A number of opportunities are available for Mississippi State University architecture students to receive funding through fellowships and awards. Some of these opportunities are by application, and others are opportunities presented in studio based on design work.
- Aydelott Travel Award [$20,000]
- Trussell Travel Award [$4,750]
- Method Studio Undergraduate Research Fellowship [$3,000]
- Michael Barranco Memorial Endowed Travel Fellowship
Aydelott Travel Award [$20,000]
The Aydelott Travel Award and the Aydelott Prize were established by Memphis architect Alfred Lewis Aydelott, FAIA (1916-2008), and his wife Hope Galloway Aydelott (1920-2010) to encourage students to “become proficient in the art of architectural analysis” by enabling them to conduct firsthand in-depth observation, research, and analysis of four unique buildings.
Beginning in spring 2016, one Aydelott Travel Award will be presented each year to one architecture student at Mississippi State University; the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; Auburn University; and the University of Tennessee. Each student will also receive an award of $20,000 to fund their travel to analyze four buildings. Upon completion of research and submission of final reports, one of the four Aydelott Travel Award recipients whose report is determined by a jury to be the best of the four, will be awarded the Aydelott Prize and $5,000.
Architecture students enrolled in the third year of the Mississippi State University Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) program during the fall semester are eligible to submit proposals for the Aydelott Traveling Award.
Please refer to Aydelott Program Information and Proposal Form for detailed requirements, review criteria, award conditions and the proposal form. Submissions must be received by the third Friday in February of the current year at 5 p.m. CST.
Aydelott Proposal Form (DOC) (or) Aydelott Proposal Form (PDF)
Aydelott Proposal Budget Form Sample [XLS] Blank Budget Form [XLS]
Frequently Asked Questions
The following is a list of questions and answers about the Mississippi State University Aydelott Travel Award and Aydelott Prize. If you have additional questions, please send them to aydelott@caad.msstate.edu.
1. The PDF form has limited editing tools. May I receive a Word version of the form so that I can develop my proposal in Word? May I submit a hard copy with the same information required in the form?
All proposals must be submitted using the current PDF Aydelott Program Information and Application Form that is available on the School of Architecture website. In order to enter information and work in the PDF, you must download it from the School of Architecture website and save it to your computer.
Since the PDF form has limited editing functions, we encourage you to develop your proposal in a Word document so that you can edit, spell check, save it more easily. You can then cut and paste the final text into the PDF proposal form fields. We also strongly recommend that you save a copy of your final PDF proposal, and, if you compose it in Word, save a Word file of the proposal text for your records.
Proposals must consist of the completed PDF Aydelott Program Information and Application Form with attachments: Excel file of the budget spreadsheet (attached as an Excel file), PDF of the budget, (attached as a PDF), PDF of your Banner transcript (attached as a PDF), and a PDF of your resume (attached as a PDF). The combined PDF Aydelott Program Information and Application Form and attachments must be submitted by email.
2. The proposal form does not have any minimum or maximum word counts for each question. Do I need to fill the entire space for each question?
No. There are no minimum word counts; however, the field has an established font size, which limits the amount of text. You may not alter the font size. There is no expectation for your answer to fill each entire field. The fields were established to provide sufficient space for a complete answer. In many cases a well-developed, concise response to the question may be effective.
3. How do I download the budget form? How do I attach my final budget?
The budget Excel spreadsheet is attached to the PDF Aydelott Program Information and Application Form that is available on the School of Architecture website.
Once you have downloaded and saved the PDF Aydelott Program Information and Application Form, open the PDF to open the Excel file. Select the paperclip icon, “Attachments: view file attachments,” on the left hand side of the PDF window. You will see the icon for the Excel file. Open the file, and save it to your computer.
Once you have completed and saved your budget, save your budget as a PDF. To attach the PDF of your budget, under “Tools” select “pages,” then select “Insert from File,” and then select your PDF budget to replace the sample budget. You may then delete the sample budget. To attach your Excel file budget, under “Tools” select “Attach a file,” and then select your Excel file budget.
The combined PDF Aydelott Program Information and Application Form and attachments must be submitted by email.
4. How precise should the budget be? Once the recipient is determined, will modifications to the budget be allowed?
At this level of review, the budget should be organized in weekly periods to corresponding with the itinerary. Please keep in mind that, if awarded the Aydelott Travel Award, you will develop the budget in more detail as you obtain more concrete cost estimates and finalize your itinerary during the spring semester with input and direction from the faculty mentor.
