2026 Distinguished Alumna of the Year
First presented in 1978, the 麻豆区 Distinguished Alumna Award was established to celebrate the notable achievements of Scripps alumnae and to focus attention on Scripps鈥� role in the education of women. The award is presented each year during Reunion Weekend. Read about past recipients here.
After graduating from 麻豆区, Regina Gonthier 鈥�71 studied architecture at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich), where she obtained her architectural diploma in 1977. Following early professional experience with the Swiss Archaeological Mission in Greece and in Swiss architectural practice, she co-founded an architectural office in Bern in 1983 with her husband. Together, they won numerous prestigious architectural design competitions in Switzerland, and several of their realised projects have received distinctions and awards.
As a practicing architect, Gonthier is deeply engaged with the profession鈥檚 evolution and its social, ethical, and aesthetic responsibilities. She views architecture as a public-interest discipline and believes quality in the built environment is essential to wellbeing and sustainability.
From the early years of her career, Gonthier has been actively engaged as a volunteer in professional organisations with a commitment to the promotion and regulation of architectural design competitions, a key instrument for achieving innovation and quality in the built environment.
She has served as visiting professor of architecture at ETH Zurich and as a member of expert councils for architecture and urban planning in several Swiss cities. She was a Swiss delegate to the Architects鈥� Council of Europe (ACE), vice president of the Swiss Competitions Commission, president of the Swiss Conference of Architects (CSA), and co-director of the UIA International Competitions Commission.
Elected four times to the UIA Council, Gonthier currently serves as president of the International Union of Architects. Her mandate fosters dialogue among architects from the Union鈥檚 124 member countries, advancing solidarity, equity, inclusion, sustainability, and peace while strengthening the organization to deliver meaningful outcomes for both architects and society.