University of North Texas 
Award-winning Interior Designers
The UNT CVAD interior designers graduate with a unique blend of artistic vision and technical expertise, enabling them to create environments that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional and sustainable. Award-winning interior designers from CVAD often go on to become highly regarded professionals in the design industry, recognized for their creativity, innovation, and excellence in transforming spaces.
2020
Katie Branning
Stephanie Dunn
First Place
Southwest Finalist for 2020 IDEC Design Competition
Sophie Hammond and Amy New
Third Place
Southwest Finalist for 2020 IDEC Design Competition
2019
Ellis Kirkdorffer
2019 Voertman-Ardoin Graduate Fellowships for Art
2019 JoAnn Elliott Bond Memorial Scholarship
Liesl Ziegenhals
2019 Lucile Ayres Payne Scholarship in Interior Design
Han Dinh
2019 Gensler Endowed Scholarship in Interior Design
2019 Ray and George Gough Fund for Design Education in Interiors, Crafts and Related
Disciplines Scholarship
Jennifer Dooley
2019 Ray and George Gough Fund for Design Education in Interiors, Crafts and Related
Disciplines Scholarship
Hanah Patel
2019 Ray and George Gough Fund for Design Education in Interiors, Crafts and Related
Disciplines Scholarship
Liesl Ziegenhals
2019 Ray and George Gough Fund for Design Education in Interiors, Crafts and Related
Disciplines Scholarship
2019 John Herron Scholarship in Interior Design
Ana Hernandez
2019 Anita and Kevin Moran Scholarship
Hanah Patel
2019 Anita and Kevin Moran Scholarship
Mariam Chapa
2019 CVAD Scholarship
Sarah Love
2019 Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Interior Design Program
Liesl Ziegenhals
First Place Team, IIDA SHIFT 2019 Conference Design Charrette
Katie Branning
Second Place Team, IIDA SHIFT 2019 Conference Design Charrette
Aram Ataei
2019 IIDA Tuition Reimbursement Scholarship
2018
Aram Ataei
2018 ASID Student Scholarship
Aram Ataei
First Place Award, 2018 ASID Design Competition: Commercial
First Place Award, 2018 ASID Design Competition: Residential
First Place Award, 2018 ASID Design Competition: One Unique Space
Katie Branning
2018 International Education Fee Scholarship
Angela Cho
2018 Anita & Kevin Moran Scholarship
Gabrielle Hundley
2018 John Herron Scholarship in Interior Design
Hannah Hunter
2018 Anita and Kevin Moran Scholarship
Kristen Kaiser
2018 Anita and Kevin Moran Scholarship
Ellis Kirkdorffer
2018 Voertman-Ardoin Graduate Fellowships for Art
Sarah Love
2018 Lucile Ayres Payne Scholarship in Interior Design
Sarah Niemeier
The NorthPark Center 50th Anniversary Scholarship Award Fund
Shane Smith
2018 Anita and Kevin Moran Scholarship
Sarah Love
First Place Student Lighting Design Competition by the Illuminating Engineers Society
Andrea Ruiz
Fourth Place Student Lighting Design Competition by the Illuminating Engineers Society
Shane Smith
First Place Team METROCON18 Design Charrette
CeCelia Rivera
Second Place Team METROCON18 Design Charrette
Aram Ataei
2018 Turner A. Duncan Memorial Scholarship
2018 NEWH Scholarship
Sarah Love
NEOCON People's Choice Award and Honorable Mention Team at 2018 NEOCON Charette
Blue Gardner
2018 UNT Meritorious Scholarship and UNT National Merit Donor Award
Gabrielle Hundley
2018 NEWH Scholarship
2018 Fort Worth CSI Scholarship
2018 CVAD Continuing Education Scholarship
Sarah Niemeier
2018 Lucile Ayres Payne Scholarship
2017
Sarah Love
2017 CSI Fort Worth Scholarship
Southwest Finalist for 2017-2018 IDEC Student Design Competition
Aram Ataei
Southwest Finalist for 2017-2018 IDEC Student Design Competition
Caroline Thrift
2017 CVAD Continuing Student Scholarship
Sarah Niemeier and Sophia Reza Gutierrez
Southwest Regional Finalists
2016-17 IDEC Student Design Competition
2016
Lauren Himsel
First Place Team
2016 IIDA Student Conference Design Charrette
Sommer Shaw
2016 ASID Texas Chapter Scholarship
Mary Zellner
2016 Austin and Katherine Adams Scholarship
