Riley Drabic, a junior architectural studies major at Kent State University and one of 245 Honors College students across various Kent State majors focusing on design, is already doing research in the field of historic preservation, which will not only enrich the field, but prepare him for his own future as a historic preservationist. Captivated by history and architecture, Riley wants to preserve and repair historical buildings instead of designing new structures.
Riley is currently working on a Senior Honors Thesis which examines stained glass restoration techniques used in Sainte Chapelle and Notre Dame in Paris, starting from the French Revolution to present day. His research will compare and contrast the methods used by prior preservationists to preserve the stunning stained-glass artwork in these ancient churches.
“I had a fascination with architecture — but more so with the history behind a structure — and I didn't want to just design buildings,” Riley said. “I wanted to do something different and preserve architecture for future generations.”
After graduating from Harbor Creek High School in Harborcreek, Pennsylvania, Riley began his journey to his dream career by enrolling in the architectural studies major at Kent State. Kent State’s architectural studies major is a design major that focuses on architecture but gives students like Riley the flexibility to branch out into related fields such as historic preservation, urban design, landscape architecture and industrial design. He also has minors in history, historic preservation and art history.
As a member of the Honors College, Riley quickly connected with a community of like-minded scholars at Kent State; he is one of 245 Honors College students across various Kent State majors focusing on design.
Riley’s interest in history was sparked when he first watched the Indiana Jones films as a kid. In the films, archaeology professor Indiana Jones hunts for treasure among historical ruins. Riley became fascinated with history and mythology, which eventually led to his desire to study and preserve historic architecture.
Though Riley enjoys historic architecture from all parts of the globe, he has a special interest in European architecture.
During winter break in 2023, Riley and fifteen other Kent State students took a two-week-long trip to Paris and Belgium. It was in Paris that Riley first laid eyes on some of the breathtaking stained-glass artwork that would become the subject of his Senior Honors Thesis.
An honors thesis is a perfect opportunity for a student like Riley; it provides him with the chance to further explore his unique interests and create a research writing sample that could help him get into graduate school.
èƵ his decision to complete the thesis, Riley said: “I like making more work for myself, and it will improve my research skills for when I pursue a master’s degree.”
Riley has chosen to write his thesis on preservation techniques used in Sainte Chapelle, a nearly eight-hundred-year-old Gothic chapel in Paris, and Notre Dame, an almost seven-hundred-year-old medieval Catholic cathedral, also in Paris. Both structures are filled with intricate architecture and design details, but Riley has chosen to focus on the stained-glass artwork that adorns their windows and ceilings and how preservationists have preserved its beauty over centuries.
“My paper examines premodern preservation efforts, the impact of World War II, the actions of Corpus Vitrearum, and contemporary efforts in restoring the stained-glass windows of Sainte Chapelle and Notre Dame,” Riley explained.
Riley specifically chose these two churches because of their close proximity to each other, beautiful stained glass and rich history. When he was in Paris, the Notre-Dame was closed, as it was still in the restoration process from the devastating fire in 2019.
This summer, Riley will study abroad for a month in Florence. While in Europe, he hopes to visit Paris and continue to gather more data on Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle.
Riley expects to complete his thesis in the fall of 2025 and present his work in the spring of 2026.
Though he’s busy with a notoriously challenging major, three minors and a thesis, Riley finds time to be active in the Kent State chapter of Alpha Rho Chi: the national fraternity for architecture and the allied arts (APX).
Riley joined the organization at the start of the fall 2024 semester to meet new people and make connections in the architecture world. Riley’s favorite part of APX is its firm crawls. During a firm crawl, APX members will take a day to visit all the architecture firms in one area. These crawls provide APX members with the opportunity to explore different firms’ cultures and meet current architecture professionals. These experiences are invaluable for Riley, since he hopes to obtain an internship in a firm like the ones that he’s been touring with APX.
Riley explained that although he doesn’t want to work as an architect, an internship at an architecture firm would provide valuable professional experience “because there's not a lot of firms that focus strictly on preservation.”
As if he wasn’t busy enough, Riley also works as course assistant for the architectural studies major and plays intramural soccer with friends.
Once he graduates in May 2026, Riley plans to enroll in a historic preservation master’s program. Riley hopes to then go on to earn an advanced master’s degree or Ph.D. at a university in Europe. After he completes his education, Riley aspires to remain in Europe, where he will work to preserve ancient buildings across the continent.
For more information about the Honors College at Kent State, visit the Honors College website or email honors@kent.edu. For more information about majoring in architectural studies, visit the College of Architecture and Environmental Design’s website.
PHOTO CAPTION 1: Riley Drabic in Paris, France.
Media Contact: Stephanie Moskal, smoskal@kent.edu, 330-672-2312