Prizes & Honors 2024

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Each year at commencement, the Harvard Graduate School of Design confers awards on graduating students who demonstrate exceptional scholarly achievement, leadership, and service. Congratulations to the student award recipients, and to all 2024 graduates for your tremendous accomplishments.

Prize-Winning Thesis Projects

KEUR FÀTTALIKU — The House of Recollection

Mariama M.M. Kah (MArch II ’24)

A digital rendering of a circular courtyard surrounded by two-storey structures. A tree is in the center of the courtyard and it rises into a rooflike shade structure resembling an inverted cone. People sit in the courtyard and some are wearing long gowns and robes.

Bådehus

Yeonho Lee (MArch II ’24)

Two images showing views of a grey building six or seven stories tall on a waterfront with sailboats in the foreground.

How to (Un)build a House? A Reinvention of Wood Framing

Clara Mu He (MArch I ’24)

Two images show different views of a wood model of a house with a sloping roof.

Learning from Quartzsite, AZ: Emerging Nomadic Spatial Practices in America

Mojtaba Nabavi (MAUD ’24)

A digital rendering of a desert landscape with beige, modular structures in the foreground and a parking lot with mobile campers in the background.

Reforesting Fort Ord

Slide Kelly (MLA I AP, MDes ’24)

A diagram showing elevations and cut-away views of a structure with an open roof designed to enclose trees.

INSURGENT GEOLOGY: Mineral Matters in the Arctic

Melanie Louterbach (MLA I ’24)

A digital rendering of an arctic landscape with cylindrical sections of a pipeline, each separated from any other, arranged on the ground in a straight line.

Seeding Grounds: Working Beyond Arcadia in The Pyrocene

by Stewart Crane Sarris (MLA I ’24)

A trio of digital images showing people working on grassy open landscapes including by erecting a fencepost.

School Awards

Gerald M. McCue Medal

The Gerald M. McCue Medal is awarded each year to the student graduating from one of the school’s post-professional degree programs who has achieved the highest overall academic record.

  • Haewon Ma (MDes ’24, Narratives Domain)

Digital Design Prize

The Digital Design Prize is presented by the Graduate School of Design to the students who have demonstrated the most imaginative and creative use of computer graphics in relation to the design professions.

  • Chun Tak Chung (MArch I AP ’24)

Peter Rice Prize

The Peter Rice Prize honors students of exceptional promise in the school’s architecture and advanced degree programs who have proven their competence and innovation in advancing architecture and structural engineering.

  • Clara Mu He (MArch I ’24)

 Plimpton-Poorvu Design Prize

The Plimpton-Poorvu Design Prize recognizes the top team or individual for a viable real estate project completed as part of the GSD curriculum that best demonstrates feasibility in design, construction, economics, and in fulfillment of market and user needs.

  • 1st Prize: Ziyang Dong (MArch I ’25)
  • 1st Prize: Jasmine Ibrahim (MRE ’24)
  • 1st Prize: Jian Li Oh (MUD ’24)
  • 1st Prize: Benjamin John Parker (MAUD ’24)
  • 2nd Prize: Chandler Caserta (MArch I ’25)
  • 2nd Prize: Austin N Sun (MArch I, MLA AP ’24)
  • 2nd Prize: Kei Takanami (MArch I ’25)
  • 2nd Prize: Amber Zeng (MArch I ’25)
  • 2nd Prize: Catherine Shuying Chen (MArch I ’25)
  • 2nd Prize: Aaron Smithson (MArch I, UP  ’25)
  • 2nd Prize: Maggie May Weese (MUP, MPH ’24)
  • Honorable Mention: Jaime Espinoza (MRE ’24)
  • Honorable Mention: Chris James (MRE ’24)
  • Honorable Mention: Miguel Lantigua Inoa (MArch II, MLA AP ’24)

Clifford Wong Prize in Housing Design

The Clifford Wong Prize in Housing Design aims to help re-establish the essential role of architects in society to provide not only the fundamental needs of human shelter but to meet the challenge of designing creative solutions for improving living environments. The prize is awarded for the multi-family housing design that incorporates the most interesting ideas and/or innovations that may lead to socially oriented, improved living conditions.

  • Magdalen Elizabeth Musante (MArch I ’24)

Best Paper on Housing

  • Jorge Enrique Mutis (MAUD ’24)

Irving Innovation Fellowship

The Irving Innovation Fellowship offers a graduating student the opportunity to extend their research and discovery beyond their time as a student and work with a group of mentors and colleagues to contribute to the school’s pedagogy and dialogue on an annually changing topic.

