Recognition Day 2025

Class of 2025

Event photos will be shared here; stay tuned!

Opening Remarks – School of Architecture Welcome

Dr. Karen Cordes Spence, Director and F.L Crane Professor | School of Architecture

College Welcome

Dr. Angi Elsea Bourgeois, Dean and Professor | College of Architecture, Art & Design and Interim Dean | The Graduate School

University Welcome

Dr. Peter Ryan, Executive Vice Provost for Academic Affairs | Mississippi State University

The Annual Dr. William L. & Jean P. Giles Memorial Lecture

Stephen Allen, Principal | Williams Blackstock Architects

2024-2025 Awards

Annual Allen & Hoshall Faculty Award

Presented by: Director Karen Spence
The architectural firm of Allen & Hoshall of Jackson has established a $500 annual award to a faculty member “who has demonstrated excellence in teaching.” The award winner is selected by the graduating class.

Alpha Rho Chi

Chapter President: Kennedy Milner
Faculty Advisor: Associate Professor Jacob Gines
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.

APX Student Book Award

The APX student book award is given to a graduating fifth-year active member who has furthered the mission of the fraternity through service.

American Institute of Architecture Students

Chapter President: Evelin “Jo” Aguilar
Faculty Advisors: Associate Professor Alexis Gregory, Dr. Aaron White
The American Institute of Architecture Students is the counterpart of the American Institute of Architects. The chapter works closely with professional architects in the state through the Mississippi Chapter of the AIA, who fund this award.

AIAS Member of the Year Book Award

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; has shown initiative and leadership qualities; has been an AIAS leader within their year level; and does well academically.”

National Organization of Minority Architecture Students

Chapter President: Rayne Lewis
Faculty Advisors: Associate Professor Silvina Lopez Barrera
The National Organization of Minority Architecture Students is the student arm of the National Organization of Minority Architects. Students participating seek to enhance the educational experience of its members by fostering diversity within the School of Architecture and the community at-large.

NOMAS Diversity Award
Chosen by the group’s 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.

Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society

Chapter President: Kasey Losik
Faculty Advisors: Assistant Professor Duane McLemore
Tau Sigma Delta is the architectural and allied programs honor society open to top academic students in design disciplines. Induction into TSD does not occur until the student consistently demonstrates high academic standards and is in the third-year.

TSD Initiates

TSD Fifth-Year Graduates:

TSD First-Year Design Award

The Tau Sigma Delta First-Year Design Award is presented to the first-year design student who has exhibited excellence in design. This is a book award.

TSD Bronze Award

The Tau Sigma Delta Bronze Medal is presented by the third- and fourth-year student membership of the society to a fifth-year student whose thesis project has expanded the students’ insight and awareness of architecture.

TSD Faculty/Staff Book Award

The TSD Faculty/Staff Book Award is presented by the third- and fourth-year members to the faculty or staff member who has inspired them to excellence.

TSD Charles Calvo Digital Media Award

In fall 2000, Tau Sigma Delta established this book award in memory of School of Architecture faculty member Charles Calvo and his contribution to the field of digital media in architecture. This award goes to a fourth-year student who, like Calvo, has exemplified an incredible knowledge and skill in digital media and has continually educated other students in this field. A copy of the book given to the award winner is also given to the library in memory of Calvo.

QCAAD

Chapter President: Arturo Hernandez and Rachel Sampson
Faculty Advisor: Assistant Professor Duane McLemore
QCAAD strives to create a safe space for students and faculty in architecture and the allied arts who are members of the LGBTQIA+ community. The club serves as a space for open dialogue about queer identity and expression within the college.

QCAAD Fifth-Year Award

The QCAAD Fifth-Year Award is presented to a fifth-year member of the club who, in their thesis project, has expanded the students’ insight and awareness of
LGBTQ+ issues and/or designed with the LGBTQ+ community in mind.

Young Women in Architecture

Chapter President: Kasey Losik
Faculty Advisor: Visiting Assistant Professor Annette Vise
YWA’s mission is to empower and support women in architecture during and after their time at Mississippi State. The group has established five pillars as its backbone: design, integrity, community, scholarship and purpose.

First-Year Faculty Book Award

Studio Coordinator: Associate Professor Silvina Lopez Barrera
This award is a book selected by the first-year faculty and presented to a first-year student(s) selected on the basis of design excellence.

Second-Year Faculty Book Award

Studio Coordinator: Assistant Professor John Ross
This award is a book selected by the second-year faculty and presented to a second-year student(s) selected on the basis of design excellence.

Third-Year Faculty Book Award

Studio Coordinator: Associate Professor Alexis Gregory
This award is a book selected by the third-year faculty and presented to a third-year student(s) selected on the basis of design excellence.

Fourth-Year Faculty Book Award

Studio Coordinator: Associate Professor Jacob Gines
This award is a book selected by the fourth-year faculty and presented to a fourth-year student(s) selected on the basis of design excellence.

Mississippi Forestry Association Mass Timber Award

The Mississippi Forestry Association Mass Timber Awards are selected by MFA executive board members to recognize exceptional and innovative uses of mass timber within the fourth-year capstone studio.

ARCC King Award

Presented by: Assistant Professor Duane McLemore
Named in honor of the late Jonathan King, co-founder and first president of the Architectural Research Centers Consortium, this award is presented to one student per ARCC-member school. Selection is made by the entire faculty based upon criteria that acknowledge innovation, integrity and scholarship in architectural or environmental design research.

