Continuing education and self improvement are part of my DNA, I have a need to learn and exe size the mind. As a requirement to maintain a professional listens of architecture in the state of New York line is required to complete 12 hours of CE credits on an annual basis. In may case I have completed 337 hours of continuing education over the last 10 years. That is an average of 28 CE credits a year or two an a half times the minimum standard. These courses keep me relevant to the subject matter I bring into the classroom and introduce me to new trends, methods of education and delivery as well and elements that can advise students broadly for their career path.
Transcript continuing education Azaroff
Subjects reinforce my knowledge in sustainability, resilience, climate science, community equity and social justice. Others are mentorship training and programs for students and recent graduates while others are site specific tours or relevant work in the built environment.
As part of improvement activities, I believe that it is our duty to share expertise and information to lift up others. And part of my improvement activities are focused on educating others, bringing them to the table and giving them the tools to make a difference int he world. In this same period of 10 years I have developed and delivered essential course work and research that has been shared and disseminated broadly for the betterment of society. Lecturing on TEDx, speaking at the UN and creating courses for AIAU are part of those efforts.
Volunteering after disasters and helping others are key activities that I conduct every year as more and more communities are feeling the effects of climate change.
Responding, Preparing and Training for Climate impacts 3.08
Design For Risk Committee Exhibit 3.03
Regional Recovery post Sandy Exhibit 3.02
Post Harvey Recovery Houston Innovation Workshop Exhibit 3.06
For the past ten+ years have been very active following Super Storm Sandy. In the initial days following the storm I was called to the OEM to begin planning and coordinating recovery efforts. Through my work with AIA New York, Regional Catastrophic Planning Team and city agencies I started an office share effort for professionals affected by the storm. I helped organize a call for volunteer architects to assist the city in damage assessment, 400 respondents in 48-hour period. I helped organize ACT 45 CalEMA training for New York City Architects to conduct damage assessment to buildings after the storm and have continued that effort coordinating with the New York Department of State on the CEDAR damage assessment program. In 2019-2020 I led training sessions for over 600 Architects and engineers and since 2013 I have trained well over 3000 people in resilient build techniques including many NYCCT faculty members, Paul King, Shelley Smith, Jason Montgomery, Wendell Edwards, Barbara Mishara, and Felix Baez to name a few.
Since 2012 I remained engaged in resilience and recovery. I served as a Technical Advisor to the Federal Government for the NDFR-National Disaster Recovery Framework for the three years and have advised Rockefeller Foundation 100 Resilient Cities. Locally I was appointed to Mayors Office of Recovery and Resilience (ORR) Resilient Buildings Task Force where I have assisted in the creation and release of Resilient Building Guidelines, this work ended in January of 2017.
Continuing with policy advisement I am currently working with city agencies on New York City 2019 Mitigation Plan. Recent storms of the 2017 Hurricane season have placed me in a unique position to advice and assist several cities, territories and countries. I am currently advising the city of Houston at the invitation of City council to work on the cities Vision 2020 ideas competition, in the US Virgin Islands I worked on the 2019 Hazard Mitigation Plan an essential governing document for US funding and resilience building , in Puerto Rico I assisted Enterprise Green Communities in producing a guide to Housing Recovery that has been accepted by FEMA as US policy and the Island of Dominica assisting in setting up the Kalinago Resilience institute for the first people of the island. Much of the work surrounds training, policy and community based workshops to increase knowledgeable technical expertise for long-term recovery. In June of 2019 I will be working with the State of Hawaii on a two day workshop and series of meetings to advance Resilience planning for the islands. Following last years work in the USVI with HHS and a consortium of schools that produced the Hazard Mitigation Plan training sessions and courses are being written for training on the island. Much of the work done here in New York regarding policy, rebuilding and technical bulletins are being shared to assist in next steps of mitigation and preparedness as evidenced in the 2019 New York Hazard Mitigation Plan.
I am also working with the Kalinago (first people) on the island of Dominica as their Nation has pledged to become the first 100% energy independent, sustainable nation in the world. I will be advising the communities on the island this summer as well as assisting in training people how to rebuild their structures in a more resilient way. Honors Scholars engagement ARCH4710_IA_F18_KalinagoResilientHouse ARCH4710_IA_FA18_HonorsPresentation_YeseniaWard. Our goal is to serve this community so the can develop a circular sustainable economy and teach others around the globe. The United Nations has signed on to help this nation achieve its goals; we will be keen to align our efforts with the UN New Urban Agenda Guidelines.
Over this period I have participated in many conferences, charrettes (community drawing sessions) and organized information lectures for the public at large in the post-disaster era around the country. I have been called on to serve as a source of information by the many organizations and community groups. I chaired a group that is evaluated Governor Cuomo’s 2100 plan and Led the Post Sandy initiative workshops at the AIA New York which has published a 44 page document for the general public along with city agencies to move forward in reconstruction and reimagining our future for the city. I have contributed to several publications from City Government, National organizations and Not-for-profits governing how we build for future disturbances and storms. Many of these are now Policy in New York City and considered best practices throughout the country and I am assisting in exporting those to areas affected by Hurricane Harvey and Maria in 2017.
In addition to being a certified trainer for Hurriplan training through NDPTC – National Disaster Preparedness Training Center, a FEMA supported program to teach community leaders about all aspects of Hurricane planning. Of note I have delivered this course at City Tech on three occasions, and plan to make this an annual event for faculty, students and professionals alike. Additionally I have also taken FEMA IS-100 and IS-700 certificate courses in support of my expertise in disaster preparedness and response.
In 2016 I became a certified trainer for ATC 20 and ATC 45 CalEMA damage assessment, this allows professionals to become second responders following disasters to assist in assessing the safety of structures and get people safely back in their homes. To date and have trained over 600 design professionals in the state of New York including several faculty members here at City Tech. Lastly in this category, I recently completed the New York Department of State CEDAR training for post disaster assessment of buildings and Incident Command specific for New York State. Following the training the Department of State encouraged me to become a CEDAR trainer. I completed my training to assist the department of State at the beginning of 2017.
In my professional society (AIA) I served for 3 years as part of the Strategic Council, a National Think tank of architects that engages the future and subjects relevant to the profession long-term. In our meetings in DC in 2017-18 we specifically looked at the New Urban Agenda, an international document on meeting housing needs around the world. Meetings with community leaders to discuss how the architecture profession plays a significant role in the future of our communities. Many of my recent continuing education credits are in alignment with my research into resilience, disaster relief and reconstruction as well as the fact that I am a recognized leader of the recovery efforts in the City of New York and the region.
In spite of COVID-19, over the last Year (2020-21) I have accumulated 29 Continuing Learning Units including 21 HSW – Health Safety and Welfare credits. Architects in New York State are to have a minimum of 12 Credits a year, 18 minimum to belong to the AIA as a professional society.
Recently, I received Continuing Education credits from many of the AIA Unified Task Force efforts aligned with education and recovery surrounding the pandemic.
Subjects include: COVID Response, Working With NYCHA, Resilient planning and adaptation
Along with my volunteer commitments to the community regarding Post Sandy recovery, pro-bono work with the Hau’ula Community, USVI and the Kalinago people, I volunteer with the Local cub scout pack 22 in park slope and with youth sports SFX assisting in coaching flag football.