  • Melanie Louterbach (MLA I ’24)

Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship

  • Kimberlee Diane Córdova (MDes ’24, Narratives Domain)

Druker Traveling Fellowship

Established in 1986, the Druker Traveling Fellowship is open to all students at the GSD who demonstrate excellence in the design of urban environments. It offers students the opportunity to travel in the United States or abroad to pursue study that advances understanding of urban design.

  • Curry Julius Hackett (MAUD ’24)

Architecture Awards

American Institute of Architects Medal

The American Institute of Architects Medal is awarded to a professional degree student in the Master in Architecture graduating class who has achieved the highest level of excellence in overall scholarship throughout the course of their studies.

  • Sungyeon Kristine Chung (MArch I ’24)

Alpha Rho Chi Medal

The Alpha Rho Chi Medal is awarded to the graduating student who has achieved the best general record of leadership and service to the department and who gives promise of professional merit through their character.

  • Oluwatosin Odugbemi (MArch I ’24)

James Templeton Kelley Prize

The James Templeton Kelley Prize recognizes the best final design project submitted by a graduating student in the architecture degree programs.

  • MArch I: Clara Mu He  (MArch I ’24)
  • MArch II: Mariama M.M. Kah (MArch II ’24)
  • MArch II: Yeonho Lee (MArch II ’24)

Julia Amory Appleton Traveling Fellowship in Architecture

The Julia Amory Appleton Traveling Fellowship is given to a student in the Department of Architecture on the basis of academic achievement as well as the worthiness of the project to be undertaken.

  • Magdalen Elizabeth Musante (MArch I ’24)

Kevin V. Kieran Prize

The Kevin V. Kieran Prize recognizes the highest level of academic achievement among students graduating from the post-professional Master in Architecture program.

  • Thomas Day (MArch II ’24)

Dept. of Architecture Faculty Design Award

The Department of Architecture Faculty Design Award was established by the faculty of the Department of Architecture with the aim of recognizing significant achievement within a body of design work completed by a student at the GSD. This award is given to graduating students from each of the department’s two program.

  • Siyu Zhu (MArch I ’24)
  • Ihwa Choi (MArch II ’24)

Dept. of Architecture Certificate of Academic Excellence

The Department of Architecture Certificate of Academic Excellence is awarded by the faculty of the Department of Architecture to a graduate of the professional degree program in architecture (MArch I) in recognition of their academic achievement throughout their course of study in the program.

  • Nana Komoriya (MArch I ’24)

Landscape Architecture Awards

Thesis Prize in Landscape Architecture

The Landscape Architecture Thesis Prize is given to the graduating student who has prepared the best independent thesis during the past academic year.

  • Slide Kelly (MLA I AP, MDes ’24)
  • Melanie Louterbach (MLA I ’24)
  • Stewart Crane Sarris (MLA I ’24)

American Society of Landscape Architects Certificates

Nominated by the faculty in the GSD’s Department of Landscape Architecture, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) awards a certificate of Honor and a Certificate of Merit to students enrolled in the Master in Landscape Architecture program who have “demonstrated a high degree of academic scholarship and of accomplishment in skills related to the art and technology of landscape architecture.”

  • Leila Sophia Breen (MLA I ’24), Certificate of Merit
  • Julia Leah Hedges (MLA I ’24), Certificate of Merit
  • Kai Alycia Walcott (MLA I ’24), Certificate of Merit
  • Brian Kohan (MLA I AP ’24), Certificate of Honor
  • Xinran Ma (MLA I  ’24), Certificate of Honor
  • Zeinab Maghdouri Khubnama (MLA I AP ’24), Certificate of Honor

Norman T. Newton Prize

The Norman T. Newton Prize is given to a graduating landscape architecture student whose work best exemplifies achievement in design expression as realized in any medium.

  • Christopher Lucas Dobbin (MLA I AP ’24)

Peter Walker & Partners Fellowship for Landscape Architecture

The Peter Walker and Partners Fellowship for Landscape Architecture is awarded to support travel and study for a graduating GSD student to advance their understanding of the body of scholarship and practices related to landscape design.

  • Gracie Rae Meek (MLA I AP ’24)
  • Daniella Renee Slowik (MLA II ’24)

Jacob Weidenman Prize

The Jacob Weidenmann Prize is awarded to the student of the most distinguished design achievement graduating from the Department of Landscape Architecture.

