Class of 2018: (left to right): Anna Barr, Charles Barlow, Ebony Batchelor, Ashtyn Bryant, Claire Sims, Abbigail Raper, Zachary Henry, Zach Busman, Caleb Fearing, Kimball Hansard, Nick Vezinaw, Bradford Trevino, Rashidat Momoh, Edward Holmes, Kirby Lockard, Omkar Prabhu, Yerix Morel, Danielle Nail, Ben Webster, Spencer Powell, Maria Vaghani, Ian Omar Smart
Recognition Day for the School of Architecture was held on May 3, 2018, in the Robert and Freda Harrison Auditorium in Giles Hall.
Director and F.L. Crane Professor Michael Berk welcomed everyone and thanked parents, spouses, partners, siblings, grandparents and other guests for supporting the graduates before introducing MSU Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Peter Ryan, Ph.D.
Ryan welcomed everyone to campus.
College of Architecture, Art and Design Dean Jim West, AIA, presented the 28th Annual Dr. William L. and Jean P. Giles Memorial Lecture.
The School of Architecture faculty members were recognized before announcing the awards.
2017-2018 School of Architecture awards:
Director’s Award
Recipient: Jim West
This special award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to the built environment and beyond.
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Annual Allen & Hoshall Faculty Award
Recipient: Jassen Callender
The architectural firm of Allen & Hoshall of Jackson, Mississippi, has established a $500 annual award to a faculty member “who has demonstrated excellence in teaching.” The award winners are selected by the fifth-year graduating class.
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Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society (TSD)
Chapter President: Leah Ballard Welborn
Faculty Advisors: Professor Jacob Gines, Professor Hans Herrmann
Tau Sigma Delta is the architectural (and allied programs) honor society open to top academic students in design disciplines. Induction does not occur until the student consistently demonstrates high academic standards and is in the third-year.
TSD Initiates:
Trey Box, Tony Coleman, Meredith Hutto, Abby Jackson, Matthew Murphy, Maria Ory, Duncan Thomas, Daniel Wikoff (Interior Design: Lauren Bean, Laura Katherine Goodman, Sam Graham, Kaitlynn Harness, Carlie Teffeteller, Natalie Watson)
TSD Fifth-Year Graduates:
Caleb Fearing, Zachary Henry, Edward Holmes, Omkar Prabhu, Bradford Treviño, Maria Vaghani, Ben Webster, (Interior Design: Lauren Bean, Natalie Watson)
TSD Faculty Book Award
Recipient: Dr. Fred Esenwein
The Tau Sigma Delta Faculty Book Award is presented by the third- and fourth-year student members to the faculty member who has inspired them to excellence.
TSD Bronze Medal
Recipient: Edward Holmes V
The Tau Sigma Delta Bronze Medal is presented by the third- and fourth-year membership of the society to a graduating fifth-year student who in his/her thesis project has expanded the students’ insight and awareness of architecture.
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National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS)
Chapter President: Damion Hardy
Faculty Advisor: Professor Francesca Hankins
National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS) is the student arm of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA). Students participating seek to enhance the educational experience of its members by fostering diversity within the School of Architecture and the community at-large.
The 2018 NOMAS Diversity Award
Recipient: Leandra Santos
Chosen by the NOMAS membership, the NOMAS Diversity Award is given to a
student who has shown outstanding initiative and leadership in promoting diversity within the School and the larger community.
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Alpha Rho Chi (APX)
Chapter President: Asher Paxton
Faculty Advisor: Professor Justin Taylor
Alpha Rho Chi is the only national co-ed professional/social fraternity for architecture and the allied arts. MSU’s Hippodamus chapter includes members representing architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and engineering. Their mission is academic excellence, and the group focuses on leadership, mentoring and professionalism.
Alpha Rho Chi Student Book Award
Recipient: Ashtyn Belle Bryant
The Alpha Rho Chi student book award is given to a graduating fifth-year
architecture student who is an active member of Alpha Rho Chi who has
furthered the mission of the fraternity through service.
