School of Architecture celebrates 2025 student awards

The Clemson University School of Architecture honored outstanding undergraduate and graduate students during two spring ceremonies recognizing academic achievement, creative leadership and service to the design disciplines.

The annual Undergraduate Awards Ceremony, held in late April, celebrated students across the architecture and landscape architecture programs. Meanwhile, the Graduate Reception and Awards, hosted May 7 at the Madren Center, honored candidates from the Master of Architecture, Architecture + Health, City and Regional Planning, and Landscape Architecture programs.

Undergraduate Awards

The undergraduate ceremony highlighted a range of achievements, from advocacy to leadership, and even teamwork.

School of Architecture Awards

Micaiah Brown received the CUoA J.E.D.I Undergraduate Award, which highlights a fourth-year undergraduate student who exhibits excellence in service and advocacy for advancing justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.

Nineteen students were added to the Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society. This nationally accredited honor society for architecture and design majors recognizes intellectual achievement, effort and initiative as well as leadership and character. Membership to the honors society acknowledges undergraduate and graduate students who attain high scholastic standing in their field. The undergraduate architecture students who received member ship during the Spring semesters are: Brennen W. Allen, Zachary Arrington, Bella Bernagozzi, Bruna Coelho, Alana Couch, Sam Cribbs, Mabel DeRusha, Matthew Gibson, Etta Godfrey, Diego Lopez, Nicholas Nunnelley, Sallie Chavis O’Connor, Kiersten Brianna Reneau, Rianna Rose Roberts, Ella Robertson, Branden Sembower, Crissa Louise Thomason, Andrew Renner Tuz and Jillian Witbeck.

Landscape Architecture Awards

Cate Williams was named the University Undergraduate Olmsted Scholar for 2025. The Olmsted Scholar program recognizes and supports students with exceptional leadership potential who use ideas, influence, communication, service and leadership to advance sustainable design and foster human and societal benefits. Williams was also awarded the Design Coach and Mentor Award for her outstanding coaching and mentoring throughout the 2024-2025 academic year.

Anna Tucker received The Don Collins Founders Award, which recognizes a student who consistently plunges into the challenges of studio projects without delay. At Clemson, the award is given to the top-ranked second-year undergraduate landscape architecture student in the School of Architecture.

Emma Rocchetta and Caroline Yell received The Connections Award, which recognizes a student, or students, who develop strong conceptual ideas through analysis, creativity and scale. This award is typically given to a single student, but the 2024-2025 award was given to the top-ranked third-year landscape architecture undergraduate students, who developed a project together.

Kennedy Johnson and Jamin Ward were presented with the Spirit of the Studio Award. This award is presented to the student(s) who consistently contributed to a positive studio atmosphere through teamwork, enthusiasm and service.

Jamin Ward was presented with the Leadership and Service Award. This award recognizes a student’s service and leadership to the landscape architecture program and profession through encouragement, support and enabling high achievement in others.

Bailey Moore received The Mickel Fellowship in Landscape Architecture Award. The Mickel Fellowship is based on promise and creative accomplishment in the form of endowment income. The Fellowship supports the recipient in their study and travel expenses while they study abroad at the School of Design and Building’s program in Barcelona, Spain or Genoa, Italy.

Isabel Goodin received The Anna Lou and Robert Marvin Travel Fellowship. This fellowship, based on promise and creative accomplishment, is in the form of endowment income. It is to be used by the recipient to support study and travel expenses while studying abroad at the School of Design and Building’s program in Barcelona, Spain or Genoa, Italy.

Architecture Awards

Four team projects were honored by the American Institute of Architecture Columbia Competition for their work in ARCH2520 – Cayce Art Center. Taylor Phelps was presented with an Honor Award, Chloe Wengard and Dan Thai were presented with the Merit Award, Kaitlyn Illingworth was presented with the Citation Award, and Hayden Shrouds was presented with the Honorable Mention Award.

Six students were honored in the Weyerhaeuser Fluid Studio Design Competition. The prize for this competition recognizes outstanding architectural research and design as demonstrated in the “At Home” affordable and workforce housing design competition, sponsored by the Weyerhaeuser Foundation. The students awarded prizes were: Nic Beck, Daniel Montalvo, Joel Rogers, Alex Clemens, Kobe Smith, C.J. Duff and William Hough.

Maddelyne Penelope (Penny) Millward was presented with the Second-Year Faculty Award, which is given to a second-year undergraduate student for scholarship and demonstrated promise of future professional achievement.

