By Jennifer Burt | MFA Historic Preservation Student
Cyndi Parker, interior designer, preservationist and spring 2025 Master of Fine Arts graduate in Historic Preservation, has been awarded the prestigious Ina Mae Kaplan Grant for Historic Preservation.
Parker, now an assistant professor in the Department of Interior Design at Mississippi State, will use the grant this fall to study in Virginia at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, currently undergoing a significant restoration. Her work will not only enrich her own scholarship but also provide current MFA students with opportunities to engage directly in the project through field study and classroom integration.
“I applied for the Ina Mae Kaplan Grant because I saw it as an opportunity to bring recognition to our master's program, highlight the need for continued growth in the field of preservation and strengthen my portfolio as I work toward tenure,” Parker said. “However, the chance to study firsthand at George Washington’s Mount Vernon is an invaluable added benefit, and I can’t wait to get started.”
The grant will allow Parker to closely observe and document the restoration process at Mount Vernon. She plans to use her research to create teaching tools for her students and a foundation for future preservation projects, further bridging the gap between academic study and professional practice.
“Her ability to attend the work at Mt. Vernon will be an enormous asset to our program because of the hands-on approach involved with the Virginia project,” said Associate Professor Jeff Fulton, who supported Parker’s application. “I throw my full support behind her as a recipient of the Ina Mae Grant, just as I was. That same support played a key role in creating our relatively new MFA program possible.”
This achievement highlights the growing impact of the MFA in Historic Preservation at Mississippi State University, the only program of its kind in the region. Designed for students who want to shape the future of preservation, the MFA combines advanced academic study with immersive, hands-on experiences at historic sites across the South and beyond.
To learn more about the MFA in Historic Preservation at Mississippi State University, visit www.caad.msstate.edu/mfa.