The Westphal Dean’s Office of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (IDEA), in partnership with the Westphal Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council (DEIC), are pleased to announce the recipients of its inaugural IDEA-Development, Education, and Cultivation (DEC) Mini-grants. These small seed grants, in amounts between $500-1000 support projects that develop, educate, and cultivate inclusion, diversity, equity, and anti-racism in accordance with the College’s Strategic Plan.

We are excited to announce that Drexel University’s Bachelor’s of Architecture is among 22 programs from 14 institutions nationwide to receive a U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Design Designation (ZEDD). This designation recognizes college programs that prepare students for 21^stcentury clean energy buildings careers.

Celebrate the students, faculty, staff, and alumni of the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design in this round-up of recent accomplishments. 

In summer term of 2021, eight undergraduate students from Westphal College of Media Arts & Design participated in Drexel’s STAR (Students Tackling Advanced Research) Scholars Program through the Pennoni Honors College. The STAR Scholars Program enables a cohort of highly motivated early undergraduate students to engage in faculty-mentored research, scholarship, or creative work. This year’s STAR Scholars Summer Showcase featured in-person and virtual presentations from participating students. 

Dezeen has featured Drexel student work from graduate and undergraduate interiors as part of their annual School Shows.

Six faculty from Westphal College of Media Arts & Design are recipients of 2021 faculty research awards from the Drexel University Office of Faculty Advancement. Funding from the Faculty Scholarly & Creative Activity Award and Summer Research Award support tenure/tenure track faculty development of research, scholarship, and creative activities.

Each year, Drexel Magazine recognizes some of the most promising, entrepreneurial, creative, and inspiring alumni under the age of 40. These alumni launched new companies in the middle of an historic downturn, reimagined how they delivered on their talents, and, collectively, adapted their professional environments to the unique challenges of 2020. This year, seven Westphal College of Media Arts & Design alumni were highlighted as nominees of the Class of 2021.

In Spring of 2021, the Graduate College and the Steinbright Career Development Center announced their annual awards, this year honoring numerous students, one staff member, and one faculty member from the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design.

Lindsay Bedford, a 3rd year grad interiors student, has been chosen as one of twenty artists in the Philadelphia area to join the 2021 Fellowship for Black Artists with Mural Arts Philadelphia

Drexel undergraduate Interior Design student MyeongJu (MJ) Shin was recognized with a 2021 Cooperative Education Award

This year's Arfaa lecture series concluded with a well-attended lecture by celebrated Mexican architect, designer and critic, Fernanda Canales.

Two students from Drexel’s Interior Architecture & Design program, Hadiya Bynoe-Seabron and Tiffany England, were chosen for the inaugural 2021 Metropolis Future 100. Launched by the popular Meteropolis Magazine, this recognition honors top interior design and architecture students graduating this year.

A few alums of the Drexel Interiors  graduate, and undergraduate programs have recently been recognized for their achievements in the profession.   

Drexel Interior Design and Interior Architecture & Design students swept the awards, winning first place for the fifth consecutive year in the annual HOK Philadelphia Futures Design Competition.

It is with great sadness that we recognize the passing renowned professor Walter H. Moleski on November 30.  Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, Walter first became interested in architecture as a child and he later graduated from the Tulane Architecture School in 1960. Returning to Philadelphia he worked for several architectural firms including Louis Sauer and GBQC before starting a partnership with George Manos. 

The Interior Design and Architecture programs of Westphal College received commendation from highly respected DesignIntelligence. The publication surveyed 9,000 hiring professionals, 4,200 professional practice organizations, and over 6,000 students. This year’s rankings are for 12 different areas of focus, and Westphal is recognized in 11 of these 12 categories. Additionally, we are pleased to report that our Architecture program was ranked among the Most Admired Architecture programs in the nation.

The Consortium for Design and Education Outcomes (CDEO), a collaboration between Drexel University and Perkins Eastman, won the prestigious Latrobe Prize, along with a $100,000 award

Graduate students from the Interior Architecture program presented their work on a symposium panel at the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) titled “Bright Futures, Dark Futures: Envisioning the Consequences of Climate Change.”

Drexel Interior Architecture students were awarded the second place in the 14th annual International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Student Design Competition. This prestigious competition celebrates the talent and fresh design ideas of interior design students currently enrolled in interior design programs throughout the world.

Westphal Interior Design student teams swept the awards in the third annual HOK Philadelphia Futures Design Competition in Interior Design. Two-person student teams from area Architecture and Interior Design programs competed for internships and cash prizes. First Place, including a $6,000 prize and 3-month internships went to Leah Stoner and Taylor Regester (3rd year grads); Second Place, with a $4,000 prize went to Justin Lee and Eunbi Kim (junior and 3rd year grad); Third Place, with a $2,000 prize went to Kristianne Simeon and Aishwarya Gunta (2nd year grads). This is the third year of the event, and Westphal students have taken first place all three years.

Marie Mastrobattista, a student in Drexel’s Interior Architecture & Design graduate program was awarded the IDEC Foundation Graduate Scholarship. 

Three alumni of the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design’s Architecture Program are appointees to the leadership of the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Philadelphia and Pennsylvania chapters. The AIA advocates for the value of architecture and gives architects the resources they need to do their best work, driving positive change through the power of design. Founded in 1869, the AIA Philadelphia is among the oldest and most distinguished of AIA chapters, with a long history of service to members and the public.

