Notable at NYSID: Summer 2025
Institutional News
Dakota Jackson Donates His Archives to NYSID
In May, the luxury furniture maker Dakota Jackson donated its archives, dating back to the late 1980s, to the NYSID Library and Archives. NYSID’s archivists will be cataloging and organizing these archives over the next year, so that students and scholars can request digital copies of materials and access them in perpetuity.
Archivist/Librarian Nora Reilly Returns to NYSID
Nora Reilly began her library career at the New York Public Library after graduating from Trinity College in 2004. She holds a Masters of Library Information Science from CUNY – Queens College, where she earned a certificate in the Preservation of Cultural Materials. She began her career at the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art, where she created the ICAA Education Archives. She was previously the first archivist on staff at the New York School of Interior Design (2014-2019) before moving on to Sarah Lawrence College. She is thrilled to return as NYSID’s archivist/librarian to work with a unique and ever-growing collection of materials related to interior design.
NYSID Pre-College Keeps Growing
Pre-College 2024 at NYSID was a summer to remember, with a record enrollment of 117 students. For the first time, NYSID partnered with Summer Springboard to provide a residential dorm experience through the Fordham University dorms as well as extracurricular and social support. Many of NYSID’s Pre-College students would not have been able to attend without scholarships. Through its Pre-College Scholarship Fund, NYSID introduced high school students from communities traditionally underrepresented in design to the profession at a formative period in their lives. This year, major funding of Pre-College scholarships from ASID Florida South, The Decorators Club Education Fund, Angelo Donghia Foundation, Kravet Inc, the Estate of Joseph Gruszczak, and Studio Designer helped young people discover the skills and confidence to forge a path to interior design.
New Color Booths at the Graduate Center
Designers use color booths to evaluate how color samples appear under various light conditions. NYSID has installed new LED color booths with Ketra Lutron equipment in the Graduate Center materials library. The new lightboxes were a gift-in-kind from Lutron.
Exhibitions and Public Programs
The Persistence of Hand Drawing Exhibition & Lectures
Karen Poliski, NYSID’s exhibitions and public programs manager, struck a cultural chord in her programming of “The Persistence of Hand Drawing: Interior Rendering Today.” The exhibition, which opened September 19 and ran through April 3, in the NYSID Gallery, was highlighted in The New York Times, Architectural Record, DeZeen, and other publications. Curators Donald Albrecht and Thomas Mellins drew on their experience witnessing the rise of CAD, and the demise of hand rendering, to tell the story of the artisanry and ideation that come with putting a hand to paper. The exhibit included drawings by Mita Corsini Bland, Marshall Brown, John and Christine Gachot, William Georgis, Elizabeth Graziolo, Nina Cooke John, Wendy Evans Joseph, NYSID faculty member Leyden Lewis, Peter Pennoyer, Hilary Sample and Michael Meredith/MOS, Gil Schafer with David Netto, and Douglas Wright. NYSID’s archives provided historical context. The exhibit opened and closed with guided tours and panel discussions with the curators and contributors.
Michael I. and Patricia M. Sovern Lecture on Design: Edwin Schlossberg
On Thursday, April 24, 2025, the revolutionary designer and artist Edwin Schlossberg, known around the world for how he has changed museums by incorporating interactive technology and audience engagement into their core, shared his reflections about art and design at NYSID. The college is grateful for the Sovern family for making this endowed lecture possible.
Dialogues on Design 2024-25
The 2024-25 season of NYSID’s Dialogues on Design series boasted a thrilling variety of interior design entrepreneurs and changemakers, thanks to its curator and host, Dennis Scully, a veteran design journalist who is also the host of the Business of Home podcast. NYSID’s stage was graced by David Rockwell (September 26), Timothy Corrigan (Oct 10), William Sofield (December 12), Holly Hunt (January 30), Sheila Bridges (February 13), and Athena Calderone (April 3). All of the proceeds from Dialogues on Design go to NYSID scholarships. Says Joy Cooper, NYSID’s director of development, “The College is grateful to every speaker who donated their time
to appear, and the audience members for their support
of scholarships.”
Student Accomplishments
Service Learning 2024: Healing Spaces for Children Entering Foster Care
One of NYSID’s most popular courses, the Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design (MFA1) Service Learning Studio, led by faculty member Terry Kleinberg, RA, provides students with the unique opportunity to design for real clients in the nonprofit sector. The seven MFA1 students in 2024 Summer Service Learning—Suhana Dhingra, Kate Kwong, Joella Lai,Keyue Ni, Sion Tanaka, Helen Wang, and Lily Yamashita-Kenny—developed design recommendations to improve the Nicholas Scoppetta Children’s Center, a temporary foster care placement facility for children that is run by New York City Administration for Children’s Services. The students designed a lounge for staff, dormitories for preteens, and a library for children of all ages. Said MFA1 student Joella Lai, “One of my takeaways from the summer was realizing that a good designer is not just one who can create a good design. They also need to present their design in a way that can persuade clients.”
