The Merry Ovnick Fellowship is established by the Society of Architectural Historians/Southern California Chapter (SAH/SCC) in honor of past-President and longtime board member Merry Ovnick. It provides for $1,000 annually to support the travel of an advanced graduate student to the SAH Annual International Conference. Any graduate student studying at a college or university in Southern California is qualified to apply. The Fellowship is awarded annually.

In celebration of the Fellowship, The Merry Ovnick Fellowship Fundraiser and Lecture will be held on In February 2026 at the historic Neutra Office in Silver Lake and broadcast via Zoom. Luke Leuschner, architectural historian and 2025 Fellowship recipient, will be the featured speaker. One hundred percent of the proceeds of the lecture will go to the support of the Fellowship.

As an author and educator, Merry wrote extensively on the Southern California built environment and was the author of Los Angeles: The End of the Rainbow (Princeton Architectural Press, 1999). For 18 years, she also was the editor of the Southern California Quarterly. As a teacher in the history department at California State University, Northridge, she educated and mentored young historians for decades.  She served as President of SAH/SCC and was a long-time board member. Merry’s final wishes were that those of us left behind pay forward her passion and enjoyment of architecture and history.

UPDATE: SAH/SCC is pleased to announce that Lee Purvey has been selected as the 2026 Merry Ovnick Fellowship recipient. Lee is in the process of completing his PhD studies in Visual Studies at University of California, Irvine with an expected completion date of June 2028.

Lee’s research considers an unexplored aspect of Southern California architecture—namely, transitional exchange with modern architects in Mexico. By putting Manuel Amabilis, Alberto T. Arai, and Ricardo de Robina in conversation with Richard Neutra, Lee will unpack some of the underappreciated aspects of the Southern California architect’s practice and thinking.

Lee is also the recipient of a Fullbright scholarship and is currently researching in Merida, Yucatan. The SAH International Conference in Mexico City this spring provides Lee with a contextual opportunity to network with other scholars in the region.

Another appealing aspect of Lee’s application was his recognition by colleagues as a generous and collaborative researcher who prioritizes giving back through being an educator. This embodies the spirit of Merry Ovnick, for whom the Fellowship is named.