The American Institute of Architects 2012 National Convention and Design Exposition will be held May 17-19 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C.

Among this year’s speakers—a recipient of two Pulitzer Prizes, an architect who currently serves as a Cabinet Secretary, and a special tribute honoring the architects involved in the rebuilding and memorials following September 11.

Keynote speaker on Thursday, May 17 is David McCullough, historian and famous author. David McCullough is twice winner of the Pulitzer Prize, twice winner of the National Book Award, and has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award.

McCullough shares his profound understanding of the cultural forces that have influenced architects and architecture in the United States since the founding of the AIA more than 150 years ago.

His most recent book, “The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris,” was a number one New York Times best seller. His previous work, “1776,” has been acclaimed “a classic,” while “John Adams,” published in 2001, remains one of the most praised and widely read American biographies of all time.

Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan is the second keynote speaker, on Friday, May 18. Donovan, an architect currently serving as the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, looks ahead at ways the profession and practitioners can help lead the change in light of a slowly gaining economic recovery.

He has devoted his career to ensuring access to safe, decent, and affordable housing, and has continued that effort in the Obama Administration. Secretary Donovan believes that America’s homes are the foundation for family, safe neighborhoods, good schools, and job creation.

His tenure as HUD Secretary has reflected his commitment to making quality housing possible for every American. Sworn in at a time when the foreclosure crisis had devastated American families, under Secretary Donovan’s leadership HUD has helped stabilize the housing market and worked to keep responsible families in their homes. The agency has instituted reforms that have solidified the Federal Housing Administration’s financial position and protected the taxpayer against risk, while still preserving FHA’s mission of providing responsible access to homeownership.

For more information, call 800-242-3837 or visit http://convention.aia.org/event/convention-home.aspx.