Graciela Carrillo, MS Urban Environmental Systems Management ’07, has been elevated to the prestigious College of Fellows by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). This honor recognizes their exceptional contributions to architecture and society. The AIA Fellowship is awarded to architects who have achieved the highest standards of excellence in the profession.
The Daily Hub
A roundup of ideas and projects from around the Institute
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Thought Matter, a New York–based communication design studio led by Jessie McGuire, visiting instructor of Undergraduate Communications Design, received the 2026 National Design Award for Communication Design from Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. “Receiving this recognition while teaching at Pratt feels especially significant,” said McGuire. “The Entrepreneurship Minor has deepened my commitment to helping students connect creative practice with industry and the systems of capital and decision-making that shape what gets built and what doesn’t.”
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The Historic Preservation program shared an update of a 2025–2026 Taconic Fellowship team working with Crown Heights North Association to archive community records.
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Pync cofounders Varin Trisopa, MPS Design Management ’24, and Thanat (Ben) Somwong, MID ’25, recently received the iF Design Award 2026 from iF International Forum Design.
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The Garden, a solo exhibition by Hiba Schahbaz, MFA Fine Arts ’12, at the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami, was reviewed in Artnet.
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Mariana Torres, MS Sustainable Environmental Systems ’25, was interviewed in the Brooklyn chapter of the American Institute of Architects. “By studying Architecture and Interior Design and later earning a master’s degree in Sustainability and Environmental Systems in New York, I developed an approach that integrates design, environmental responsibility, and human well-being. For me, architecture is about designing with intention—creating spaces that support people while contributing to a more sustainable built environment.”
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Fine Arts Jewelry Program Coordinator Patricia Madeja’s Geometric Geode Prasiolite and silver collection jewelry was featured in Max Alexander’s runway show at the Opera Garnie as part of Paris Fashion Week.
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Adjunct Professor of Undergraduate Communications Design Tim O’Brien helped design the official pane featuring portraits of 25 Figures of the American Revolution for the United States Postal Service, commemorating 250 years since the Declaration of Independence was signed.
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Kurt Thomas, BPS Construction Management ’29, has been named the 2025–2026 Rookie of the Year in the Atlantic East Men’s Basketball league. Thomas led the Cannoneers and all AEC rookies in scoring, with 13.2 points per game, and he also delivered 24 blocks over the course of the season.
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Edel Rodriguez, BFA Painting ’94 and Visionary Awardee 2019, will deliver the keynote address at the Patchogue Arts Council PEACE Forward: Arts in Education + Partnerships = Possibility conference April 27–28.
More Pratt Institute News
Underground Railroad Find in Manhattan Faces Uncertainty
Visiting Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation Michael Hiller discusses the recent discovery of a safe passageway in the Merchant’s House Museum, along with the effort to preserve the landmark building, in this Q&A.
Pratt Students Respond to W.E.B. Du Bois
From Pratt Institute News
Celebrating shared threads of inquiry, current Pratt students engaged with the groundbreaking work of W.E.B. Du Bois.
The Next Step in Fashion
From Pratt Institute News
Graduate student Peilin Chen shares thoughts on collaboration, fashion, and interning at New York-based brand Altuzarra.