IA and the IA Reach Foundation are pleased to congratulate the 2025-2026 Diversity in Design Scholarship recipients. The program was established in 2018 in partnership with the IIDA Foundation. It seeks to elevate and propel the interior design profession by honoring exceptional students whose diverse voices and perspectives help shape the industry's future. Reflecting on the completion of the program’s eighth year, it has been rewarding to see the development of an impressive group of scholarship “alumni,” including several whom were hired to join design teams at IA.
Open to any minority student enrolled in a design or architecture program, the program’s entry requirement is a 500-word essay that asks students to creatively challenge the design industry and education system to effect genuine institutional change. This year, the essay topic was centered around how designers and architects ensure an authentic creative process, one that incorporates creative thinking and sensitivity to both representation and the lived experience, while using AI technology.
All essays were reviewed by select leaders at IA and the IIDA Foundation Board of Trustees and are juried anonymously.
This year’s six recipients are:
Haruko Utsuki, a New York School of Interior Design (NYSID) student, was awarded this year’s first-place scholarship for her essay “Finding Balance Between Human Creativity and AI.” Our reviewers appreciated her well-argued emphasis on the importance of balance while using AI; it was clear how passionate and committed she is to the craft of interior design and architecture.
Samia Hilton, an interior design student at Texas State University, was awarded this year’s second-place scholarship for her essay “From Prompt to Place: Protecting Meaning in Design.” Our reviewers were impressed by her thoughtful approach and critical analysis of AI's use in the design process, while also offering insightful commentary on its inherent limitations.
There were four additional scholarship awards granted to honorable mention essay recipients; the recipients included Connor Trang, a Master's in Interior Architecture student at Florida International University, for his essay “What’s Authentic in a New Age?”; Leta Pham, an interior design student at San Jose State University, for her essay “The Use of AI in a Green Industry”; Aneisha Muhammad, an interior design student at The London Metropolitan University, for her essay “AI and the Lived Experience”; and Zephyr Corchado Gil-Phillips, an interior design student at University of Texas, Arlington, for their essay “The Importance of Human Touch in the Creative Process.”
“We were honored to take part in another incredible year of the scholarship program, which showcased a wealth of impressive talent through almost 100 compelling submissions,” shared IA co-CEOs and Presidents Tom Powers, IIDA, and David Bourke. “Those who rose to the top took an in-depth look at the use of AI technology, analyzing the role it will play in the future of our profession through the lens of representation. We look forward to seeing what these students will accomplish and wish them hearty congratulations.”
“Current and future leaders of the design industry remain committed to building a diverse, inclusive design community,” said IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO, Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA. “Partners like IA are more valuable than ever in ensuring these values stay visible for others while celebrating and supporting the incredible talent of young designers.”
All IA Diversity in Design Scholarship recipients will be featured in the IIDA newsletters “Design Matters” and “QUAD,” and at an IIDA Celebration in Chicago in June. Winning essays are available in full on IIDA.org.
As part of the recognition, scholarship recipients will be connected with local IA team members to engage in direct dialogue with practicing designers and architects. For more information about the IA Interior Architects Diversity in Design Scholarship, please contact foundation@iida.org and/or Judy Nelson at j.nelson@interiorarchitects.com
About IIDA
IIDA is the commercial interior design association with global reach. We support design professionals, industry affiliates, educators, students, firms, and their clients through our network of 15,000+ members across 58 countries. We advocate for advancements in education, design excellence, legislation, leadership, accreditation, and community outreach to increase the value and understanding of interior design as a profession that enhances business value and positively impacts the health and well-being of people’s lives every day. IIDA.org