Commencement 2023 Program

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Ellen Kravet, Chairman

David Sprouls, NYSID President

Chesie Breen

Jill H. Dienst

James P. Druckman

Cheryl S. Durst

Ingrid Ongaro Edelman

Susan Zises Green

Alexa Hampton

Young Huh

David Kleinberg

Courtney R. McLeod

Dennis Miller

Betsey Ruprecht

Brad Schneller

David Scott

Kelly M. Williams

Eric Joseph Gering, Faculty Trustee

Joanna L. Silver, Esq., General Counsel

Elaine Wingate Conway, Trustee Emerita

Inge Heckel, Trustee Emerita

Patricia M. Sovern, Chairman Emeritus

ADVISORY BOARD

Robin Klehr Avia

Michael Bruno

Kathleen M. Doyle

Ross J. Francis

Mariette Himes Gomez

Gerald A. Holbrook

Thomas Jayne

Wolfram Koeppe

Charlotte Moss

Barbara Ostrom

Sylvia Owen

Ann Pyne

Peter Sallick

Calvin Tsao

Bunny Williams

Vicente Wolf

PROGRAM

Musical Prelude

Academic Procession

Chairman of the Board

Board of Trustees

President

Recipients of Honorary Doctorates

Faculty

Members of the Class of 2023

Welcome

Ellen Kravet, Chairman, Board of Trustees

President’s Address

David Sprouls, President

Presentation of Awards and Prizes

Ellen S. Fisher, Ph.D., Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean

Graduating Student Speakers

Paulina Castillon Gomez, BFA

Antonio Harris, MFA1

Commencement Address

Kate Kelly Smith, Chief Sales Officer, Sandow Design Group

EVP and Managing Director, Luxe Interiors + Design

Newell Turner, Celebrated design journalist

Conferral by the President of the Honorary Doctorates

Kate Kelly Smith

Newell Turner

Presentation of Diplomas

David Sprouls, President

Ellen S. Fisher, Ph.D., Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean

Recessional

Music provided by the David Glukh Brass Quartet

Student Speakers

NYSID’s community has selected two graduating students to speak at Commencement. This year’s speakers are Paulina Castillon Gomez, BFA, and Antonio Rico Harris II, MFA1.

Paulina Castillon Gomez, BFA

In three words, what does interior design mean to you? Impactful, Innovative, Creative

For me, interior design is the art of creating transformative spaces that engage the senses, evoke emotions, and enhance the human experience. It is a powerful tool that allows us to shape our environments. It is the harmonious blend of form, function, and creativity, resulting in spaces that are not only visually pleasing but also meaningful. As interior designers, we pay attention to every detail, from the colors and materials to the lighting and furniture, to create a cohesive and harmonious environment that resonates with its occupants.

Antonio Rico Harris II, MFA1

In three words, what does interior design mean to you? Storytelling, Choreography, Transcendence

Interior designers facilitate some of life’s most distinct and memorable experiences, inspired dwellings, and the apparent zeitgeist. An interior should influence some of life’s most invigorating attributes, such as comfort, efficiency, aesthetic appeal, personal style, and sensibility.

A designer should always consider and create with appeal to the intended audience. We are agents essentially—helping in communicating a message informed by the design—from color to form, space, textures, patterns, lines, light, flow, and experience.

Commencement Speakers

Kate Kelly Smith

Recipient of the Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts

Kate Kelly Smith is executive vice president and managing director of Luxe Interiors + Design and chief sales officer of the Sandow Design Group. She is a renowned industry leader and an advocate for design, with a dynamic career in design media spanning over four decades.

Her passion for design has been the driving force behind her entire career. Smith joined Luxe Interiors + Design and Sandow Design Group in 2020 and has played an instrumental role in the growth and success of a diverse portfolio of brands. Before joining Sandow Design Group, Smith was senior vice president of the Hearst Design Group, leading the publishing side of House Beautiful, Veranda, and Elle Decor She also served as publisher of House Beautiful, Prevention, and Child Magazine and launch publisher of Women's Health. She has worked on the sales teams of Architectural Digest, Town & Country, Harper's Bazaar, Esquire, and HFD, after starting her career at Young & Rubicam advertising.

Smith's extensive experience and contributions to the industry have earned her numerous industry accolades. Adweek and Ad Age have recognized her accomplishments with multiple awards. In contrast, the Media Industry newsletter named Smith one of the 21 Most Intriguing People in Media. Folio recognized her as a corporate visionary, naming her one of the Top Women in Media 2015. Smith is an active member of the IFDA and contributes to multiple industry boards and foundations; she is also a founding member of The Kelly Gang, a New York-based charity organization started by media figures who share the same surname.

Each year, nominees for the NYSID honorary doctorate degree are selected from a distinguished pool, and each have demonstrated leadership in the interior design industry and values that are consistent with the goals of the College’s mission and higher education.

Newell Turner

Recipient of the Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts

Newell Turner is an author, editor, photographer, and design consultant with over 35 years of experience in design and lifestyle magazine publishing. His book Mexican: A Journey Through Design (Vendome Press, May 2023) is organized around nine decisive decorative periods shaping Mexico's unique design journey of vibrant colors, cities, and culture. He is also a former New York School of Interior Design trustee with an ongoing interest in design education.

