FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

APT DC Announces 2026 Emerging Professionals Sponsorship Program Awardees

The Board of the Washington Chapter of the Association for Preservation Technology (APT DC) is pleased to announce that Daniel Connor, Priyanka Gorasia, William Hall and Katelyn Hestad are the 2026 awardees of the Emerging Professionals Sponsorship Program (EPSP).

Since 1999, EPSP has supported rising professionals in historic preservation by providing stipends to attend the annual Association for Preservation Technology International (APTI) Conference. The program reflects APT DC’s mission to advance the next generation of preservation leaders across affiliated disciplines, including architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, planning, construction, conservation, and history.

Daniel Connor is an engineer with Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) specializing in the preservation and restoration of historic building enclosures. He received an architectural engineering degree from The University of Texas at Austin.

Priyanka Gorasia is an architectural designer at Quinn Evans in Washington, DC, specializing in historic preservation. She holds a B.Arch from Mumbai University, a Diploma in Built Heritage Studies, and an M.S. in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania. Her work spans research, documentation, adaptive reuse, and community‑focused conservation shaped by experience in Mumbai and active involvement in APT, APT DC, and AIA|DC WIA.

Will Hall is a licensed architect at LEO A DALY in Washington, D.C., working on historic, federal, and accessibility-focused projects. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from New Jersey Institute of Technology and has experience evaluating accessibility on historic campuses and supporting rehabilitation of federal buildings. He is active in APT and AIA HRC.

Katelyn Hestad is a recently licensed architect at Stantec committed to modernization and historic preservation projects. She has a Bachelor’s of Science in Architecture from Georgia Tech. With interests lying at the intersection of history and the built environment, Katelyn is passionate about reviving the soul of a building while creating spaces for community.

APT DC is a not-for-profit educational association serving preservation professionals in the greater National Capital Region—Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Sussex County, Delaware. The chapter promotes the exchange of ideas and technical knowledge in the conservation of historic resources through tours, lectures, workshops, and symposia.

The Emerging Professionals Sponsorship Program is made possible through membership dues, event proceeds, AIA continuing education credits, and member donations. Contributions to support EPSP can be made via the “Donate” tab on the APT DC website and are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

For more information about the Emerging Professionals Sponsorship Program—including past recipients and eligibility criteria—or to learn more about APT DC, please visit www.aptdc.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @aptdcchapter for updates on upcoming programs and events.