A roundup of ideas and projects from around the Institute
Rahil Mandalia, BFA Interior Design ’26, was named one of three recipients of IIDA NY’s 5th annual Hazel Siegel Scholarship. The scholarship is named in honor of acclaimed textile designer and longtime Pratt faculty member Hazel Siegel. The winners were selected based on their “community engagement, academic standing, design aspirations, perspectives on diversity, and post-graduation goals.”
Chair of History of Art and Design Sarah Lichtman will be speaking on the panel on “Structures of Success: Women Leading in Architecture and Design” at The Winter Show NYC at the Park Avenue Armory on January 31.
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Film/Video Maya Edelman received a silver medal from the Society of Illustrators, recognizing her work for Australia’s CSIRO National DNA Library.
City Limits profiled a Taconic Fellowship project in which Pratt students collaborated with Mothers On the Move to explore hemp’s potential as a sustainable retrofit material for public housing in the Bronx. “For [Bhavini] Kapur, [MS City and Regional Planning ’24], the Pratt studio is a perfect place for early career architects, like the students, to normalize using these natural materials in their work while staying connected to the local community.”
Xenobia Bailey, BFA Industrial Design ’77, and former faculty member Mendi Obadike (with partner Keith), were awarded a grant from the United States Artists (USA), a Chicago-based nonprofit. “The organization considers artists with singular artistic visions who have made an impact in their respective disciplines,” explains Hyperallergic.
Fine Arts Civic Engagement Fellow Alex Strada was selected for the 2026 Pioneer Works Residency.
Alanna Jaworski, BArch ’08, was named associate principal at Union Studio Architecture & Community Design. “Alanna Jaworski has been at the forefront of some of our most meaningful affordable and supportive housing work, from our first affordable passive house project to the innovative community at Child Farm on Martha’s Vineyard.”
Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts, associate professor of writing, was appointed as the inaugural Curator-in-Residence of the Weeksville Heritage Center. “As a curator-in-residence, Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts’ work is bound to elicit feelings related to the importance of land, place and legacy in our lives,” said Dr. Raymond Codrington, president and chief executive officer of Weeksville Heritage Center.
TheyDream by William David Caballero, BFA Digital Arts ’06, was featured in a list of “Latine Films to Look Out for at Sundance 2026” by Remezcla.
Jean Shin, adjunct professor – CCE of fine arts, was named a 2026 Creative Capital awardee. The grants will provide $2.9 million to 109 artists in all 50 states.
From Pratt Institute News
From Pratt Institute News