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American Institute of Architecture Students
Chapter President: Hannah Hebinck
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Fred Esenwein
American Institute of Architecture Students is the student counterpart of the American Institute of Architects. The chapter works closely with professional architects in the state through the Mississippi Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
AIAS Member of the Year Award
Recipient: Baron Necaise
The recipient of the AIAS Award is chosen by the AIAS membership. The qualifications for this award are: “…that the student goes above and beyond what has been asked of him/her; has shown initiative and leadership qualities; has been an AIAS leader within his/her year level; and does well academically.”
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First-Year Faculty Book Award
Studio Coordinator: Professor Hans Herrmann
Recipients: Trent Little, Grace Sheridan, Caley Watts
This award is a book selected by the first-year faculty and is presented to a first-year student selected on the basis of ‘design excellence’.
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Second-Year Faculty Book Award
Studio Coordinator: Professor Justin Taylor
Recipient: Mariah Green
This award is a book selected by the second-year faculty and is presented to a second-year student selected on the basis of ‘design excellence’.
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Third-Year Faculty Book Award
Studio Coordinator: Professor John Poros
Recipient: Trey Box
This award is a book selected by the third-year faculty and is presented to a third-year student/s selected on the basis of ‘design excellence’.
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Fourth-Year Faculty Book Award
Studio Coordinator: Professor Jacob GInes
Recipient: Rayce Belton
This award is a book selected by the fourth-year faculty and is presented to a fourth-
year student/s selected on the basis of ‘design excellence’.
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Herrington Architects Student Design Capstone Award
Recipient: Tahir Khan
This $1,500 award is selected by an outside Jury Committee, including Bruce Herrington and Tim Nichols, to recognize exceptional design work among 4th-year students.
Herrington Architects Student Design Jurists’ Award
Recipient: Amanda Kotecki
This $750 award is selected by an outside Jury Committee, including Bruce Herrington and Tim Nichols, to recognize exceptional design work among fourth-year students. The recipient is runner-up to the Capstone Award.
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ARCC King Award
Presented by: Director Michael Berk
Recipient: Edward Holmes V
Selection for this award is made by the entire faculty. Named in honor of the late Jonathan King, co-founder and first president of the Architectural Research Centers Consortium (ARCC), this award is presented to one student per ARCC-member school. Selection of the recipient is based upon criteria that acknowledge innovation, integrity, and scholarship in architectural and/or environmental design research.
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Fifth-Year Jurists’ Awards
Presented by: Jassen Callender, Jackson Center Director
Recipients: Kirby Lockard, Rashida Momoh
The Jurists’ Award, a book award, is conferred by the fifth-year design faculty upon the student(s) who has achieved the greatest personal growth as a designer and whose work has contributed to the overall success of the fifth-year Design Studio.
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Academic Achievement Award
Recipient: Zachary Henry
The Academic Achievement Award is a book award presented to the graduating fifth-year student who has the highest cumulative MSU grade point average.
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Creative Windows And Doors/Marvin Windows 5th-Year Design Travel Award
($1,500) Ebony Batchelor
In September 2004, Dave Young and Eddie Rives, owners of Creative Windows & Doors; and David Morris, Marvin Windows representative, established this traveling fellowship for a student completing the fifth-year. Creative Windows & Doors established a new agreement in 2017 to continue and enhance the award.
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Alpha Rho Chi Medal
Presented by: Director Michael Berk
Recipient: Ebony Batchelor
The Alpha Rho Chi Medal is awarded to the graduating fifth-year student who has shown an ability for leadership, performed willing service for the school, and gives promise of professional merit through attitude and personality. The medal is offered each year to every NAAB fully accredited school of architecture. The recipient is chosen by the entire faculty of the school.
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AIA Henry Adams Medal
Presented by: Director Michael Berk
Medal Recipient: Zachary Henry
Sponsored by the American Institute of Architects, the AIA Henry Adams Medal is considered to be the most important award given to graduating students. It is awarded for “general excellence in architecture” throughout the course of study. The medal is awarded to the most qualified student, and selection is made by the entire faculty.
