Art & Design Faculty, Staff, & Student Awards 2022
Skoog Dunagan Family Student Support Fund
Melissa Skoog, Art History alumna (BFA 1995) and founder of Skoog Productions in Chicago, has a profound appreciation of the support she received from her family during her time at the University of Illinois and as she went out into the world armed with her creative talent and big dreams.
Realizing the power of that kind of support, she and her husband, Chris Dunagan, created this fund to support undergraduate experiential learning that expands beyond the classroom and adds value to students’ classwork, research, and aspirations. Grants will be awarded each academic year based on student applications reviewed by a faculty committee.
Sarah Anderson
Emma DeValk
Charlotte Moore
Timara Norman
Kristina Sutterlin
William Stumpf Student Research Fund
Bill Stumpf, who earned his BFA in Industrial Design at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, is arguably one of the most accomplished design graduate in the history of the School of Art & Design. He worked at Herman Miller, Inc., from 1970 until his death in 2006. Bill was described as a “key figure in the company’s transformation into a research-based, problem-solving innovator.” He was awarded the nation’s highest design honor, the 2006 National Design Award for product design, presented posthumously by the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. Bill’s products have collectively generated more revenue for Herman Miller than any other designer's work in the company’s storied history of design. His distinguished legacy should stand as a source of inspiration to the students of his alma mater.
Ava BooydeGraff
Anya Chen
Ridhi Chingakham
Will Escudero
Jennifer Gaw
Andrew Jang
Grace Song
Richard Tuttle and Lois Marie Orr Scholarship
Established in 1999 in honor of Lois Marie Orr, the Orr Scholarship is awarded to undergraduate students in varying amounts with a preference given to incoming freshmen. Not awarded in 2021–2022
Alexis Wernsing Innovation Scholarship
The Alexis Wernsing Innovation Scholarship, established by her parents, Big Ed and Patty Wernsing of Litchfield, IL, and supported by many friends and family members, recognizes deserving students at the University of Illinois who have channeled their experience of living with a disability, or observing those who do, into positive change by creating new products, environments, or protocols that enhance the quality of life. The annual scholarship is intended to inspire others and keep Alexis Wernsing’s “can do, never quit” attitude alive and to help the physically disabled tackle their day-to-day challenges.
Alexis passed in 2015 at age 40, but her indomitable spirit lives on through this scholarship held by the College of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The scholarship shall be given in recognition of innovative design work that benefits persons living with a disability. Students at every level and from any discipline are to be considered. A graduate or undergraduate recipient will be identified as the Alexis Wernsing Innovation Scholar based on the recognition of innovative design work that benefits persons living with a disability.
As one who helped pave the way for the physically challenged, Alexis will be remembered for facing life’s challenges with dignity and grace. And while her work helping others with disabilities lives on through the innovative device that she helped invent, it is her quiet voice that still resonates deep in the hearts and minds of all those she touched.
Annika Sornson
BFA Catalog Designers
The designers are responsible for the coordination and design of the 2019 BFA Exhibition Catalog.
Bailey King
Ali Nitti
School of Art & Design Distinguished Staff Award
This award is presented each year to an academic professional or civil service staff member(s) for their contributions and accomplishments to the school.
Mark Avery
Linda Obobaifo • S.Y.M.P.H.O.N.Y (Soul Youth Meets Playing Harmonies Obligated– Never Yearning)
Logan Ingold • *nnnnh*
School of Art & Design Specialized Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching
The Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated consistent excellent performance in teaching, has made a demonstrable positive impact on students in the classroom and through advising and mentoring, has used innovative approaches in teaching, and has made significant contributions to the development of the curriculum.
Steven Hudson
School of Art & Design Faculty Excellence Award
This award is presented each year to a faculty member for their contributions and accomplishments in either Research, Teaching, or Service.
Molly Briggs
Cliff Shin
College Awards
Art & Design James Scholars
Since the 1950s, the University of Illinois has encouraged outstanding undergraduate students by offering participation in the Edmund James Scholar Program. Each college has a James Scholar undergraduate honors program. The programs are named for the fourth president of the University of Illinois, Edmund J. James. He believed scholarship and research are fundamental to human progress, and in the years of his presidency (1904–1920), he brought world-class scholars and researchers to the campus, developed many new graduate programs, and fostered a sense of community among faculty and students. His achievements helped to transform the University of Illinois into a campus of international importance.
Maxwell Chan
Kathleen Rose Culligan
Grace Doyle
Dhriti Rakesh Gandhi
Yanlu Gao
Emily Kate Hazen
Elizabeth Keegan
Athena Lai
Kate Neal Kinley Fellowship
Jamarri K. Nix
Madeline Pierce
Gail Schneiderman
Karthik Subramaniam
Maryam Syed
Sam Wagner
Sherry Xu
This creative fellowship for promising young graduates of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and other prestigious institutions recognizes alumna Kate Neal Kinley’s dedication to the arts.
Not awarded in 2021–2022
College of Fine & Applied Arts Faculty Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising
The Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising recognizes exceptional and sustained performance in academic advising and student support. This award recognizes an advisor who has made significant positive impacts on undergraduate students in the College of Fine and Applied Arts.
Bryan VanGinhoven
Campus Awards
Bronze Tablet
This honor is bestowed upon undergraduates who have demonstrated sustained academic achievement and are ranked in the top three percent of their graduating class.