After intensive preparation and rigorous review, the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) is pleased to recognize the Interior Design and Interior Architecture programs at Drexel University for “meeting educational quality standards and preparing graduates who will contribute to the future excellence of the interior design profession.”  

Two students in the Interior Architecture & Design graduate program won first and second place in the 17th Annual Jacobs Interior Design Competition.

The Westphal College of Media Arts & Design’s Interior Design programs were recognized among the ‘Most Admired Design Schools in the US’ by DesignIntelligence, a highly respected resource for design practitioners and educators.

Ivy (by Houzz) has developed a list of the top interior design programs in the U.S., listing Drexel University as one of the Top 10 Interior Design Schools. 

Drexel Architecture 1997 alumni, Mark Kocent, AIA, AICP, has been appointed the University Architect for the University of Pennsylvania.

Current Architecture student, Matt who is finishing his fourth year in Drexel's 2+4 Architecture Program was recently featured on NORR's Architecture News. 

Dee Nicholas, professor and director of the Design Research program, and William Mangold, professor and director of the Interior Architecture program, presented a paper and workshop developed from a graduate studio they co-taught the previous two years.

Interior Design graduate students Natala Covert and Xiao Long were selected as winners of the second annual HOK Futures Design Challenge.

Drexel University Architecture '12 alumni Joshua T. Lessard was featured in Drexel Magazine's 40 Under 40.

Alexander Stadel, Adjunct Associate Professor for Architecture, named a 2018 Top Young Professional by Engineering News Record MidAtlantic.

Ala Felemban, Interior Architecture & Design Masters student, is the winner of the Philadelphia Museum of Art's 2017 Collab Student Design Competition's People Choice Award, with an astounding 1,401 votes for the work AF Partition. 

Do you have children, siblings, friends or peers interested in attending Westphal? Our Summer Programs are now enrolling High School students who want to get a head start on college studies.

Teaching Professor Marilynne Rose has been a major contributor to our nationally ranked undergraduate and graduate Interior Design programs for many years. She is universally admired by colleagues in her department and beyond for her talents as a working designer, and as a knowledgeable and compassionate teacher who has taught almost every course in the Interior’s extensive curriculum.

The 2017 Interdisciplinary Design weekend-long Charrette is just around the corner and will be led this year by principals of Snøhetta, the award-winning, internationally renowned design firm. 

Nicole Koltick is an Assistant Professor in Architecture, Design & Urbanism and Director of the Design Futures Lab, where she leads graduate research groups in critical design practices and speculative proposals focused on three main areas of inquiry: tangible interaction in the built environment, the incorporation of novel advancements in science and computation into our built environments, and new models for ambient communication. We sat down with Nicole to learn more about her work, process and perspectives.

The Drexel Department of Architecture, Design & Urbanism is pleased to announce an upcoming program with Florentine architect Andrea Ponsi, international creator, city planner, designer, painter and writer, featuring a weekend worth of programming that includes an exhibition, lecture, reception and workshop through the generous support of the Good Idea Fund. 

We're approaching the big moment we've been waiting for as Drexel's Tiny House reaches completion. Before our Tiny House moves to Greensgrow West, where it will be utilized as a small education center, attendees will have the opportunity to explore the completed house during a reveal to the public on Wednesday, February 22 at 4PM in the URBN Center's parking lot.

Last year we told you about an Architecture & Interiors' course which was part of an initiative to build a Tiny House for Greensgrow , a community organization that employs urban agriculture to cultivate food, community and entrepreneurship. The journey continues this term with an emphasis on completing the structure's interior. Be sure to stop by the corner of 36th & Filbert to see the house as it nears completion.  

On Thursday, October 13th, The Department of Architecture & Interiors’ Arfaa Lecture will feature Harris Steinberg, Distinguished Teaching Professor and the Executive Director of the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation, and Gerard Sweeney, President of Brandywine Realty Trusts for a panel discussion entitled Town and Gown: Creating Schuylkill Yards, focusing on the major development plans for West Philadelphia being led by Drexel in partnership with Brandywine.

On Friday, October 14th we’ll host the Design Research Symposium, a series of events that explore the emerging field growing out of the work of artists, designers and interdisciplinary collaborators whose investigations push the boundaries of traditional disciplines, requiring interdisciplinary approaches, the mastery of new technologies, and intensive research to unearth solutions to practical and aesthetic problems.

The highly respected DesignIntelligence, published by the Design Futures Council, has just released its ranking of top Interior Design schools for 2016-17.

A new collaboration between Drexel’s Center for Cultural Partnerships and the African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) will have Westphal students in the graduate Arts Administration and Museum Leadership, and students from our Architecture and Interior Design programs working closely with the Museum.

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Nurturing Emergent Synthetic Life (NESL), a 6-minute short film by Professor Nicole Koltick, Director of the Design Futures Lab, produced in collaboration collaboration with Film & Television Professor Jocelyn Tarquini-Motter and Dragon Productions, will premiere on Wednesday, May 4^th at 6pm in the URBN Annex Screening Room.

A new intensive study abroad course