Stelmarski’s experience spans all disciplines, including architecture, interiors, brand experience, and urban design. In addition to management of large, multidisciplinary design teams, he is active in the academic and professional arena, lecturing, publishing articles, and serving on design juries, as well as editing the Perkins&Will publication, Ideas+Buildings. Sowing the seeds of inspiration from museums and book design to complex mixed-use projects and university designs, Stelmarski’s leadership signals the next step in the evolution of Perkins&Will from an architecture firm to an interdisciplinary design practice.

Felicia Santiago’s career encompasses a range of project types including retail, churches, courthouses, data centers, and other mission critical and government facilities. Her passion for protecting and celebrating a community’s art, history, and culture for current and future generations guides a dedication to stewarding a building’s legacy, authenticity, and purpose. Passionate about the intricate and inherent interconnection of all building systems, communities, the past, present, and future; Felicia believes the impact of every project is far bigger than its footprint and is committed to ensuring the success of every project for the greater benefit of the community at large.

Felicia leads technical efforts of a project and participates actively in all phases to ensure design elements are expertly detailed, cost-effective, and responsibly executed. Her technical architectural proficiency in various project types is amplified by a steady patience, clear and direct communication, excellent organization skills, and talent for synthesizing complex information into succinct strategies. Felicia’s thorough knowledge of fusing old and new in resilient and environmentally conscious ways makes her an invaluable asset for the most complex design challenges. She is a collaborative leader and a point of contact amongst various stakeholders, keeping everyone on track to execute a client’s vision in a timely and responsible fashion.

Brad Bell is an Associate Professor at The University of Texas at Arlington. He also directs the Digital Architecture Research Consortium (DARC) at UT Arlington. His research interests include innovative material applications and the integration of advanced digital technologies into the architectural design process with a focus on the use of digital fabrication and cast materials.

Aubrey Hartman is a Principal and Studio Design Leader, Hospitality at HKS. She has expertise in Hospitality, Mixed-use and Commercial projects. Because Aubrey knows and appreciates the profound impact that a project can have on a community, she has a keen interest in understanding cultural roots to create authentic experiences for guests. Her designs have been honored by the AIA and ULI.

For more than two decades, Varun has served as a leader in integrating environmental analytics and sustainable design into the practice of architecture. From urban scale resiliency and decarbonization to major commercial, education, aviation, and mixed-use development projects, he has served an educator for the future of the practice and a leader on banner projects both domestically and internationally. As Director of Sustainability at Corgan, Varun provides leadership for high-performance projects and strives to maximize environmental sustainability and social equity while addressing climate change adaptation and resiliency at the building and urban scale. He recently authored a chapter in Energy Modeling in Architecture; A practice guide, published by RIBA and currently serves on the board of ‘Pokhrama Foundation,’ working to build a net-zero school to provide K-12 education in a remote region of northern India.

Matt has become a master at managing the scale and complexity of large corporate headquarters projects. His role leading the design of headquarters for Fortune 500 companies like Kubota—which earned LEED Gold certification—and Charles Schwab has contributed to his reputation as a leader who always goes the extra mile for clients. Matt is drawn to the psychological challenges inherent in architecture. His desire to create spaces where people want to be is coupled with the knowledge that this means different things to different people. Uncovering the psychological underpinnings of what makes people enjoy and draw inspiration from a space—these are the things that motivate him. Matt is responsible for the overall direction of commercial practice at Corgan—from new business to our strategic approach, execution, and growth markets—and leads his team through all phases of design, production, and construction.

Jeff specializes in forensic and preservation engineering within our Diagnostics group, focusing on services related to the enclosure and structure of existing and historic buildings, including investigating structural issues, and resolving façade access and fall protection challenges. With over a decade of experience, Jeff is an expert in forensic and preservation engineering, adept at analyzing structural problems and developing customized solutions for diverse building types. He brings extensive knowledge in the enclosure and structure of existing and historic buildings, combining thorough investigation with innovative problem-solving.

Emily Liu is a national leader in urban planning and design with 30 years of professional experience spanning Texas, Kentucky, Illinois, and Ohio. She currently serves as the Director of Planning and Development for the City of Dallas. Previously, Ms. Liu served as the Planning Director for Louisville Metro Government in Kentucky for more than a decade. Liu possesses broad expertise across various aspects of urban planning and development, encompassing long-range planning, zoning, housing, transportation, development review, urban design, and historic preservation. Among her many achievements is her pivotal role leading Louisville’s acclaimed Zoning Reform initiative, which has been recognized as a model for other cities.

Alejandro Daras is Vice President of A&D Projects at Neolith and has extensive expertise on Rainscreen systems and solutions. Leading Neolith’s international expansion since 2021, he played a key role in the company’s growth. With dual master’s degrees in architecture from Valencia and the Illinois Institute of Technology, Alejandro transitioned from independent architect roles to the Construction Materials industry in 2016. His career spans Valencia, Munich, Chicago, New York, and Dallas, understanding of architectural intricacies on a global scale. 

Dionne Darling has been with The A|N Media Group for over six years. As VP of Brand Partnerships and Associate Publisher, she manages A|N’s Texas headquarters and handles accounts in the West, Southwest and Europe territories. Dionne has over 28 years of direct B2B sales, management and business development experience.

Mike Augustine has over 20 years of experience in the architectural glazing industry. As the Director of Architectural Promotion at SAFTI FIRST, he brings his extensive knowledge and expertise of fire rated glazing systems and fenestration in general when working closely with architects, specifiers, glazing contractors and code officials. Mike is a dynamic presenter and speaker who has been delivering the company’s AIA-registered presentation to various architecture firms, AIA local chapters, CSI local chapters, and at other architectural and glazing industry events.

Andrew Pries, Director of Innovation + Technical Sales at Boston Valley Terra Cotta, holds a BS in Architecture from the University at Buffalo and a Master of Architecture from the University of Michigan. With a focus on design development and leveraging diverse fabrication methods to expand the applications of terra cotta, he has played a pivotal role in high profile projects such as the Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA) and 120 Stockton. As one of the coordinators of the Architectural Ceramic Assemblies Workshop (ACAW), Pries spearheads design development with the workshop teams, as well as the fabrication and construction of successful mockup assemblies.

Aaron joined STI in 2015 as a Territory Manager in the Gulf South.  In 2018, he was promoted to the Curtain and Facades Specialist role, working with glaziers, fabricators, curtain wall consultants and perimeter fire containments contractors in the Midwest, Gulf Coast, Texas and Central Canada.   In 2024, Aaron became the Curtain Wall and Facades Consultant Support Specialist for North America, working with curtain wall consultants, architects, engineers and code officials.   

With over 30 years in a variety of fields in construction, Aaron has become a critical partner for many of the top CW Consultants in North America.  With his knowledge and expertise of perimeter fire containment systems for all types of construction including Mass Timber, backpan or non-backpan glazing systems, precast, GFRC, and Steel Stud/EIFS assemblies, Aaron can assist from design conception to project close out while meeting critical life safety requirements for a better project outcome.

Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Aaron is now a proud resident of the great city of New Orleans.

Bob’s global perspective, attention to detail, and over 20 years of experience inform his work designing projects in diverse geographic locations from Texas to Singapore. Working across varied sectors and scales, his portfolio includes urban plans, mixed-use developments, office towers, and academic facilities. Whether for a single building or an entire neighborhood, Bob seeks to establish new connections between program types and the public realm. Leading the expansion of KPF’s portfolio in Texas, Bob has been central to the design of a number of significant mixed-use developments in Austin and Dallas.