  • Nakakamol Chueathue (MLA II  ’24)

Charles Eliot Traveling Fellowship in Landscape Architecture

The Charles Eliot Traveling Fellowship is awarded annually as the highest honor by the Department of Landscape Architecture to one of its graduates.

  • Stewart Crane Sarris (MLA I ’24)

Urban Planning and Design Awards

Academic Excellence in Urban Planning

The Award for Academic Excellence in Urban Planning and Urban Design honors graduating students from each of the programs who have achieved the highest academic record.

  • Daniel Montoya (MUP ’24)
  • Michael Christopher Whelan (MUP ’24)

Academic Excellence in Urban Design

  • Benjamin John Parker  (MAUD ’24)

Award for Outstanding Leadership in Urban Planning and Urban Design

The Award for Outstanding Leadership in Urban Planning and Urban Design honors graduating students from each of the programs who have demonstrated outstanding leadership during their time at the Graduate School of Design.

  • Olufemi Olamijulo (MUP ’24)
  • Pia Kochar  (MAUD ’24)

Thesis Prize in Urban Planning & Design

The Planning and Design Thesis Prize is given to the graduating students in each of the programs who have prepared the best independent theses during the past academic year.

  • Mojtaba Nabavi (MAUD ’24)

Award for Excellence in Project-Based Urban Planning

The Award for Excellence in Project-Based Urban Planning is given to students who have demonstrated exceptional ability in urban planning projects including research and design studios throughout their course of study.

  • Nur Shlapobersky (MUP ’24)

Award for Excellence in Urban Design

The Award for Excellence in Urban Design is given to students who have demonstrated exceptional design ability throughout their course of study in the Urban Design program.

  • Yimeng Ding (MAUD ’24)

American Planning Association Outstanding Student Award

The American Planning Association Outstanding Student Award recognizes outstanding attainment in the study of planning by students graduating from accredited planning programs. The recipient of the award is chosen by a jury of planning faculty at each school.

  • Briana Villaverde Uriarte (MUP ’24)

Design Studies Awards

Dimitris Pikionis Award

The Dimitris Pikionis Award recognizes a student for outstanding academic performance in the Master in Design Studies degree program.

  • Rosita Palladino (MDes ’24, Ecologies Domain)

Design Studies Domain Awards

  • Rosita Palladino (MDes ’24, Ecologies Domain)
  • Treyden Chiaravalloti (MDes ’24, Mediums Domain)
  • Huirong Ye (MDes ’24, Narratives Domain)
  • Gabriel Jean-Paul Soomar (MArch II, MDes ’24, Publics Domain)

Design Engineering Awards

Overall Academic Performance Award

The Overall Academic Performance Award recognizes a graduating MDE student for outstanding academic performance in the Master in Design Engineering degree program.

  • Binita Gupta (MDE ’24)

Leadership and Community Prize

The Leadership and Community Prize recognizes one or more graduating students who have displayed outstanding leadership and community building within the Design Engineering cohort and who have represented MDE values to the larger world.

  • Ghalya Alsanea (MDE ’24)
  • Priyanka Pillai (MDE ’24)

Outstanding Design Engineering Project

  • Priyanka Pillai (MDE ’24)
  • Julius Stein (MDE ’24)

Alumni Award

Alumni Award

The Alumni Award recognizes and celebrates the diversity, range, and impact of outstanding GSD alumni leaders within their communities and across their areas of practice. It underscores the essential role GSD graduates play in leading change around the world.  Founded and led by the GSD Alumni Council, 2024 marks the fourth year of this initiative.

  • Ron Ostberg, who received his Master in Architecture (MArch) from the GSD in 1968

Ron Ostberg receives this award for exceptional service to the GSD community, outstanding ambassadorship to the school through the broader university and Harvard Alumni Association, and for playing a critical role in forming the Alumni Council as we know it today.

  • Gretchen Schneider Rabinkin, who received her Master in Architecture (MArch) from the GSD in 1997

As Executive Director, Gretchen Schneider Rabinkin oversees operations and management of the Boston Society of Landscape Architects, one of the largest, oldest, and most active chapters of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

  • Harry G. Robinson, III, who received his Master in City Planning in Urban Design from the GSD in 1973

Harry G. Robinson is a former professor of architecture and Dean Emeritus of the School of Architecture and Design at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

  • Calvin Tsao, who received his Master in Architecture from the GSD in 1979

Calvin Tsao is a recognized and leading voice in contemporary architecture whose work draws from a lively engagement with a variety of art forms.