Victoria Sirianni (2003)

Victoria Sirianni
Retired Chief Facilities Officer and Director of MIT's Capital Building Program
Women in Design Award of Excellence, 2003 winner

Exactly twenty five years ago I assumed my final position at MIT. The Senior VP gave me this key along with words of sobering responsibility. It was mine now to care for into the next century. This grand master opened most MIT’s doors at the time.

He had managed the Institute’s first major building program in the 50’s. I would do so with the second, a half a century later. He knew then what I know now. The buildings that we built would be judged not by us but by history, and our contribution to the process was a matter of no significance. What mattered was that we cared for the campus and that we stewarded its resources in a way that would permit it to thrive into the future.

I never lost sight of the wisdom of his message.

Victoria V. Sirianni, July, 2019