Photo: MARK BERNDT
S
ports architect Sherri Privitera turned the bitter pill of losing Husky Stadium into a ray of sunshine at McLane Stadium. Privitera was poised to design upgrades at the University of Washington’s historic football venue before the Pac-12 school went in another direction after her firm had spent several years doing most of the preliminary work leading up to the project. But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. In the end, Privitera became project manager for designing Baylor University’s new $266 million football stadium that opened in 2014 to rave reviews.
Sherri Privitera
Populous | Principal
“It’s a great example of how things just happen,” she said. “They can be painful losses at the time and disappointments in your career, but there’s reasons for everything. I was incredibly blessed to work on McLane Stadium.”
Now, Privitera turns her attention to Purdue University. She’s principal-in-charge for studying potential renovations to Ross-Ade Stadium. It’s the first time a woman has filled that role in the company’s 32-year history.
Privitera caught the design bug after her father, Brent Arnold, decided to build a new house for the family. At the time, Privitera was in eighth grade and taking a drafting class. With her father’s guidance, she helped draw the floor plans and got hooked on the process of building design. Today, the college market is extremely active, with a particular focus on renovating facilities. Privitera sees the need for schools to put more emphasis on developing venues to optimize individual and team performance as well as addressing the fan experience.
“It’s more than wall graphics and bling with technology,” she said. “To me, it’s about giving student athletes a place to succeed.”
— Don Muret
- Best advice received: Be someone others want to work with. And, surround yourself with people who are smarter than you; otherwise, it’s tough to get better.
- Causes supported: Equal rights for women and girls; encouraging young girls to be exposed to STEM-related activities and fields; South African children affected by the HIV/AIDS virus.
- If my colleagues were asked to describe me, they would say I: Am passionate, strong, organized and intuitive.
