Students Recognized at 2018 Awards Ceremony

PennDesign Graduate Architecture students were recognized for their outstanding work at the 2018 Awards Ceremony on Saturday, May 12. Over 25 students received awards presented by Miller Professor and Chair of Architecture Winka Dubbeldam. PhD Candidate Eric Bellin and Lecturer Ben Krone were also presented with G. Holmes Perkins Distinguished Teaching Awards. Click here to download a copy of the 2018 PennDesign Awards Program. Visit PennDesign’s Vimeo for documentation of the event. The full list of recipients is below.

American Institute of Architects Henry Adams Medal
The first-prize medal is awarded to the top-ranking student in the professional degree program with the highest record in all courses.
First Prize: Marianne Sanche
The second prize is awarded to the student in the professional degree program with the second highest record in all courses.
Second Prize: John Patrick Hilla V

Arthur Spayd Brooke Memorial Prize
Established in 1900 in memory of Arthur Spayd Brooke, a graduate of the School of Architecture (now School of Design), and awarded to graduating architecture students for distinguished work in architecture and design. Former winners include Julian Abele, Louis I. Kahn, and Jenny Sabin.
Gold Medal: Adam George Schroth
Silver Medal: Alina Mairaj Ahmad

Paul Philippe Cret Medal
Founded by the Architectural Alumni Society in 1946 and awarded to the graduating student who has consistently demonstrated excellence in design in the Master of Architecture professional degree program.
Awarded to: Gary Polk

Warren Powers Laird Award
Named for Warren Powers Laird (1861-1948), the first Dean of the School of Fine Arts (now School of Design). Awarded to a student with the highest standing in all courses in the first year of the professional degree program in architecture.
Awarded to: Jianan Dai, Karen Toomasian, Karen Anne Vankovich, and Xinyu Wang

James Smyth Warner Memorial Prize
Established in 1938 by Professor George Walter Dawson for a second-year student in architecture with the highest record in required studio courses. The award is to be used for a trip to see and study American architecture.
Awarded to: Kurt Alexander Nelson

Frank Miles Day Memorial Prize
Named for the Towne School graduate and architect of Penn’s Houston Hall, University Museum, Weightman Hall, and Franklin Field. Awarded to the architecture student submitting the best essay in courses in the history and theory of architecture.
Awarded to: James Andrew Billingsley

Harlan Coornvelt Memorial Medal
Established in 1975 in memory of Harlan Coornvelt, who served as an Associate Professor of Architecture at the School of Design from 1968 until his death in 1973. Awarded to the student who achieved the most outstanding record in required architectural structure courses.
Awarded to: Yujie Li

Mario J. Romañach Fellowship
Established in 1984 in memory of one of Penn’s most beloved teachers, the fellowship is awarded to a student entering the final year in the professional degree program, for demonstrated excellence in design, a love for architecture, and the determination to develop as an architect. Mario J. Romañach served as Professor Architecture from 192 until his death in 1984. He was Chairman of the Department of Architecture from 1971 to 1974.
Awarded to: Daniel Silverman

Faculty Prize
Awarded to students who have demonstrated exceptional growth and development.
Awarded to: Alexander M. Bahr and Ryan McChord Barnette

Walter R. Leach II Fellowship
Established in Memory of Walter R. Leach II (March’67), the fellowship is awarded on the basis of academic merit to students entering the third year.
Awarded to: Kurt Alexander Nelson

T-Square Club Fellowship
Established in 1984 and awarded annually for excellence in design to a student who has just completed the first year. Among the patrons and members of the T-Square Atelier were Penn professors Paul Philippe Cret, Walter P. Laird, John Harbeson, Jean Hebrand, and Norman Rice.
Awarded to: Patrick Danahy and Caleb Ehly

Samuel K. Schneidman Fellowship
Established in memory of Samuel K. Schneidman and awarded to second- or third-year students in the professional degree program on the basis of demonstrated excellence.
Awarded to: Ariel Cooke-Zamora

Will M. Melhorn Scholarship
Established in 1989 through a bequest by Will M. Melhorn (BFA’30), former architectural editor of House and Garden. Awarded to the students who have done the best work in the theory sequence.

Master of Architecture Professional Degree
First-Year Students
First Prize: Lichao Liu
Second Prize: Karen Anne Vankovich

Second-Year Students
First Prize: Ariel Cooke-Zamora
Second Prize: Uroosa Ijaz

Ph.D. Architecture
First Prize: Evan Oskierko-Jeznacki
Second Prize: Ana Maria Roman Andrino

Master of Science in Architecture
Michael Toste

The Donald Prowler Memorial Prize
Established in 2002, the Donald Prowler Memorial Prize is awarded annually in memory of Donald Prowler (March’75), a dedicated teacher of environmental architecture at PennDesign. Awarded to the student with an outstanding record in required environmental courses with a desire to further sustainable architecture.
Awarded to: Uroosa Ijaz

The Kanter Tritsch Prize in Energy an Architectural Innovation
Awarded annually to a second-year student pursuing a Master of Architecture degree at PennDesign who demonstrates transformational thinking on the built environment and innovation in his or her approach to energy, ecology, and/or social equity.
Awarded to: Alexandra Mae Adamski

AAD Prize in Design Excellence
This prize is awarded annually to a student in the Master of Science in Design: Advanced Architectural Design concentration degree program whose work is judged by the design faculty to be excellent, in consideration of the GPA and design portfolio.
Frist Prize: Angeliki Tzifa
Second Prize: Bosung Jeon