Wendy Favila was presented the Rudolph E. Lee Award, given in memory of Rudolph E. Lee and the Class of 1902. The award is given to an undergraduate architecture student who demonstrated academic excellence, participated in extracurricular activities and exhibited potential professional architectural ability.

Cassandra Didelot was presented the AIA South Carolina Chapter Award. This award is given to a fourth-year undergraduate student in architecture for their academic achievement, highest quality of design ability and professional promise and service.

Ella Mountcastle received the Peter R. Lee and Kenneth J. Russo Design Award. This award is given annually to a student, in the fourth year of study, who has consistently demonstrated a search for design excellence. This award is made possible through the Architecture Class of ’76 in memory of Professors Emeriti Lee and Russo.

Eight students, four teams of two, were honored with the Undergraduate Prize in Design, a juried design competition that recognizes outstanding architectural design as demonstrated in the final design studio project of the undergraduate pre-professional degree program and is funded annually through the generosity of Mark and Silvia Carroll. The 2024-2025 jury consisted of George Schafer, Jade Yang and Scott Shall. Meryl Henderson and Ella Mountcastle, Katy Schaaf and Sydney Poole and Charisma Stidham and Henry Cole received Honorable Mention Awards. Macy Breeden and Augusto Uriona received the 2024-2025 Undergraduate Design Prize.

Paul Duncan and Avery Young received the 4^th Year Faculty Design Award.

Katy Schaaf and Faith Kosior were awarded the CAF Student Prize. This is a travel award for those graduating in architecture or landscape architecture from the School of Architecture, given annually to an outstanding graduating undergraduate student in the School of Architecture with professional promise and a clear plan to enrich their post-graduate education through travel.

Graduate Awards

The graduate ceremony highlighted a wide range of achievements across disciplines:

School of Architecture Awards

Six students were added to the Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society. This nationally accredited honor society for architecture and design majors recognizes intellectual achievement, effort and initiative as well as leadership and character. Membership in the honors society acknowledges undergraduate and graduate students who attain high scholastic standing in their field. The undergraduate architecture students who received membership during the Spring semesters are: Jared Cook, Susanna Greiner, Jennifer Layer, Matthew Ngango, Ana Sandoval and Cameron Sunkel.

Susanna Greiner and Jared Cook received the Professor Lynn and Julie Craig Award for Exemplary Sketching, which is presented annually to students who have excelled at hand drawing.

Molly Speth and Andrew Fulmer were presented the J.E.D.I. Award for their commitment to service and advocacy for advancing justice, equity, diversity and inclusion throughout the School of Architecture.

Architecture

Monica Gripko received the ARCC King Medal for her innovation, integrity and scholarship in architectural and/or environmental design research.

Matt Ngango received the AIA Medal for Academic Excellence, selected among finalists including Andrew Fulmer, Susanna Greiner, and Molly Speth. Ngango was also honored with the Tau Sigma Delta certificate and completed the Architecture + CommunityBUILD certificate.

Joel Rogers earned the Edward Allen Student Award, the highest honor given by the Building and Technology Educators’ Society (BTES), for excellence in integrating building technology and design. Rogers’ work will be displayed on the BTES website.

Cameron Sunkel was recognized as Clemson’s first IPAL graduate. Sunkel will be able to obtain architectural licensure immediately after graduation. Sunkel was also awarded the Golden Table Award for his commitment to assisting SoA faculty and staff in all event set-up and preparation needs.

The Harlan E. McClure Award for best project or thesis was presented to Andrew Fulmer and Jared Raskin.

The School’s highest honor, The Buck Mickel Prize, was presented to Casey Cole for excellence in design, academics, leadership and a compelling travel proposal.

Landscape Architecture

Kai Koopman earned both the American Society of Landscape Architecture Honor Award and the South Carolina Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architecture Award.

Michael Tyler received the American Society of Landscape Architecture Merit Award and the Faculty Book Award.

Jordan Livingston was a dual honoree with the Olmsted University Scholar and Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards.

Clay Katzman received The Graduate Design Communication Award for his ability to express design and intent through oral, written and graphic communication.

Celia Castellano received the Promising Scholar Award for excellence in research, history and theory that she demonstrated through investigation, analysis, interpretation and communication.

Guadalupe Franchi was named the Spirit of the Studio for her ability to create a positive studio atmosphere throughout the Landscape Architecture program.

City and Regional Planning

The McCallum Fellowship was given to five students with outstanding academic performance and a focus on economic development: Beau Clardy, Sydney Ford, Leah Aisner, Dylan Mathis, and Lennon Murphy.