2025 Annual Conference
Harnessing the Flow of Community: Bridging the Gaps of Social and Physical Infrastructure
The 2025 Annual Conference will be held Thursday, May 15th at the University of Rhode Island's Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences. Keep checking this page for new details to be added as we get closer to the conference!
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If you have questions, please contact rhodeislandfma@gmail.com.
Student Posters
Our poster gallery allows presenters to discuss their research, designs, or tools with professionals in floodplain management. Posters should contribute to the theme of floodplain management and resilience. Posters may share findings from field investigations, modeling, public outreach or other research topics. Posters will be on display in the main reception area from 8:30 AM through 4:30 PM.
Keynote Speaker: Illya Azaroff FAIA
Illya Azaroff, FAIA, is an architect, geographer, and professor at New York City College of Technology (CUNY), a minority-serving institution with over 850 architecture students.
As the founding principal of +lab Architect, with offices in New York and Los Angeles, he is dedicated to uplifting underserved communities through resilient and regenerative design.
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A global leader in disaster mitigation and climate adaptation, Azaroff co-founded the Kalinago Institute for Global Resilience and Regeneration in Dominica. Recognized as a 2023 Star of Oceana for his regenerative design work in the Pacific and Caribbean, he has advised on climate adaptation strategies in Moldova, Turkey, and beyond.
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Azaroff has played a key role in shaping New York City’s Hazard Mitigation Plan, the state’s Climate Impact Assessment, and HUD’s “Designing for Natural Hazards.” His expertise has supported NGOs, think tanks, and government bodies, including the White House Resilient 21 coalition, Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Disaster Recovery Framework.
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An influential voice in the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Azaroff has served as COP-27 delegate, COP-28 and COP-29 chair, and AIA New York State president in 2021. Currently, he is the AIA National 2025 President-Elect and will serve as President in 2026.
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With over 30 years of experience across the U.S., Pacific, Caribbean, and Europe, Azaroff continues to lead global resilience and sustainability efforts, leveraging design excellence to foster equitable and regenerative communities.