Drexel leads all interior design programs with four students receiving awards from the IDEC Foundation to attend the Interior Design Educators Council annual conference. Graduate students Tiffany England, Anna Fowler, Sarah Jahanbakhsh, and Colin Lott won the scholarship based on their response to the question: “What has drawn you to the interior design education profession?” 

Anna Fowler, who currently works at Aeturnum Design Studio and is completing her combined BS/MS degree notes, “Designers are privileged to shape the way in which humans interact with the built environment, and that power, when done thoughtfully and consciously, is what can change the world. I look forward to bestowing this inspiration on future students, who will embrace their unique design processes.”  

The IDEC Foundation’s primary goal is to advance the profession by supporting educational, research, leadership, and creative opportunities for educators and students and improve the human experience in the designed environment. The winning scholars will have an opportunity to participate in virtual mentoring meetings with nationally recognized educators, Katherine Ankerson (professor and dean, University of Nebraska, Lincoln) and Shawna Corry (professor and dean, University of Idaho). 

This is the third consecutive year Drexel students have won IDEC Foundation grants. Previous winners, alums Marie Mastrobattista and Lisa Patusky, have taken on teaching opportunities after graduation. Our program offers students a variety of ways to gain teaching experience, including a summer pre-college program which Colin Lot participated in as a teaching mentor. In his award statement he noted, “I have learned from faculty and professionals of diverse backgrounds with unwavering dedication to interior design education. With their guidance, I was able to carve out my own way to pass on interior design education with opportunities for teaching and mentoring high school students about possibilities in the interior design industry.” 

Please visit the IDEC Foundation Graduate Scholars website for more information.