IA Interior Architects Diversity in Design Scholarship Fund

IA Interior Architects is proud to announce the creation of a new scholarship that aims to promote diversity and innovation and a better understanding of how the two rely upon each other. 

Created in partnership with the IIDA Foundation, the IA Interior Architects Diversity in Design Scholarship Fund seeks to provide financial aid to students currently enrolled in an architecture or interior design program. Fittingly, the scholarship is available worldwide to those attending either graduate or undergraduate programs.

Marlene M. Liriano, FIIDA, LEED AP ID+C, was pivotal in the development of the scholarship. An IA Interior Architects Managing Director (as well as a member of the IIDA International Board of Directors), Liriano admitted that the effort was a deeply personal one. “I, myself, have dealt with diversity issues as a woman and as a Hispanic…when we were starting to talk about the scholarship that we were putting together, we recognized that it’s a subject that’s real, and it’s at the forefront of everyone’s mind.” It was important to those involved that students were given, as Liriano described it, “...a voice, in partnership with the IIDA Foundation, about how important diversity is to good design,” and as such, students are encouraged to participate by writing a 500-word essay on the topic of viewing the world of design through different lenses and how diversity and innovation are interrelated.

Commenting on the slew of educational initiatives undertaken by IA Interior Architects, Tom Powers, co-President/CEO of IA Interior Architects stated, “At IA our commitment to the future of interior architecture is a firm-wide passion. This translates into a desire to mentor the development of young, visionary designers within our studios. We also recognize that the future of design begins at the university level.” 

A non-profit organization affiliated with the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), the IIDA Foundation has helped to establish several new foundation programs over the past year, in addition to managing a variety of other programs tasked with advancing the field of interior design. This scholarship in particular, established by way of an initial $50,000 donation from IA Interior Architects, is open to submissions through October 26th of 2018. Six recipients will be chosen on an annual basis, with awards ranging from $500 to $5,000 in financial aid.

For the full submission guidelines, be sure to visit the IIDA website to view essay requirements, or to learn more about the program.