2016 NEWH Dallas Chapter Scholarship
Dayeon Rhim
2016 NEWH Dallas Chapter Scholarship
2016 CVAD Continuing Scholarship
Victoria DuBose
2016 Professional Leadership Program and Sigma Alpha Lamda Honor and Leadership
2015
Teresa Gray
2015 NEWH Scholarship
Carmel Quemado
2015 NEWH Scholarship
Gilmar Zelaya
2015 NEWH Scholarship
Christina Wilson
Second Place Team
2015 IIDA Student Charrette
Teresa Gray
2015 Phi Kappa Phi Scholarship
Zan Farrow
First Place Team
2015 IIDA Student Conference Design Charrette
Kaylee Bural
2015 IIDA Tuition Reimbursement Scholarship
2014
Sara Allen
2014 NEWH Scholarship
Third Place Team, 2014 IIDA Design Charrette
2014 Outstanding Undergraduate in Interior Design
Megan Crase
2014 NEWH Scholarship
2014 IIDA Tuition Reimbursement Scholarship
Jennifer Landeros-Caibaiosai
2014 NEWH Scholarship
Amy Noack
2014 NEWH Scholarship
Lindsey Torpey
2014 Most Valuable Volunteer Award
Zan Farrow
First Place Team
2014 IIDA Design Charrette
Miranda Ward
Second Place Team
2014 IIDA Design Charrette
Kaylee Bural
2014 IIDA Travel Reimbursement Grant
Sasha Henry
2014 IIDA Travel Reimbursement Grant
Evelyne Dieu
2014 IIDA Tuition Reimbursement Scholarship
Alyssa Nobles, Stacie Smith, Aukje VanGeffen
Regional Winner Team
Faculty: Greta Buehrle
2014 IDEC Student Design Competition
Patricia Tram
2014 IIDA Tuition Reimbursement Scholarship
Christina Donaldson
2014 IIDA Study Abroad Scholarship
2013
Sara Allen
2013 ASID Student Scholarship
2013 NEWH Scholarship
2013 Fort Worth CSI Scholarship
2013 UNT CVAD Scholarship
IIDA Tuition Reimbursement Scholarship
Becky Burrus
2013 ASID Student Scholarship
Patricia Tram
2013 ASID Student Scholarship
Christina Donaldson
ASID Legacy Scholarship
Rebecca Christy
2013 NEWH Scholarship
Megan Crase
2013 NEWH Scholarship
Sofiahawa Ashraf
2013 UNT CVAD Scholarship
Christine Baird
2013 UNT CVAD Scholarship
Megan Crase
2013 UNT CVAD Scholarship
Cigdem Eksi
2013 UNT CVAD Scholarship
Kimberly Dickerson
2013 Outstanding Undergraduate in Interior Design
Tonia Finger, Bridget Williams and Larry Joe Byer
Southwest Regional Finalists: IDEC Student Design Competition
Claire Fritchie
First Prize: 2013 IIDA Student Conference Design Charrette
Miranda Ward
Third Prize: 2013 IIDA Student Conference Design Charrette
Adrian Cardenas
IIDA Travel Reimbursement Grant
2012
IIDA Texas Oklahoma Chapter 2012 Tuition Reimbursement Grants
Sofiahawa Ashraf
Charn Uswachoke's Grant
Megan Crase
Charn Uswachoke's Grant
Christina Donaldson
Graduate Assistantship Tuition Scholarships Award
Kimberly Dickerson
2012 HKS Design Fellow
Kimberly Dickerson and Sara Allen
First Prize: ASID Charette Competition
Kimberly Dickerson
ASID Student Scholarship
Mohammad Reza Dastmalchi
Graduate Assistantship Tuition Scholarships Award
Kimberly Dickerson
Lucile Ayres Payne Scholarship in Interior Design
Tess Hurry
Dewberry Scholarship
Hanna Kim
John Herron Scholarship in Interior Design
Alix Laronde
2011-2012 Paul Voertman Incoming Student Scholarship
Ray and Georgia Gough Fund for Design Education in
Interiors, Crafts, and Related Disciplines Scholarship
Elizabeth Sterling
Gensler Scholarship
Amanda Halston
2012 UNT CVAD Scholarship
Amanda Halston
2012 Charn Uswachoke Design Grant
Amanda Halston
2012 NEWH Scholarship
Christopher Goggin & Stephen Walsh
2012 Texas Society of Architects Design Award
Beth Barron
2012 Outstanding Undergraduate in Interior Design
Rashel Smith
First Prize; IIDA Student Conference Design Charrette
Jenna McCoppin
Second Prize; IIDA Student Conference Design Charrette
Rachael Armstrong
Third Prize; IIDA Student Conference Design Charrette
Efren Estrada
Fifth Prize: NEWH Chair Competition
2011
Beth Barron
Second Prize, Residential Design from 2011 Student Design Competition of ASID Texas
Chapter
2011 IFDA Part-Time Student Scholarship
Marta Caceres
Second Prize, Hospitality Design from 2011 Student Design Competition of ASID Texas
Chapter
Greta Buehrle, Amber Greenday, DeAnna Kennedy, Madiha Latif, Amanda Moss, Robyn Nicholson