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Other Notable Student Awards, 2017-2018
Honorable Mention: ACSA/AIA CRAN HERE + NOW Housing Competition
Zachary Henry
Zachary Henry received Honorable Mention in the HERE + NOW Housing Competition – sponsored by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and the American Institute of Architects Custom Residential Architects Network (AIA CRAN) – for his project, “Affordable Housing for the 21st Century: A Housing Solution for Poverty in the Neglected Mississippi Delta,” under the guidance of Assistant Professor Emily McGlohn.
2017 NELMA Sustainable Versatility Awards
First Place ($1,500): Omkar Prabhu; Second Place ($750): Curtis Reed
Omkar Prabhu received first place in the highly competitive 2017 Sustainable Versatility Awards – sponsored by NELMA (Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association) – for his project, “Exploring Avenues in Timber: A New Mass Timber Building for Mississippi State University’s College of Architecture, Art and Design.” His winning submission was published in the White Pine Architectural Monographs and featured at the NELMA Annual Meeting. Curtis Reed’s second place project was titled ““Mississippi State University EXO.” Both students were under the guidance of Assistant Professor Jacob Gines.
Mississippi State University Presidential Scholars
Nada A. Abdel-Aziz and Jasmine E. Topps
Nada Abdel-Aziz and Jasmine Topps were two of fourteen students selected for Mississippi State’s most prestigious undergraduate scholarship. The annual award covers the current cost of university tuition, fees, books, and room and board, as well as research and study-abroad expenses. Selected from more than 500 qualified applicants, the 2017-18 group joins 39 others already participating in the program, which is part of MSU’s Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College.
Method Studio Undergraduate Research Fellows
Fall 2017: Christopher Kyle Murphy; Spring 2018: Jake Gartman
Method Studio Research Fellows received a stipend award and work on research during the semester for Method Studio under the guidance of Assistant Professor Jacob Gines.
Burris Wagnon Study Abroad Travel Award
Zachary Henry, Rashida Momoh, Yerix Morel, Omkar Prabhu, Bradford Treviño
Bill Burris and Stan Wagnon, principals of Burris/Wagon Architects, P.A., established the Burris Wagnon Study Abroad Travel Award to fulfill a desire to assist students traveling abroad to experience architecture. Candidates for the award were fifth-year architecture students in good standing who demonstrated an interest in architectural history and theory coursework.
Association for Retired Faculty (ARF) William L. Giles Award for Excellence in Architecture
Leah Ballard Welborn
This $500 award was established in 1997 in honor and memory of William Lincoln Giles, a charter member of ARF. It is given each year to a student selected by the School of Architecture on the basis of academic excellence and overall leadership within the school. Funding for the award comes from a contribution by Ms. Hazel Presson, aunt of Ginger Giles Jones, Dr. Giles’ daughter.
Aydelott Travel Award
Maria Ory
A $2.4 million endowment – established by the late Alfred Lewis Aydelott, FAIA, and his wife, Hope Galloway Aydelott – provides a $20,000 award each year to four architecture students currently enrolled in the professional architecture degree programs at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; Auburn University; Mississippi State University; and the University of Tennessee. As MSU’s recipient, Maria Ory will travel this summer to research buildings in Spain, Austria, Mexico, and China. She will work next semester with her faculty mentor, Assistant Professor Dr. Andrew Reed Tripp.
Trussel Travel Award
Charles “Trey” Box III
The Trussel Travel Award (funded by alumnus Ted T. Porter) is awarded to the second-place recipient of the Aydelott Travel Award. The award provides $4,800 for student travel. Trey’s proposal included housing complexes in England, the Netherlands, and Spain.
Harrison Lecture
Daniel Smith
Daniel Smith was invited to present the March 2018 Harrison Lecture. Smith presented his research resulting from travel funded by the 2017 Aydelott Travel Award. His research was guided by his mentor, Assistant Professor Dr. Fred Esenwein.
Competitive Co-Ops
- Asher Paxton was selected from an international competition for a co-op at Olson-Kundig.
- Clay Stocker was selected to co-op at Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems (CMPBS).
