M. Rosaria Piomelli facts for kids

Maria Rosaria Piomelli (born Angrisano on October 24, 1937) is an architect from Italy. She made history in 1980. She became the first woman to be a dean at an architecture school in the United States. This happened when she was chosen as dean of the CCNY School of Architecture.

Early Life and Education

M. Rosaria Piomelli was born in Naples, Italy. Her parents were Alberto and Giuseppina Angrisano. She studied art in Naples. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1954. The next year, in 1955, she received her Master of Arts degree.

In 1957, she moved to the United States. She continued her studies at the MIT. There, she earned her Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1960. She married Sergio Piomelli, who was a doctor. They have two children, Ascanio Alberto and Fosca Francesca.

Her Career as an Architect

Through the 1960s and 1970s, Piomelli worked as an architect. She worked in offices in Italy, the United States, and the Netherlands. From 1963 to 1969, she worked for a firm called Warner, Burns, Toan & Lunde in New York City. She also worked in Rotterdam, Netherlands, from 1969 to 1970.

Later, from 1971 to 1974, she was a project architect for I.M. Pei and Partners. In 1974, she opened her own architecture firm in New York City.

Piomelli earned her professional license to practice architecture in New York in 1969. She then joined the American Institute of Architects. This is a professional group for architects. She worked to help women in architecture. In 1974, she organized an exhibition in New York City. It was called "Women in the Design of the Environment." She has also written books about the work of women in American architecture.

Teaching and Leadership

Since 1971, Maria Rosaria Piomelli has taught at many schools.

• From 1971 to 1976, she was a professor at the CCNY School of Architecture.
• She also taught at Pratt Institute from 1974 to 1979. She was the Chair of the Faculty there from 1976 to 1979.
• In 1979, she became a Distinguished Professor at CCNY.
• From 1980 to 1983, she served as the Dean of the CCNY School of Architecture. A dean is like a head of a school or department.
• In 1984, she was a Visiting Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Berkeley.
• She has been a Professor at the CCNY School of Architecture since 1985.

Awards and Projects

In 1966, Piomelli received a Design award. This was for her work on the Brown University of Science Library.

Notable Projects

Here are some buildings and projects she worked on:

• Academy Hill Development in Hudson, New York
• Pierson School in Tarrytown, New York
• Schiff House in Montauk, New York
• A home on Shelter Island at 139 Ram Island Drive

See also

• List of Italian Americans
• Women in architecture