The Kivett Seligson Fund was established in 2012 to honor the legacy of Theodore “Ted” Seligson, a respected UMKC professor of architecture for more than 30 years and a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. Since its founding, the fund has supported architectural history and design events through the UMKC Architecture, Urban Planning + Design (AUPD) program.

One of the fund’s most impactful initiatives is the Kivett Seligson Lecture Series, created to foster dialogue among Kansas City’s architecture and design professionals annually.

The Kivett Seligson Fund’s board includes UMKC alumni, community leaders and volunteers who are local architects and urban planners committed to enriching Kansas City’s architecture and design ecosystem.

Board chair Hanan Kivett has played a pivotal role in expanding the fund’s reach. In addition to making annual gifts to the Kivett Seligson Fund, Kivett is leading the planning of a symposium to bring together community members invested in Kansas City’s development alongside local architecture and urban planning professionals.

Slated for April 2026, the symposium will be moderated by a nationally recognized architectural historian and feature renowned Kansas City architects affiliated with firms such as Kivett and Myers and Marshall and Brown, which have helped shape Kansas City’s architectural identity and were recognized in ArchDaily’s “Prairie New School: Kansas City’s Architectural Renaissance.” The event will celebrate Kansas City’s architectural legacy by exploring some of the city’s most iconic construction projects.