The College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects has elected Jeffery S. Poss, a professor in the School of Architecture at the U of I, to be elevated to fellowship.

Poss is one of 134 AIA members elevated by the 2010 Jury of Fellows.

The honor is awarded to members who have achieved a standard of excellence and have made significant contributions to the profession. At least 10 years’ membership in AIA is required to be nominated in one or more of the five nomination categories.

The categories illustrate those who have promoted the aesthetic, scientific, and practical efficiency of the profession, advanced the science and art of planning and building by advancing the standards of architectural education, training and practice, coordinated the building industry and the profession of architecture through leadership in the AIA and other related professional organizations, advanced the living standards of people through an improved environment, or made the profession of ever-increasing service to society, according to the AIA website.

Poss was nominated for the design category.

Less than 4 percent of the 83,000 AIA members have been distinguished with fellowship or honorary fellowship.

Poss will be recognized during the National AIA Convention and Design Exposition in Miami on June 11.

An alumnus of U of I’s School of Architecture, Poss came to teach at the school in 1989 and chaired the design faculty from 2000 to 2002. In 2007, he was awarded a silver medal by the Association of Licensed Architects for designing a memorial in Springfield, Ill to commemorate Illinois World War II veterans.