Fifth-Year Jurists’ Award

Studio Coordinator: Professor Jassen Callender
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.

CDFL Capstone Studio Travel Award

Presented by: Professor Jassen Callender
Funds from Cooke Douglass Farr Lemons Architects + Engineers’ $5,000 fifth-year, capstone studio sponsorship were used to support the studio, including support for prominent external project reviewers and two cash awards for student travel.

Alpha Rho Chi Medal

Presented by: Associate Professor Jacob Gines
The Alpha Rho Chi Medal is awarded to the graduating 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.

Academic Achievement Award

Presented by: Director Karen Spence
The Academic Achievement Award is a book award presented to the graduating student who has the highest cumulative MSU grade point average.

Medal for Academic Excellence

Presented by: Director Karen Spence
Sponsored by the American Institute of Architects, the AIA Medal of Excellence, formerly the Henry Adams Medal, is considered 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, as selected by the entire faculty.

Other Notable Student Awards, 2024-2025

Association for Retired Faculty (ARF) William L. Giles Award for Excellence in Architecture

William Brotherton
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 Hazel Presson, aunt of Ginger Giles Jones, Dr. Giles’ daughter.

Aydelott Travel Award

Caleb McWhorter
Caleb received $20,000 to travel to London, England; Tarapacá, Chile; Maharashtra, India; and Evora, Portugal. His faculty mentor is Assistant Professor Duane McLemore. The Aydelott Travel Award was established by the late Memphis architect Alfred Lewis Aydelott and his wife, Hope Galloway Aydelott.

Burris Wagnon Study Abroad Travel Award

Bettina Boland, Blair Mason, Grace Owens, Skylar Sloan, Karlton Wallace
Bill Burris and Stan Wagnon, principals of Burris/Wagon Architects, P.A., established the $500 Burris Wagnon Study Abroad Travel Award to fulfill a desire to assist students traveling abroad to experience architecture.

Method Studio Undergraduate Research Fellow

Fall 2024 and Spring 2025: Abby Williams
Method Studio Research Fellows receive a $3,000 award per semester and work on research for the Method Studio under the guidance of Associate Professor Jacob Gines.

Metropolis Magazine’s Future100

Grace Owens
The program recognizes the top 100 undergraduate and graduate architecture and interior design students from across the nation and Canada.

Poole & Co Awards:

Honor Awards: Elise Jones and Hannah Zhou (team), Austin Trujillo and Billy Guevara Gonzalez (team), James Harper, Abby Williams
Merit Awards: Team: JR Hitchcock and Samuel Hall (team), Kasey Losik and Mark Perry (team)
These monetary awards, selected by a jury comprised of Poole & Co designers, recognizes the best projects in the fourth-year fall studio.

PCI Foundation Studio (3B/Collaborative) Honors

Studio—Ryan Ashford, Briar Jones:

Top Project: William Carwile (BCS), Caleb Clearman (ARC), Luke Douglas (ARC), Nya Hatcher (BCS), Abby Mickholtzick (ARC)
Honorable Mention: Alyssa Cox (ARC), Paul Magee (BCS), Grace Monaghan (ARC), Marlo Rebol (ARC), West Riede (BCS), Donovan Ware (BCS)

Studio—Associate Professor Alexis Gregory, Briar Jones:

Top Project: Griffin Bristow (BCS), Emily Davis (ARC), William Lowery (BCS), Kali Nolin (ARC), Kathryn Stewart (ARC)
Honorable Mention: Barrett Brazelton (ARC), William Johnson (BCS), Carter Oglesby (ARC), Van Thornton (BCS), Annika Watson (ARC)

This studio is funded by PCI Gulf South with projects focused on the use of precast concrete for structure and cladding for museum designs.

SS&L Portfolio Competition:

Recipient: Kasey Losik; Finalists: China Chandler, Elizabeth Jue and Kathryn Stewart
This scholarship—selected by a jury comprised of Seay, Seay & Litchfield designers—recognizes the best portfolio of a rising fourth- or fifth-year student.

Trussell Travel Award

Evelin “Jo” Aguilar
The Trussell Travel Award, which is funded by alumnus Ted T. Porter, is awarded to the runner-up of the Aydelott Travel Award. The award provides $4,750 for student travel. Through her travels and research, Aguilar hopes to develop and improve the definition of accessible design in America through an exploration of buildings in Mexico.

2024-2025 Scholarships

Ann and Jim Somers Annual Scholarship

$500, Emily Hammons

Charles H. Dean, Jr. Annual Memorial Scholarship

$1,500, Breunna Manuel

$1,000, Faith Troutt

Eley Guild Hardy Architecture Endowed Scholarship

$2,000, Anna Horn

$2,000, Grace Owens

Jason D. Labutka Scholarship

$1,000, Jacquelline Enriquez

$1,000, Toussaint Robinson

$500, Rayne Lewis

$400, Zia McGee

M.L. Virden, III and IV Memorial Scholarship

$1,000, Elvis Scott

Mockbee Hall & Drake Annual Scholarship

$2,000, Michael Herndon

$2,000, Karlton Wallace

Primos Scholarship in Architecture

Software, Falon Laird

Pryor & Morrow Annual Scholarship

$500, Falon Laird

Rowan Taylor Endowed Scholarship

$1,000, William “Hunter” Luby

$1,000, Mary Provine

School of Architecture Patrons Scholarship