A Sweet Tabletop Design for Lenox Hill Neighborhood House
Students Phyllis Lam (MFA1), Sion Tanaka (MFA1), Candice Thomas (AAS), and Anh Tran (AAS), guided by alum and mentor Dalia Foreman '21 (AAS), created a gorgeous tabletop design for the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Gala on May 4. The theme was La Dolce Vita, which the team celebrated with a swirling centerpiece made of pasta. Lenox Hill Neighborhood House is a 130-year-old settlement house that provides integrated human services.
NYSID Students Shine at Nantucket by Design
NYSID students took honors in the Student Competition of the 2024 Nantucket by Design, which happened July 15-18. Nantucket by Design is an annual fundraiser for the Nantucket Historical Association, as well as an amazing networking opportunity. The NYSID student winners were Shoshana Beck (BFA), Valerie Cheung (BFA), and Megan Millner (BFA). The students created designs for the interiors of historic structures on the island under the mentorship of accomplished designer Jamie Drake, faculty member Pamela Durante, and faculty member Lissette Carrera.
Esther Wu (Pratt), Joella Lai (NYSID), Naledi Ushe (FIT)
ASID New York Metro x Kravet Student Design Challenge
On November 8, 2024, NYSID students were among participants from multiple colleges who gathered at the New York Design Center to compete in the Kravet Student Design Challenge. The task was to reimagine a Kravet archived fabric for the modern era. Each team was guided by a professional mentor. The winning team, Vase & Foliage, included Joella Lai (MFA1), mentored by faculty member Lynette Bard and alum Cielo Cortes ’20 (BFA). Other NYSID students who took up the challenge were Giuliana Vassallo Alvarez (MFA1), Alejandra Escalante Barcelo (MFA2), Caerie Bothma (MFA2), Pranayni Singh Chaudhri (BFA), Ko Hsuan (Averie) Chiu (MFA1), Julia Kim (MFA1), Phyllis Lam (MFA1), Sjay Lin (MFA1), Gal Ribak (AAS), Anjani Alayo Santos (MFA1), and Ying-Han (Anson) Wu (MFA1).
Michaella Nemer, Ariel Zarfati, Hanna Kerez, David Sprouls, Thomas Hucker, Samantha Elitharp, Lauren Joyce, Mackenzie Meeter
Gothic Enchantment at DIFFA by Design 2025
The theme of this year’s NYC DIFFA by Design gala benefit, held on April 2 at St. John the Divine Cathedral, was “Midnight Masque.” NYSID’s student team, Samantha Elitharp (BFA), Lauren Joyce (MFA1), Hanna Kerez (BFA), Julia Kim (MFA1), Mackenzie Meeter (AASD), Michaella Nemer (BFA), and Ariel Zarfati (MFA1) collaborated under the auspices of faculty member Thomas Hucker, taking inspiration from the setting of the largest gothic cathedral in North America. The NYSID installation was a triptych structure made to resemble three stained glass windows: one that incorporated the logos of DIFFA, NYSID, and the Angelo Donghia Foundation (the evening’s honoree), and two others that told the story of DIFFA’s mission to alleviate housing insecurity and the suffering of those living with AIDS. The NYSID team wrote in its project brief, “As visitors step inside, shifting shadows and lights distort their path. Stained glass colors break through the darkness, casting ethereal patterns as if the guest is entering a gothic forest.” NYSID thanks the companies that donated materials: Kravet Inc., Benjamin Moore, Cowtan & Tout, and Stitch.
Student & Recent Graduate Awards
MPSL Students Take the Top Prize at IESNYC Student Lighting Competition
NYSID MPSL students won the 2025 Illuminating Engineering Society of New York City Student Lighting Competition, beating more than 200 teams. This year’s theme, “A Sight for Sore Eyes,” tasked students with designing lighting solutions that create visual comfort while minimizing glare. Veronica Gonzalez, Clay Mohrman, and Callie Walton earned the grand prize for their Soluna project, an innovative restaurant table lamp and task light. Riddhi Doshi, Aronda Alvarez Martell, and Shane Moan received an honorable mention for their Glare Guard, a design that addresses police siren glare.
A Bevy of International Design Awards for NYSID Students
Congratulations are in order for all of the NYSID recent graduates who won 2024 International Design Awards. They include Shreyaa Dada (MFA2), Prachi Fulwane ’24 (MFA2), Afsin Zehra Musa ’24 (MFA2), Shambhavi Sanjay ’25 (MFA2), and Devanshi Sidhpura ’25 (MFA2) who won gold, silver, and bronze awards in the interior design category. Abdulrahman Abdulrahman ’25 (MFA2) and Mishkin Mande ’24 (MFA2) received honorable mentions.
