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The Daily Hub

A roundup of ideas and projects from around the Institute

  • Sofi Thanhauser, adjunct associate professor – CCE, was awarded a 2025 Whiting Award for Nonfiction. The Whiting Committee wrote that Thanhauser displays a “uniquely elegant intelligence…[Her] curiosity is a gift to the reader; her sentences are as layered as her investigations, which look with a devoted intensity at the objects around us that might otherwise escape our attention.”

  • Victoria Forbes, BFA Art and Design Education ’24, has been granted the honor of being the Graduate Speaker for Pratt’s class of 2025 Commencement. She will be acknowledged for this achievement at the Student Affairs Leadership Awards.

  • 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. 

  • Rodney Leon, BArch ’92, reflected on the 10th anniversary of the unveiling of the Ark of Return, a permanent memorial designed by Leon that honors the victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade at the United Nations. “The memorialization of public space allows often complex and contradictory needs to coexist simultaneously. It must provide space for individual reflection and contemplation of often tragic histories, and at the same time provide a place for collective gathering and celebration.”

  • A new short documentary about Edel Rodriguez, BFA Fine Arts (Painting) ’94, is featured in PRINT magazine. Freedom is a Verb, by filmmakers Mecky Creus and Adrienne Hall, “focuses on Rodriguez’s bestselling visual memoir of young life in—and treacherous escape from—Castro’s Cuba.”

  • Nia Starr, MS Sustainable Environmental Systems ’24, turned their graduate thesis on equitable electrification into a real-world project for Diversity Coalition SLO County.

More Pratt Institute News

A young woman stands in front of an exhibition booth featuring colorful posters and materials for an architecture and arts festival. She wears a black outfit and a yellow lanyard. Beside her, another image shows her outside a modern building with glass facade, waving at the camera. The scene includes people walking in the background and urban architecture.

Designing Her Way to Her Dream Job

Recent alumna Renata Dominguez always knew she wanted to work in design. Now, just one year post-grad, she’s thriving at one of the biggest international branding agencies.
A spacious, elegantly decorated room with ornate detailing and large windows. Several individuals are walking around, some looking at artworks while others take photos. A table with a floral centerpiece is in the middle, surrounded by chairs. Two large paintings hang on the walls, depicting portraits and a landscape. The ambiance is bright and showcases a classic interior design.

Seeing the City: Tours, Talks, and More

From Pratt Institute News

This fall in New York City, students went to the newly renovated Frick, explored innovative materials at a circular design brand, and heard from famed director Spike Lee.

Exploring the Role of Values in Art and Design Education

From Pratt Institute News

Hosted on Pratt’s Brooklyn campus, the 2025 AICAD Symposium featured sessions on climate literacy, community-based learning, and interdisciplinary collaboration.