and Vanessa Weidner
Best Concept Award; 2011 DFW IIDA CRE8 Design Challenge & Fashion Show
Kaitlin Blasiar
First Prize, 2011 IIDA Student Day Design Charrette
Zach Weihrich
Second Prize, 2011 IIDA Student Day Design Charrette
2010
Amber Greenday
2010 ASID Scholarship
Zach Weihrich
2010 HKS Design Fellow
Haley Laurence
2010 Volunteer of the Year, Preservation Dallas
Katy Cagle & Adelia Castellanos-Schleusz
Best Runway Award, 2010 IIDA Auction + Fashion Show
Adelia Castellanos-Schleusz
2010 NEWH Dallas Chapter Student Scholarship
Sarah Lippert
Kristin Kirkley Scholarship
Brent Arnold, Meghan Besinger, Katy Cagle, Amanda Moss, Stu Taylor, Stephen Walsh
& Sarah Westrup
Best Poster in Social Science and Humanities Award; University Scholar's Day
Stephen Walsh
Gold Award in Hand Rendering and Bronze Award in Commercial Design Over 2500 sq. ft.,
2010 Brass Ring Awards Competition
Veronica Benavides
B. Craig Raupe Travel Grant
Stephen Walsh
2010 USGBC North Texas Historic Green Scholarship
2009
2009 Fort Worth CSI Scholarship
Greta Buehrle
Best Presentation Award; 2009 IDEC Southwest Regional Conference
Stephen Walsh
First Prize; 2009 Teknion's Student Design Competition
LEED Credential
Amie Bowman ('18)
Elizabeth Hull ('18)
Michelle Johnson ('18)
Sarah Niemeier ('18)
Nancy Pham ('18)
Sophia Reza Gutierrez ('18)
Diep Tran ('18)
Lauren Himsel ('16)
Caitlin Huston ('16)
Jeannine Rivera ('16)
Lindsey Torpey ('16)
Li-Kai "Niki" Wang ('16)
Carmen Wright ('16)
Bridget Williams ('14)
Beth Barron ('12)
Sara Green ('12)
Madiha Latif ('11)
Katy Cagle ('10)
Sarah Lippert ('10)
Christina Masters ('10)
Stephen Walsh ('10)
Melissa Grossman ('09)
Joanna Jackson ('09)
Julee Owens ('09)
Marilyn Archer ('08)
Miranda Murphy ('08)
Nick Tedder ('08)
Lacey Almager ('07)
Charran James ('07)
Maike Cheng ('06)
Holly Lange ('06)
Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Catalyst
Caitlin Huston ('16)
Jeannine Rivera ('16)
Li-Kai "Niki" Wang ('16)
Carmen Wright ('16)
NCIDQ Certificate
Carmen Wright ('16)
Carmel Quemado ('16)
Olivia Simons ('16)
Lindsey Torpey ('16)
Julia Chiang ('15)
Stacie Smith ('15)
Bridget Williams ('14)
Collin Biggs ('14)
Sara Allen ('14)
Patricia Tram ('14)
Megan Crase ('14)
Kim Dickerson Cathey ('13)
Beth Barron ('12)
Danielle Burbidge ('12)
Lucy Ives ('12)
Erin Valencia (Munson) ('11)
Amanda "Moss" Rienth ('11)
Madiha Latif ('11)
Maria Ramirez Heaslip ('10)
Stephen Walsh ('10)
Neely Shirey ('09)
Marilyn Archer ('08)
Carolyn Hrncir ('08)
Kim Gibbs ('07)
Charran James ('07)
Anna Watson ('07)
Maike Cheng ('06)
Holly Lange ('06)
Elissa Shipp ('06)
Contact Information
If you have a question, suggestion, compliment or concern regarding the information on this page or about the CVAD Interior Design Blog, please send an email to Phillip Park, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Design: Interior Design.
About Us
The Interior Design curriculum at the University of North Texas in the College of Visual Arts and Design is based on the belief that interior designers have design responsibilities for all spaces built for human occupancy. Our curriculum prepares the student for challenges found in accepting and analyzing a problem, assessing existing conditions, researching and synthesizing a solution, visually and orally presenting a solution, and reviewing the process for insights for future improvements, all with the goal of creating interior design solutions for the improvement of the physical environment and the protection of the safety of the inhabitants. The Interior Design program has been continuously accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, CIDA, beginning in 1977. CIDA provides the foundation for excellence in the interior design profession by setting standards for education and accrediting academic programs that meet those standards. Specific information regarding this accreditation can be found at http://www.accredit-id.org