Alumna Helen J. Kessler ’75 establishes travel fellowship endowment to expand learning opportunities

The College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture is pleased to announce the establishment of the Helen J. Kessler, FAIA International Travel Fellowship, created by alumna Helen J. Kessler ‘75 B.Arch.

The endowment will support student travel experiences that broaden perspectives, build confidence, and deepen understanding of architecture and the built environment across cultural contexts.

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Kessler, FAIA, LEED Fellow, WELL AP, recently celebrated her 50th class reunion, traces the origins of this gift to her passion for traveling, experiencing diverse cultures, and her formative years at the University of Arizona, including her year studying in London. 

She also traces her interests in solar energy, passive solar design, and systems thinking to her time at the University.  During her third year in architecture school, she visited the UA Environmental Research Laboratory and was hooked.  “Visiting the Lab is what got me excited about systems thinking and solar development, including looking at the confluence of power, water, and food,” she said.

Fortunately, during her fifth year at the college, she was able to take a studio class with recently-arrived Professor Larry Medlin.  She recalls that his studio was pivotal: “We all designed a solar home. And, through that class, I met pretty much everybody who’d done anything in solar design and construction in the state of Arizona.”

Her time at CAPLA led to early opportunities in historic preservation and sustainable design, including work at the Tucson Community Development Design Center and seven years at the university’s Environmental Research Laboratory. Those experiences solidified her connection to the university and the college and to the systems-based thinking that would shape her career. 

Kessler is the principal of HJKessler Associates and brings more than 40 years of experience in systems thinking, sustainable design, energy efficiency and renewable energy to her work. She is an internationally recognized green building consultant, facilitator and educator and is currently focusing on living systems thinking and regenerative development.

Her decision to create a travel scholarship is rooted partly in her own international study experience. During her fourth year, she completed a year of architecture study in London, an experience that left a lifelong impression.

“You do something like that, it opens up your world,” she said. “When you live somewhere overseas, especially for a year, you experience another world.” She added, “When I think about my architecture schooling… if you were to ask me to pick some of the highlights, they would all be in London.”

Her passion for travel began long before college. 

“I got the travel bug when I was a little kid,” she said, describing childhood trips to Europe to visit family and sightsee. Those early experiences made clear to her the value of engaging with the world beyond one’s immediate environment.

Kessler has long supported student travel at CAPLA through contributions to the Albanese Family Travel Scholarship, inspired by Dean Emeritus and friend Chuck Albanese. 

“I had been donating to Chuck's travel scholarship,” she said. “And, you know, he suggested that I really ought to have my own.”

Her philanthropy is also informed by her work with the Chicago Women in Architecture Foundation, where she serves on the board and supports scholarships for women entering the profession as well as training for mid-career female architects. When considering how best to create her own endowed scholarship, she reflected on where her deepest connections remain. 

“It just made sense for the fellowship endowment to be with people whom I knew and interacted with,” she said of choosing to establish the fund at the University of Arizona.

Ultimately, Kessler’s goal is to give future CAPLA students access to transformative experiences similar to those that shaped her own trajectory. 

Through her endowment, generations of students will have the opportunity to travel abroad, explore new perspectives, and develop a deeper understanding of global architecture and cultures.