Brooklyn,NY, Feb. 10, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Illya Azaroff, AIA, an Associate Professor of Architectural Technology at the New York City College of Technology (City Tech), CUNY, has been identified as a leading expert on resilience in the United States and weighed in on recommendations on holistic resilience actions as part of the Resilience 21 (R21) Coalition.
Resilience 21, composed of practitioners from across the United States working to safeguard communities from risks due to a changing climate was co-facilitated by Laurie Schoeman of Enterprise Partners, Marissa Aho of the City of Houston and Stewart Sarkozy-Banoczy of Resilient Cities Network.
“It’s an extraordinary group and I am honored to contribute and hope to have lasting impact through our collective effort,” notes Azaroff.
President Biden has already taken action, including directing the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to update National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) guidance, and reinstating Executive Orders 13690 regarding federal flood standards and 13653 regarding the Council on Climate Preparedness and Resilience’s agency adaptation planning.
Members of Resilience 21 are all recognized recovery and resilience experts who have worked together on such initiatives over the last decade.
The R21 100-day action plan for the new Administration lays out steps for shifting from crisis response to proactive planning that can at once address the social, economic and environmental challenges facing the nation in the years ahead.
“Creating a resilient, regenerated future requires immediate and substantive action. We must face the challenges of climate change head on, for the health, safety and welfare of our communities. These recommended actions, once adopted, will initiate a wave of positive change and cascading transformation, to and for all,” states Azaroff.
Professor Azaroff was also recently elected the 2021 American Institute of Architects New York State (AIANYS) President. He took his oath of office at the virtual installation dinner held on January 14, 2021.
In this new role, he will be leading over 9,000 architects and design professionals within the state of New York.
Regarding this prestigious appointment, Azaroff notes, “Over the course of the last year, during the pandemic, we have learned a great deal about who we are, what our role in the world has been, and what our role can be. We can now recognize that there are better ways to engage the world in our work and in how we engage with one another. Focusing on the future to create a blueprint for a better world is our mandate as AIA New York State. I am honored to represent such an unparalleled body of experts, forward thinkers, and caring individuals who support their communities. I look forward to the role and hope to contribute a great deal in building our communities in a post-COVID world.”
Professor Azaroff is an internationally recognized leader in disaster mitigation, adaptation, resilient planning and design strategies.
Recently, he worked with ANCR/FEMA developing community resilience benchmarking as well on the Hazard Mitigation Plans for U.S. Virgin Islands and New York City.
He regularly works with the city, state and federal agencies, professional societies, not-for-profits, community groups and foreign governments on building resilient capacity. His office is advancing culturally significant community resilience hubs and resilient cluster housing developments under his guidance in several communities across the world.
Prior to coming to New York, he worked in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands on projects ranging from performance, furniture design, production, interior design and small projects to large mixed-use buildings, international airports and urban planning projects.
Professor Azaroff's work has been published in various magazines and books including "Living Large in Small Spaces" by Harry N. Abrams, The New York Times, Village Voice, Oculus Magazine and Architext Magazine, to name a few.
He holds multiple degrees including a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies and Bachelor of Arts in Geography from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, and a Bachelor and Master of Architecture from Pratt Institute, where he graduated with honors. In addition, he has lectured at various institutions including Penn State University, Pratt Institute, New York Institute of Technology and the School for Visual Arts.
He has worked in the field for over 25 years and is the founding principal of +LAB Architects in Brooklyn, which actively embraces new and traditional technologies to enhance building practice and inform design trajectories.
City Tech President Russell K. Hotzler states, “City Tech is honored to have Professor Illya Azaroff selected as President of AIANYS and be engaged with the Resilience 21 Coalition. Recognized as a leading expert on resilience committed to meeting the challenges of climate change, I could not think of anyone better to both lead and support in efforts like these at a time like this in our country.”
For more information about the Resilience 21 Coalition, visit resilientcitiesnetwork.org/resilience-21.
To read more about Professor Azaroff’s appointment as President of AIANYS, visit www.multibriefs.com/briefs/aianys/AIA-installs.pdf.
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About City Tech (New York City College of Technology) City Tech, of The City University of New York (CUNY), is the largest four-year public college of technology in the Northeast and a national model for technological education. City Tech has an enrollment of more than 17,000 students in 29 baccalaureate and 27 associate degree programs and was recently ranked ninth among more than 2,000 U.S. institutions in overall economic mobility for its students (www.equality-of-opportunity.org). For more information, visit www.citytech.cuny.edu.
The College is committed to a policy of equal employment and equal access in its educational programs and activities and to non-discrimination in accordance with federal, state and city laws. For questions or concerns on non-discrimination, please contact the College’s Chief Diversity Officer; for those regarding sex discrimination and sexual misconduct, please contact the College’s Title IX Coordinator or the Office of Civil Rights of the United States.
Photo: Illya Azaroff
Photo credit: Anja Hitzenberger
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