Hasan Duha Ikiz, Emergency Student Fund
“The Earthquake Changed My Perspective on the Built Environment”
After Receiving Emergency Funds, Architecture Student Builds Affordable Home for Local Community
Hasan Duha Ikiz is a recent graduate of the University of Idaho, where he earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture. But the road to graduation had a detour; in February 2023, Hasan found himself in the middle of his graduate program – and on the other side of the world while a natural disaster devastated his hometown. His extended family lost their homes in a 7.4 magnitude earthquake that hit Malatya, Türkiye, leaving his parents to house and feed his family in Istanbul. With no one to turn to for financial support, Hasan was unsure if he could continue his studies in the United States.
“I wasn’t thinking of myself, but I had to pay for school and had no money for that. I couldn’t ask my parents for money, because they had to help my family.”
When Hasan learned about IIE’s Emergency Student Fund (ESF), he saw a beacon of hope through the rubble. The fund awarded him the money he needed to continue his education safely, allowing him to focus on the future.
With IIE’s ESF grant to continue his master’s program, Hasan had the opportunity to give back to the nearby Lupine Flats community in Moscow, Idaho. He designed and helped build affordable housing in , working alongside four other graduate students and mastering skills such as practice management, client relations, project planning and design, construction, and evaluation. “The project helped me to understand how architecture practice affects the community,” he said. “In this field, we learn how to design, but it is important to understand how our designs are built.”
During his time at the university, Hasan also volunteered as a student leader with the International Programs Office, where he provided guidance to student volunteers and fostered connections among new international students. He spent three years working as a graduate teaching assistant and sharing his expertise and skills with others. Upon graduation in 2024, he earned the AIA Henry Adams Medal for general excellence, adding to the two AIA Spokane Competition project awards he earned in 2022 and 2024, as well as the Anjum Sadiq Memorial Scholarship Endowment he received in 2022. He began work with a small architectural firm during his last semester at school, and he is currently shadowing a senior architect to design a fire department.
“The earthquake changed my perspective on the built environment. Designers play a crucial role in people’s lives. It is not just about making fancy designs. I aim to create a safe environment first.”
Hasan Ikiz
IIE’s Emergency Student Fund (ESF) provides grants to international college students in the U.S. when natural disasters, war, or other crises threaten their education. Many face financial pressure to return home or drop out because their family circumstances have changed dramatically. IIE helps these students cover essential needs, including basic living expenses. It is a critical resource for students in crisis when they have no other safety net. Since 2010, IIE has awarded over 2,800 ESF grants, providing over $8 million in critical support to students from around the world.