5. Are there any expectations on how the award funds should be allocated between different travel costs? Do I have to use the full award amount?
There are no specific directions or expectations to allocate specific portions of the total award amount for specific travel costs or for any particular travel segments. Costs will vary depending on a variety of factors (e.g., building locations, travel mode) and you should develop a realistic budget accordingly. Your budget should demonstrate that you are effectively using the award amount to achieve the goals of the Aydelott Travel Award and the Aydelott Prize.
6. Should my itinerary be for the entire summer period?
Your itinerary does not have to be the entire 14-week period between the end of the spring semester and the beginning of the fall semester. However, similar to the budget, your proposed itinerary should demonstrate how you propose to use available time during that period to achieve the goals of the Aydelott Travel Award and the Aydelott Prize.
7. Once the recipient is determined, will modifications to the itinerary be allowed? Will modifications to the itinerary be possible after travel has started?
Your itinerary should be organized in weekly periods with the understanding that, if awarded the Aydelott Travel Award, you will develop the itinerary in more detail as you obtain more concrete cost estimates and finalize both your itinerary and budget during the spring semester with input and direction from the faculty mentor. Modifications to the itinerary will be possible only if approved in advance by the faculty mentor and the School of Architecture.
8. How close do the itinerary and the budget have to be?
Both the itinerary and the budget should be developed in comparable weekly periods. The purpose of both is to demonstrate that your proposal is realistic and feasible in terms of the constraints of your proposal (i.e., distances, building locations) and for the main categories identified (e.g., transportation, lodging, meals).
9. How will the faculty mentor be determined?
The faculty mentor will be determined in relation to the focus of your proposal.
10. I would like to include attachments that provide more information about the four buildings. May I include additional pages with more information?
No. Other than the budget (PDF and Excel file), resume (maximum two-page PDF) and transcript (PDF), you may not attach or include additional pages or files to the PDF Application Form.
11. May I include graphic images of the buildings I would like to analyze in the PDF?
No. Graphic images are not allowed. Your responses should focus on effectively communicating an answer to the question in order to support your proposal.
12. May I include hyperlinks within my proposal?
No. You may not include hyperlinks. All information must be within the PDF Application Form.
13. What resources does the university, the college, and the school provide for preparing a proposal?
There are a variety of resources available across the University and within the College and the School:
- The Bob and Kathy Luke Library is an excellent resource
- The Mitchell Memorial Library has a variety of workshops (http://lib.msstate.edu) as well as online writing resources
- The Writing Center offers online and in person support and workshops to help students with writing skills
- The Learning Center offers a variety of programs to focusing on academic performance and lifelong learning
We encourage you to take advantage of these as well as the expertise of faculty and staff members within the School of Architecture and the College of Architecture, Art and Design and within the university at large. Since the expertise of each group and resource may be unique, we encourage you to refer to resources for their specific areas of skill and knowledge in order to increase the benefit to your proposal (e.g., knowledge of buildings, research resources, writing skills).
14. Are there any specific requirements for the four buildings? Does there need to be a relationship between them? Should they be the same building type or in the same country? Must they have been designed by the same architect? Does the architect have to be living? Does the building have to have been designed by an architect?
There are no specific requirements for the building(s) and related elements (e.g., building type(s), building location(s), architect(s) other than the four buildings must support the goals of the Aydelott Travel Award and the Aydelott Prize.
15. May I propose to visit other buildings in addition to the four buildings I am proposing to research and analyze? May I propose to visit other sites in addition to the four buildings?
You may propose to visit other buildings and sites as well as resources (e.g., architects, building professionals, specialists, libraries) in addition to the four buildings as long as each of these supports your overall proposal for research and analysis of four buildings. It is important that you clearly explain how these additional visits increases the value of your proposal to research and analyze the four buildings and achieve the goals of the Aydelott Travel Award and the Aydelott Prize.
16. How is eligibility for the Aydelott Travel Award determined? Who is eligible to submit a proposal to the Aydelott Travel Award.
At Mississippi State University all students who are currently enrolled in the third year of the School of Architecture Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) program and in good standing are eligible to submit a proposal. For the purpose of the Mississippi State University Aydelott Travel Award, a “third-year student” is defined as a student who has taken ARC 3536 Architecture Design IIIA (regardless of final grade).
17. Why are transcripts required? Is GPA a criterion?
Transcripts are required to confirm academic standing, a criterion identified by Alfred L. Aydelott. While academic standing and GPA are important, you are encouraged to focus on developing a competitive proposal since the strength of proposals in fulfilling the goals of the Aydelott Travel Award and Aydelott Prize is critical.
