Professor Emeritus Bill Bechhoefer, FAIA has had a distinguished academic and teaching career of over 37 years at the University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. Bill has consistently engaged young architects during their education with his provocative courses on architectural theory and with his inspiring studio courses that study Non-Western indigenous architecture around the world. Few architecture professors have had more impact on the education of architects than Bill. In addition to being an award winning architect over the course of his career, Professor Bechhoeffer's teaching excellence was recognized by the University of Maryland by being designated a Distinguished-Scholar Teacher. His lifetime devotion to teaching leads us to recognize him for Outstanding Service to the Profession of Architecture.

John Torti, FAIA has grown his 51-year-old, 150-person firm with projects in 47 cities across the country. John has helped to educate his fellow architects by being a regular on the urban design and development lecture circuit. Over the past five years, John's firm, Torti Gallas and Partners, has been awarded eight "Charter Awards" by the Congress of the New Urbanism as well as over 300 international, national, and local design awards for planning and design.

In addition to leadership in New Urbanist planning and design, John Torti is committed to the education and growth of upcoming architects. His firm has developed an Intern Development Program which was the recipient of the American Institute of Architects IDP Outstanding Firm Award - Large Firm Category in 2005.

Eliot Pfanstiehl has been a champion and a proponent of the Arts, in all forms, all of his adult life. He has advocated for the Arts publicly and privately, through his roles in the Montgomery County Arts Council, the League of Washington Theatres, the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington, the Black Rock Arts Center, the Maryland State Arts Council, and Maryland Citizens for the Arts. It is no surprise that Eliot's greatest legacy should stem from his support of the most public of all the Arts – Architecture. Eliot's passion and commitment to make Strathmore Arts Center a world class performance, arts outreach, and cultural teaching facility was the catalyst for both public and private support of the award winning project. Eliot's Advocacy of Architectural Excellence, his commitment to the quality design of public architecture, has shown true Vision that benefits everyone in our community.