply committed to community involvement and inspiring the next generation.
Katherine Marple
Katherine Marple is an Architectural Designer at Colloqate Design. She weaves her passion for culture, history, and storytelling into a design practice that seeks to uplift community voices and advocate for imagining and building community-centric futures. This comes with a love for graphic design and spatial design that tells a story. Her narrative-based approach supports processes that are rooted in place and building relationships with the folks the design is for. Katherine is originally from a small town in central Texas and has been in Oregon since 2017, where she has supported community-based projects such as the BEAM Learning Hub and NOMA PDX’s Project Pipeline. Beyond her design practice, Katherine is an avid salsa dancer and traveler. She believes that every place and culture has vibrancy and unique ways of being to learn from and celebrate.
Savannah Sinowitz, AIA, NCARB
Savannah Sinowitz is an architect and interior designer at ZGF Architects with experience across a wide range of project types. She serves as Chair of the AIA Oregon Emerging Professionals Committee, where she launched Project “Almost” Architect, a nationally recognized program creating equity in the pursuit of architectural licensure. Beyond her professional work, Savannah is active in multiple community organizations including Women in Commercial Real Estate (CREW), One Tail at a Time, and leads the Texas A&M Former Students Club of Oregon and Southwest Washington.
Call for 2025 Nominations
Oregon’s Next candidates are nominated by members of Oregon’s architecture, engineering, construction, and design community. Nominations will be reviewed by our selection committee, who will determine 3-5 awardees. Oregon’s Next will receive their award at the annual Honored Citizen celebration in the fall.
We welcome you to nominate individuals for Oregon’s Next. As we collectively work towards welcoming more voices into the architecture, engineering, and construction fields, who stands out as embodying this welcoming, inclusive mindset?
Nomination Criteria:
- Reside and/or work in the state of Oregon
- Have 10 years or less experience working in the architecture, engineering, construction, and design field (excluding school)
- Show exemplary dedication to community impact (ex. volunteer work, service on boards or committees, workplace culture advancement, professional development focused on community)
- Embody collaboration, access, equity, and inclusion in personal and professional work
- Exhibit promise in work ethic and professional acumen
To nominate your pick for Oregon’s Next, submit a form with a description of your nominee that describes why they are eligible for this award. Please include your name, place of work, and relationship to the nominee. We welcome both self-nominations and nominations from someone else.
We recognize that community impact can mean many things to individuals and communities and welcome stories of impact beyond what we have identified above. We also encourage statewide recognition and hope to see nominations of individuals residing throughout Oregon.