Two interior design majors win $30,000 Donghia Foundation Senior Scholarship Awards

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Emily Hale received the Donghia Foundation Senior Scholarship for her project "Scarlet Thread," a recovery center for young women (submitted photo).

Emily Hale and Alyssa Overs, senior interior design majors at Miami University, each received the 2014 Angelo Donghia Foundation Senior Scholarship Award. They are two of 12 students nationwide selected for the $30,000 scholarship from among 60 applicants.

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Alyssa Overs received the Donghia Foundation Senior Scholarship for her project "Valiance," a children's oncology center (submitted photo).

The scholarships were awarded based on a juried competition of portfolio submissions. Students in their junior year must submit either a residential or commercial project they have designed. The judges consist of top New York City interior designers.

Hale, from Carlisle, completed her project as part of a senior capstone course with faculty mentor Gulen Cevik, associate professor of architecture and interior design.

Hale's project, "Scarlet Thread," is a recovery center for young women of all ages. Her design incorporates elements of hope and healing to young women suffering from various forms of global injustice. The design, inspired by clean and simplistic lines of Japanese architecture, led Hale to further investigate the origami crane, a universal symbol of hope that she incorporated as part of the design elements throughout the structure.

Overs, from Amherst, completed her project as part of an Interior Design Studio course with Deborah Norman, visiting assistant professor of architecture and interior design.

Her project, “Valiance,” provides vision for a children’s oncology center. The concept centers on patients who are treated as warriors in the battle against cancer, according to Overs. Her design incorporates an interactive display on a “Warrior Wall,” providing a welcoming atmosphere that includes open spaces, natural materials and bright accent colors.

See excerpts of their projects in the images below.

Since 2002, when the scholarship competition was founded, five Miami students have received Donghia Scholarships, the largest interior design scholarships in the United States.

John Wiegand, chair and professor of architecture and interior design, said, "although our students have won before, receiving two of 12 awards in this year's competition is an achievement and we are very proud of Alyssa, Emily and the interior design faculty.”

The Angelo Donghia Foundation, Inc., was established by the late Angelo Donghia, an internationally recognized interior designer. The foundation’s Scholarship Program provides assistance for the advancement of education in the field of interior design. Since its inception in 2002, it has awarded more than $10 million to interior design education.

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