Sydney Gross Memorial Fund

Wooden structures created by freshman architecture students as part of a yearlong design-build studio are on display at Artpark in Lewiston.

In memory of a former student, this fund supports an annual lecture, scholarships, and other projects in the School of Architecture and Planning.

Sydney Gross dreamed of becoming an architect. She had completed her first year of the program at the UB School of Architecture and Planning when she died following a car accident on July 24, 2009.

Sydney Gross.

According to her mother, Sydney brought "love, laughter, and light into the world."

Sydney Gross dreamed of becoming an architect. She had completed her first year of the program at the UB School of Architecture and Planning when she died following a car accident on July 24, 2009.

Her family and friends established the Sydney Gross Fund in 2011 to support scholarships for students in financial need, as well as the annual Sydney Gross Memorial Lecture, which brings notable speakers to the school.

"It was clear that she had a natural 'eye' for design," said Assistant Professor Joyce Hwang. "In addition to her giftedness, she had a great attitude in the studio: She wasn't afraid to take risks with her projects, she worked hard and, most importantly, she always seemed to be having fun with her work and her classmates."

Gross was “a constant source of joy…who brought so much love, laughter and light into the world,” according to her mother, Lori Duckstein. “She would be thrilled to know that with the help of her friends and family, her love for UB, architecture, and helping others will continue on,” Duckstein said.

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