18. May I submit more than one proposal?
No. Each student may submit only one proposal.
19. May two or more students submit a joint proposal and share the award amount or complete their analysis as a team?
No. Each proposal must be authored by and submitted by one individual student. The award amount must be used by one student for an individual project and may not be divided among students.
20. May I make revisions to my proposal once I submit it? Can it be returned so I can revise it?
Proposals will not be returned; however, you may submit a revised proposal as long as it is received before the deadline. If you submit a revised proposal, the latest proposal or the proposal with the last date stamp will be accepted as your final proposal; earlier proposal(s) from the same student will not be reviewed.
We strongly recommend that you save a copy of your final PDF proposal for your records. If you compose your proposal in Word, we also recommend that you save a Word file of the proposal text.
21. Will late proposals be accepted?
No. Late proposals will not be accepted. We recommend that you submit your proposal well before the deadline in order to avoid any last minute unforeseen problems or unexpected delays.
22. Will my proposal for the MSU Aydelott Travel Award compete against students from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; Auburn University; and the University of Tennessee?
No. Each university will conduct an individual Aydelott Travel Award program, and each university will award one Aydelott Travel Award to a student at their university. Your proposal will compete only against proposals from other Mississippi State School of Architecture third year architecture students.
Once each of the four Aydelott Travel Award recipients has completed travel and analysis of their four buildings, each recipient’s final report will be reviewed to determine which is the best of the four, and one student will be awarded the Aydelott Prize and $5,000.
23. Are the Aydelott Travel Award and the Aydelott Prize annual programs? When will the next program be announced? Will it be the same program?
Yes. The Aydelott Travel Award and the Aydelott Prize are annual programs. The schedule for the MSU Aydelott Travel Award and the Aydelott Prize will be announced in fall.
Past Recipients
2024 Recipient
Yuria Sloane will travel to El Alto, Bolivia, to study architect Freddy Mamani's El Cholets; Naha, Okinawa, to study the Okinawa Prefectural Museum by Ishimoto Archittectural and Engineering Firm; Te Urewera, New Zealand, to study architect Tennent Brown's Te Wharehou o Waikaremoana; and Karasjok, Norway, to study Sameting by architects Christian Sunny and Stein Halvorsen.
Faculty Advisor: Assistant Professor Silvina Lopez Barrera
2023 Award Recipient
Sara Boyte plans to travel to Paimio, Finland, to view The Paimio Sanatorium by architect Alvar Aalto; Leeds, United Kingdom, to see Maggie’s Leeds Centre by Heatherwick Studio; the Burera District, Rwanda, to explore the Butaro District Hospital by MASS. Design Group; and Victoria, Australia, to explore the Bendigo Hospital by Silver Thomas Hanley + Bates Smart.
Faculty Advisors: Professor Hans Herrmann and Assistant Professor Kate Malaia
2022 Award Recipient + Aydelott Prize Winner
Elisa Castandeda's proposed travel will allow her to investigate how architects of the twenty-first century respond to global crises. Her itinerary includes the Parque Biblioteca España (Spain Library Park) in Medellin, Colombia; the Christchurch Transitional Cathedral (Cardboard Cathedral) in Christchurch, New Zealand; Superkilen Park in Copenhagen, Denmark; and the Constitutional Court of South Africa, in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Faculty Advisor: Assistant Professor Kate Malaia
2021 Award Recipients
Jane Kent and Jacquelin Lee. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year, two $10,000 awards were offered for domestic travel.
Faculty Advisors: Kent – Associate Professor Jacob Gines, Lee – Professor John Poros
2020 Award Recipient
Nada Abdel-Aziz's proposal included some of the world’s most renowned buildings in Sweden, Egypt, Italy and Japan. Her itinerary includes studies of architects Erik Gunner Asplund’s and Sigurd Lewerentz’s Woodland Cemetery in Stockholm, Sweden; Hassan Fathy’s New Gourna Village in Luxor, Egypt; Carlo Scarpa’s Castelvecchio Museum in Verona, Italy; and Tadao Ando’s Water Temple in Hyogo, Japan.
Faculty Advisor: Associate Professor Hans Herrmann
2019 Award Recipient
Sarah Hoing's proposal included studies of architect Santiago Calatrava’s City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, Spain; Jean Nouvel’s Louvre Abu Dhabi in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Richard Meier’s Jubilee Church in Rome, Italy; and Norman Foster’s City Hall in London, England. Her research will focus on communication through natural light and rawness of structure in 21st-century architecture.
