Biography

Originally from San Juan, PR, Yiselle Santos Rivera is a Lecturer in the Department of Architecture at Howard University, where she brings 20 years of experience in healthcare and wellness design, organizational leadership, and architectural education. Her teaching and research emphasize healthcare architecture, community well-being, and the integration of public health and social equity in the built environment. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Leadership Psychology (PsyD) at William James College, focusing on the neuroscience of leadership and its application to creative problem-solving and organizational innovation.

Santos Rivera is the founder and principal of YSR, LLC, a multidisciplinary consultancy dedicated to healthcare and wellness architecture, intercultural experience design, and organizational change management. Prior to founding her practice, she served as Principal and Global Director of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (J.E.D.I.) at HKS, where she spearheaded firmwide initiatives that embedded equitable design, cultural competency, and inclusive policies across a global workforce. Her leadership advanced the firm’s “People First” strategy, resulting in industry-leading frameworks for inclusive design and community-centered architecture.
 

She has led and contributed to numerous major healthcare projects, including the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children Advanced Delivery Care Expansion (Wilmington, DE), Methodist University Hospital Gary Shorb Tower (Memphis, TN), and the master planning of Mount Sinai Hospital (Asunción, Paraguay). Her work also spans large-scale civic and urban design projects such as the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches (West Palm Beach, FL) and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital’s Surgical Pavilion (Washington, D.C.).
 

Santos Rivera is nationally recognized as a thought leader in architectural equity and advocacy. She currently serves as President-Elect (2026) of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), where she advances initiatives on inclusive design, community impact, and climate justice. She previously served as President of AIA Washington, DC (2023) and as a board director of the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). Her industry leadership includes founding WIELD (Women Inspiring Emerging Leaders in Design), a celebrated platform for mentoring and elevating diverse voices within architecture.

Her professional contributions have been recognized with multiple honors, including the AIA Young Architects Award (2022), the AIA Associate Award (2018), and the Washington Business Journal Diversity in Business Award (2024). She has been featured in leading publications such as ARCHITECT Magazine, Interior Design, and The Architect’s Newspaper, and she is a frequent keynote speaker at national conferences, including the AIA Women’s Leadership Summit, Healthcare Design Conference, and IIDA’s Design Future events.

Santos Rivera holds a Master of Architecture I from Syracuse University School of Architecture and a Bachelor of Science with a minor in Environmental Design from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. Her academic journey has included global design studies at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).

She serves on several national boards and advisory committees, including the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), the Women in Healthcare Industry Council, and the Lean Construction Institute DEI Advisory Group. She has chaired and served on juries for organizations such as the AIA Colorado Design Awards, the Center for Health Design’s Healthcare Environment Awards, and multiple AIA chapters nationwide. Her extensive leadership in professional organizations, such as the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) and the American Institute of Architects, continues to shape the profession’s approach to equity, resilience, and the future of architectural practice.