Angelyn Chandler

By Ginger O’Donnell 

Having grown up in Atlanta, Angelyn Chandler, AB ’89, made it her goal to settle in a highly walkable city with robust public transportation. Upon finishing her graduate degree from Princeton University, she landed in New York. Today, the WashU architecture alumna has built a powerful career in public-sector architecture, shaped by her fascination with urban life and her passion for the Empire State.

With a long track record of managing capital projects for New York City and state, Chandler fosters flourishing communities by leading art, architecture, and design initiatives that increase environmental sustainability, advance social equity and health, and create a sense of belonging through artistic expression. Currently, she is spearheading the revitalization of the Erie Canal in her role as vice president-planning for the New York Power Authority.

“We’re starting to think about the canal as a park, inviting the public to engage in ways we have not done previously,” Chandler says, citing a variety of efforts, including enhancing and expanding connections to the Empire State Trail, a multiuse path that parallels the canal for most of its 524 miles, and supporting small businesses along the waterway. “Revitalizing the canal means investing in the infrastructure itself but also the communities along it,” she explains.  

“Parks and other public spaces are a key element in public health. They bring us together as a community, which is hugely important.”

Angelyn Chandler, Vice President-Planning at New York Power Authority

Chandler’s understanding of architecture and design as intertwined with community was initially formed at WashU through her relationship with the legendary late Leslie Laskey. The beloved architecture and design professor was known for his prolific art, dedicated mentorship, and exceptional teaching. “He taught design as a way of life,” Chandler recalls. “He emphasized the community aspect, that design is about everything you do.”

As an alumna, Chandler reconnected with Laskey in 2009 when she joined the board of Studio L, a group of former students who sponsor an annual design competition in his honor. She started participating in weeklong art workshops hosted by Laskey, which prompted her to resume her own creative practice in photography, drawing, and sculpture. “I connected fully with Leslie at that time and started making art again,” she says. Later, Laskey’s death during the coronavirus pandemic prompted Chandler to begin a master’s degree in fine art at the University at Albany (SUNY Albany). 

The worlds of art, architecture, and design remain dynamic and overlapping in Chandler’s pursuits to promote thriving and healthy communities. For example, in 2023, she launched an artist-in-residence program in concert with the Erie Canal Museum. Each year, one to three artists are selected and spend a year exploring a canal-related topic of their choosing. “I’m very interested in art, and it’s something I wanted to bring to the Erie Canal,” she says. “It’s an important aspect of community life and adds a whole new layer.”

Large-scale public projects like the Erie Canal renewal require fastidious organization and management skills. However, Chandler remains focused on the human element. “Parks and other public spaces are a key element in public health,” she says. “They bring us together as a community, which is hugely important.” 

Indeed, community is the bright thread that connects Chandler’s multifaceted portfolio. Beyond the Erie Canal, her impressive career includes beach recovery following Superstorm Sandy, converting Fresh Kills Landfill into a city park, and community-informed park reconstruction in historically divested neighborhoods of New York City. In 2021, Chandler was honored with the Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller Award for excellence in public architecture, and she holds a Distinguished Alumni Award from the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. 

Chandler urges today’s students to explore the vast domain of public architecture, which is underrepresented in early educational and training contexts, she says. “I’ve really enjoyed working in the public sector. You’re creating projects for everyone versus just a few people. You might walk by your project for the rest of your life. The impact is huge.”

With you, we can build flourishing communities.