Faculty Advisor: Associate Professor Hans Herrmann.
2018 Award Recipient
Maria Ory’s itinerary included studies of Casa Batllo by Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona, Spain; Palace Portois & Fix by Max Fabiani in Vienna, Austria; Cuadra San Cristobal by Luis Barragan in Mexico City, Mexico; and Linked Hybrid by Steven Holl in Beijing, China. Her research focused on how these architects integrate color into their designs, which she also will document through paintings, among other methods.
Faculty Advisor: Assistant Professor Andrew Reed Tripp.
2017 Award Recipient
Daniel Smith studied the São Paulo Museum of Art designed by Lina Bo Bardi located in Sao Paulo, Brazil; Neue Nationalgalerie designed by Mies Van der Rohe located in Berlin, Germany; Church of Saint-Pierre designed by Le Corbusier located in Firminy-Vert, France; and the National Assembly Building designed by Louis Kahn located in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Faculty Advisor: Assistant Professor Fred Esenwein
2016 Award Recipient: Lara Lynn Waddell
As MSU’s first recipient, Lara Lynn Waddell traveled to Atlantida, Uruguay; Rome, Italy; Muuratsalo, Jyvaskyla, Finland; and Havana, Cuba, to study four unique buildings.
Faculty Advisor: Emeritus Professor Michael Fazio
Trussell Travel Award [$4,750]
The Trussell Travel Award (funded by alumnus Ted T. Porter) is awarded to the second-place recipient of the Aydelott Travel Award (since 2016). Candidates must have a minimum MSU 2.5 GPA (based on a 4.0 scale), be hard working and can demonstrate financial need. These travel funds are to be used for a ‘planned specialized trip’ (outside of the U.S.) in order for the student to experience architecture, art, and urbanism. Travel plans must be approved by the director’s office.
Past Recipients
- 2024: Anna Rives Gully
- 2023: William Brotherton
- 2022: Sarah Mixon
- 2021: Natalie Bowers
- 2020: John D. Spraberry
- 2019: Kaitlyn Breland
- 2018: Charles “Trey” Box III
- 2017: Emily Turner
Method Studio Undergraduate Research Fellowship [$3,000]
The Method Studio Undergraduate Research Fellowship was established by the award-winning architecture and design firm Method Studio to facilitate the development of young design students in architectural research.
As a Method Studio Fellow, students assist Method Studio in its mission of “exploring architectural research as a project and market-based endeavor, aimed at constructing designed solutions utilizing innovative techniques and critical discourse”. Students are under the direct supervision of Professor Jacob Gines and are expected to devote a maximum of 20 hours per week to research fellowship activities.
Minimum qualifications to apply
3rd or 4th-year Mississippi State architecture student
Submission Materials
- Completed Method Studio Undergraduate Research Application Form [PDF]
- 2-3 page portfolio and letter of interest
To apply, submit application to the Director’s Office, School of Architecture (c/o Pandora Prater) by 5 p.m. on January 17. Selection will be made by the S|ARC Scholarship & Awards Committee. The committee may choose to interview individual students as part of the selection process.
Past Recipients
- Fall 2024: Abby Williams
- Spring 2024: Paulina Fernandez
- Fall 2023: Paulina Fernandez
- Spring 2023: Matt Wong
- Spring 2022: Dujuan Brown
- Fall 2021: Jared Woullard
- Spring 2021: Alysia Williams
- Fall 2020: Alysia Williams
- Spring 2020: John Spraberry
- Fall 2019: Grace Sheridan
- Spring 2019: Avery Harmon
- Fall 2018: Eric Hughes
- Spring 2018: Jake Gartman
- Fall 2017: Christopher Kyle Murphy
- Fall 2016 and Spring 2017: Omkar Prabhu
- Spring 2016: Edward Holmes V
- Fall 2015: Maria Degtyareva
Michael Barranco Memorial Endowed Travel Fellowship [varies]
The Michael Barranco Endowed Memorial International Travel Fellowship was established in memory of Michael Barranco, a 1985 graduate of the School of Architecture. Michael had a passion for the importance of travel to an architecture student’s education.
The fellowship is open to students who are participating in school-sponsored travel programs with a focus on experiencing significant works of architecture.
Past Recipients
- 2019: Brandon Burton, Sarah Hoing, Caleb Shaw