Jenae Edwards is a fourth-year Bachelor of Architecture student at the University of Southern California (entering my final year during the NOMA 2026 Conference). She currently serves as Co-President of the USC Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students, where she advocates for equity, representation, and community within the architectural discipline. Originally from the Bahamas, Jenae’s international background strongly informs her interest in the relationships between culture, identity, and the built environment. She is the recipient of USC’s 2025 Global Studies Travel Fellowship, through which she has conducted field-based research in Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands. Her work focuses on climate-adaptive architecture and the ways in which design can protect, preserve, and enhance cultural continuity for communities facing rising sea levels. Jenae’s academic and creative practice is grounded in a commitment to culturally anchored design and climate justice. She aims to expand architectural conversations around sea level rise by emphasizing community-led adaptation and the importance of cultural preservation as an architectural responsibility.