Muse by Afsin Zehra Musa
Museum of Tomorrow by Devanshi Sidhpura
The Meadow's Embrace by Shreyaa Dada
Callie Walton Wins the 2025 IESNYC Merit Scholarship
The Illuminating Engineering Society of New York City (IESNYC) selected Callie Walton (MPSL) as the recipient of the 2025 IESNYC Merit Scholarship, a $25,000 award.
An Impressive Showing at the 2024 LIV Hospitality Design Awards
NYSID students garnered top honors in the 2024 LIV Hospitality Design Awards. Prachi Fulwane ’24 (MFA2) received awards for her transformative winery design, Melange | Symphony of Wine & Culture. Shreyaa Dada ’25 (MFA2) was recognized for her luxury hotel design, The Meadow’s Embrace. Mishkin Mande ’24 (MFA2) won an award for his co-living space, Acacia - Student & Business Hub.
Top Honors in the 2024 BLT Built Design Awards
Congratulations to recent graduates Sonal Aggarwal ’24 (MFA2) and Nivedhitha Ravi ’23 (MFA2), who won 2024 BLT Built Design Awards. Aggarwal was named the Emerging Interior Designer of the Year and received awards for her designs, Yohji Yamamoto New York City Flagship Store and Serenova Montreal. Ravi was recognized for her designs, Botanique Restaurant and Bar, Wagner Senior Community Center, Hotel Rivera, and Museum of Bollywood Musicals.
Unseen Realities: Museum of Psychological Thriller by Prachi Fulwane
Prachi Fulwane Wins the PAVE Global Student Visionary Award
Prachi Fulwane ’24 (MFA2) was the recipient of the 2024 Inspired by Design: PAVE Global Student Visionary Award, a $7,500 prize. Her winning project, Unseen Realities: Museum of Psychological Thriller, reimagines the traditional museum experience as an immersive one. She was honored at the 2024 PAVE Gala on December 12, 2024.
Two 2024 Architecture MasterPrize Winners
Prachi Fulwane ’24 (MFA2) and Mishkin Mande ’24 (MFA2) were recognized in the student category of the 2024 Architecture MasterPrize. Fulwane received awards for her exhibition design, Unseen Realities: Museum of Psychological Thriller, and her hospitality design, Melange - Symphony of Wine & Culture. Mande was also recognized for his exhibition design, Multimedia Action Museum, and his workplace interior design, Acacia - Student & Business Hub.
NYSID Students Win Prestigious NEWH Scholarships
Michaella Nemer Medina (BFA) was awarded the NEWH Interior Design Prize, a $10,000 scholarship award sponsored by P/Kaufmann Contract. The scholarship is given to an outstanding interior design student with a career focus in hospitality. Carissa Kim Pintello Sundberg ’25 (MFA1), won the NEWH, Inc. Fabric Innovations Legacy Scholarship. Last November, both received their awards at the Hospitality Design Platinum Circle Gala.
2024 Illuminating Engineering Society Thesis Award
Gavin Cantrell ’24 (MPSL) received a 2024 Illuminating Engineering Society Thesis Award.
2024 Rooms with a View Scholarship Award
Carissa Kim Pintello Sundberg ’25 (MFA1) won the 2024 Rooms with a View scholarship. Her design was among the vignettes from top designers on view in November 2024 at Rooms with a View in Southport, Connecticut. Her concept was “Coast to Coast,” an intertwining of Japanese fishing villages with Connecticut port towns.
Warren Ashworth and students in front of Chicago's Anish Kapoor sculpture "Cloud Gate"
Travel Study
NYSID also offers students in every degree program the chance to take ten-day to two-week travel courses over winter and summer breaks. In May and June, groups of NYSID students traveled to:
China for “Ancient & Modern: Chinese Art and Design from Beijing to Jingdezhen, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Zhouzhuang, and Shanghai,” taught by Dr. Zhijian Qian. Anne Duffy Study Abroad Scholarships were granted to students on the China trip.
France for “Paris by Design: Sainte Chapelle to Sacré Coeur” taught by Kelly Konrad.
Chicago, USA, for “Burn It All Down and Start Again: Chicago, the Birthplace of Modernism,” with Warren Ashworth.
Every travel-study offering is open to students in the online degrees, providing a great way for distance-learning students to experience design out in the world and meet NYSID teachers and fellow students in person. On the horizon in 2026 are travel-study courses in Southern India (winter break) and possibly Spain, Morocco, and New York, USA (late spring).