乐播传媒

乐播传媒, Knoxville
College of Architecture + Design

Parker Selected for Gensler鈥檚 Rising Black Designer Micro-Scholarship

Posed photo of Jermaine Parker leaning on a table.
Jermaine Parker

He explored the buildings, pondering their design, materials, and spatial arrangement.听

Now a third-year architecture student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Parker has been recognized by in the US and the United Kingdom. He is one of two rising juniors selected for the scholarship, awarded to bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 students.听听

鈥淕ensler is committed to introducing diverse students to careers in architecture and design,鈥� said Diane Hoskins, Co-CEO of Gensler. 鈥淲e are proud to support these talented young designers as they pursue higher education and emerge as the next generation of design leaders who embrace the opportunity to address the world鈥檚 most complex challenges.鈥�听

A high-angle rendering of an outdoor terrace on the upper level of the Unity Center. People are shown walking with luggage or sitting at black dining tables. The terrace is bordered by a low brick wall and sheltered by angled metal beams and a glass canopy. Large windows look into an interior room, and a stylized white sculpture of dense branches is visible in the distance.
A high-angle rendering of the Jordan Wooten Unity Center.

Receiving this award validates Parker’s ongoing efforts and his commitment to enhancing the architectural environment in which he grew up.听

鈥淚 know that being around certain structures that are not the most well-designed can hinder you mentally and how some schools feel like prisons,鈥� he said. 鈥淢测 goal is to redesign spaces to help free up the mind and show that students from low-income areas are worthy to enter any space.鈥�听

As a first-generation student, Parker plans to work with students in low-income areas, much like the one he grew up in, in order to inspire more young Black architects and designers. He plans to collaborate with high school students through Project Excellence, an initiative by UT’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, as well as the Emerald Youth Center in the coming year.听

鈥淢测 goal will take time to do, but being a mentor is a way I can make change now,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 wish to develop a relationship with students and work towards growing their hunger for success through implementing in them the mindset that your surroundings don鈥檛 decide your future, in terms of not only structures, but the social environment. This is one way to get to the root of the problem while in the process of trying to fix another problem that鈥檚 clearly apparent.鈥�听

An architectural rendering of a long, rectangular building with red brick walls. The structure is encased in a rhythmic series of dark grey, U-shaped metal frames that create a skeletal exoskeleton. To the right, the frames expand to cover an outdoor plaza with tall brick planters. In the background, a white, branch-like sculpture mimics a grove of stylized trees under a bright, wispy sky.
Parker’s exterior rendering of the Jordan Wooten Unity Center.

This summer, Parker is interning with brg3s, a firm specializing in healthcare design in Memphis.听听听

In 2020, Gensler launched the to help talented design students overcome the costs associated with higher education. This annual program awards tuition scholarships, micro-scholarships for books and materials, and opportunities for summer internships to underrepresented Black students enrolled in US-based not-for-profit architecture programs.听听