- Rayce Belton was selected to co-op at Gensler Dallas.
First Place, Arts & Humanities, 2018 Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium
Emily Turner
Emily’s project, “Eileen Gray and Lina Bo Bardi: Modernism and the Patriarchal Tendencies of Architecture,” was completed under the guidance of Associate Professor Alexis Gregory.
Selected for Inclusion, 2018 Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium
- William Jordan’s project, “Working in Hand,” was co-authored by Baron Necaise, Olivia Baker, and Felipe Olivera and was completed under the guidance of Associate Professor Alexis Gregory.
- Duncan Thomas’s poster, “Post-Occupancy Analysis – Learning From the Existing and Fixing for the Future,” was co-authored by McKenzie Johnson, Madison Holbrook, and Blake Farrar and was completed under the guidance of Associate Professor Alexis Gregory.
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2018-2019 Scholarships
Eley Guild Hardy Architecture Annual Scholarship
($1,500) Mitchell Hubbell
In May 2007, Taylor Guild III and David Hardy established this scholarship to assist talented students in their fifth-year of study in the architecture program.
Mockbee Hall & Drake Annual Scholarship
($1,350) Diondria Bingham, Hannah Hebinck
Applicants must be: entering the fifth-year design studio in the School of Architecture; have a minimum grade point average of 3.0; be of good moral character; and have demonstrated leadership ability.
Erin Remerow Parsons Loyalty Scholarship
($1,000/year) LaTorrance Bernard, Howard Brown, Elisa Castaneda, Jessica Kiger, Amy Kwas
Open to incoming freshman and transfer students majoring in the College of Architecture, Art & Design with a minimum 3.0 GPA; transfer students must have a minimum of 48 transferable community college credit hours.
Lyndall Gail Wood Memorial Scholarship
($1,000) Abby Jackson
This scholarship was established by the Wood family to honor Lyndall Gail’s passion as an MSU architecture student. Applicants must be full-time students entering the fourth-year design studio in the School of Architecture, be in excellent academic standing with the university, and be a student with exceptional design ability.
Stephanie Mihojevich Pizzetta Endowed Scholarship
($1,000) McKenzie Johnson
Candidates must be full-time students at Mississippi State University; have completed their second-year of design studio in the School of Architecture; have a minimum 3.0 GPA; and can demonstrate financial need.
Stephanie Mihojevich Pizzetta Annual Scholarship
($850) Breanna Richeson
Candidates must be full-time students; have completed their second-year in the School of Architecture; have a minimum 3.0 GPA; and can demonstrate financial need.
Charles H. Dean, Jr. Annual Memorial Scholarship
($800) Tony Coleman
Any full-time MSU students in their third- through fifth-year of design studio may apply. Applicants must be Mississippi residents and can demonstrate financial need.
Pryor & Morrow Annual Scholarship
($500) Patrick Greene, Damion Hardy, Madison Holbrook, Danielle Leclercq, Matthew Lewis, Connor Padgett, Hannah Strider, Caley Watts
Any full-time MSU students in their second- through fifth-year of design studio may apply. Students must be Mississippi residents and can demonstrate financial need.
Angelo “Pops” Primos Computer Scholarship
(software) Matthew Churchill, Spencer Cummings, Pace Dempsey, Marika Dunne, Savannah Gilham, Kayla Perez, John Sparberry, Caley Watts
Applicants must be full-time MSU students entering the second-year design studio in the School of Architecture; and can demonstrate financial need.
Johnson-McAdams Design Discovery Scholarships
($600) To Be Determined
Applicants must be from Leflore County, or be an under-represented minority group in architecture; and high school students interested in a career in architecture and related disciplines.
Joseph L. Echols D2 Scholarships (Design Discovery)
($600) To Be Determined
Candidate must: be a high school student who shows an interest in majoring in architecture by taking college preparatory math and science courses and demonstrating ability; show strong work ethic and satisfactory performance; be a minority student from the Marshall County area; demonstrate financial need.
Photos from the event can be downloaded until July 30, 2018 here.
Download the event program here.