September 2024 Chapter Leader of the Month: Rebecca Hennings

Rebecca is a graduate student at Montana State University pursuing a Master of Architecture and holds a Bachelor’s in Environmental Design. As a second-year undergraduate student, she was elected Vice President of her chapter and tasked with reestablishing the organization’s presence post-pandemic. Moving into the President position, the chapter saw an unprecedented increase in event attendance, proving the value that AIAS can bring to a student body. A critical change that Rebecca is proud of is the move from faculty-led workshops to student-led ones. This has allowed students to explore their leadership abilities in a welcoming environment while providing opportunities for cross-cohort mentorship.

Rebecca believes in connecting beyond the chapter’s members to create a more robust network, maintaining involvement at the school level through the college’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee, connecting to the local architectural community through efforts to reignite MSU’s Celebration of Architecture, and building strong connections to the national organization through serving on the 22-23 Governance Committee and the 23-24 Student Health and Well-Being Task Force. None of these opportunities would have been possible without the support of her chapter, and she strives to give back continuously. She is thrilled to serve again as chapter Vice President in her final semester and fourth year of AIAS and looks forward to increasing communication and engagement at Montana State University.