In 2012, Turner led the formation of the editorial division of the Hearst Design Group and served as editorial director of Elle Decor, House Beautiful, and Veranda. While Turner served as editor in chief of House Beautiful, it won a coveted National Magazine Award for general excellence.

He has reported on interior design, architecture, product design, and upscale consumers over a career that includes House & Garden and Metropolitan Home. He was the founding editor of Hamptons Cottages & Gardens and its sister publications. He holds a BA in Journalism and Southern Studies from the University of Mississippi, including advanced work in magazine design. In 2018 his career in journalism was recognized with Mississippi's prestigious Silver Em award.

AWARDS & PRIZES

The Chairman’s Award

The Ana Blanc Verna Award

The Alumni Award

The Robert Herring Travel Prize

The William Breger Faculty Achievement Award

CLASS OF 2023

ASSOCIATE IN APPLIED SCIENCE CANDIDATES

Vrinda Agarwal ✦

Morgan Allem ✦ ✦

Yana Ashim ✦ ✦

Jennifer Holly Berger ✦

Madeleine Shea Blommer ✦ ✦

Juliette Kelleigh Devereaux ✦

Mia Truong Friedman ✦

Diana Jin Fuss ✦ ✦

Marisa Da Silva Giniger ✦

Grace Glass ✦ ✦

Megan Goethals ✦ ✦

Valerie Goldin-Remm ✦

Allison Hagen ✦ ✦

Dalya Hirt ✦ ✦

Kathleen Anne Kearns

Virginia Kestel ✦ ✦

Judit Klara Lang ✦ ✦

Dominic LeMieux

Maria Lorenc ✦ ✦

Rachelle Lowenthal ✦

Izabela Marino

Piper Oldfather ✦ ✦

BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS CANDIDATES

Dahlia Awad ✦

Alley Bell

Elaine Browne ✦

Mia Carroll ✦

Sari Ackermann Cohen

Qadirah Copeland

Sean G. Desmond

Isabella Abigail Eastham ✦

Paulina Castillon Gomez ✦ ✦ ■

Isabella Amber Ashley Kong

Hamilton

Brianna Hartofelis ✦

Olivia Joyce Kane ✦

Lucie Kuljis ✦

Vincenza Lampon ✦ ✦

Diana Lawson ✦ ✦

Jiayao Li ✦

Rumbidzai Elizabeth Makava

Esther Nagel ✦ ✦

Keila Panchi ✦ ✦

Natalie Ramirez ✦

Jenna Roca ✦

Brigit Pinnell ✦ ✦

Kendall Greer Smith

Laurel Beth Smith ✦

Alexis Sundin ✦

Anna Catherine Ward ✦

Motomu Sakakibara ✦ ✦

Aaron Schechter ✦ ✦

Gabrielle Sheen

Krysten Smith ✦

Ransom Patrice Sutton ✦

Hsiu Wen Yang

Hyunjin Yang ✦

✦ Honors ✦ ✦ High Honors ■ Student Speaker

CLASS OF 2023

MASTER OF FINE ARTS CANDIDATES

MFA PROFESSIONAL (MFA1)

Shurouq Abdallah Al Jammal ✦

Atara Beller ✦ ✦

Jung-Chen Chih ✦

Min Ae Choi ✦ ✦

Elizabeth Collery ✦ ✦

Shelton Corbett

Julianne Grace Daly ✦ ✦

Victoria Diamond ✦ ✦

Charlotte Anne Doody ✦ ✦

Amelia Elliman

Paula Fastuca ✦ ✦

Alexandra Adelle Fisher ✦ ✦

Miranda Gelch ✦ ✦

Chloe Gillespie ✦

Felicia Gordon ✦

Xuanyu Guo

Antonio Rico Harris II ■

Marianela Imbachi

Shruti Kashikar ✦ ✦

Jordan Laney ✦ ✦

Chen-Wei Lin ✦

Hao Lu ✦

Laura Jane Quinlan Messersmith ✦ ✦

Elizabeth Anne O'Malley ✦ ✦

MFA POST-PROFESSIONAL (MFA2)

Mohamed Abdelaziz ✦ ✦

Mihika Pritish Chatterjee

Yanzhen Chen

Sarah Choudhary ✦ ✦

Pooja Meena Kamlesh

Juyeon Kim ✦

Rhythm Maheshwari ✦

Inkary Muenala

Marija Profaca ✦ ✦

Suman Rai ✦

Rani Ankush Ranaware

Nivedhitha Ravi ✦ ✦

MASTER OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES CANDIDATES

MPS IN LIGHTING DESIGN

Courtney Francis

Stephanie Jison

Mrinalini Kalla

Samuel Mikhail

Nirali Kanti Prajapati

Cynthia M. Torres Selmo

Thomas Simon

Soumya Undavalli

Zhi Yin Zhao

MPS IN SUSTAINABLE INTERIOR ENVIRONMENTS

Ariella Ahdut

Josseline Arevalo

Linda Stephania Diaz

Stefano Falez

Regyna-Marie Dominique Joab

Natalia N. Popovitz ✦ ✦

Victoria Rietmann ✦ ✦

Katrina Fayetta Riley ✦ ✦

Kerry Regan Sackett ✦

Anna Schoettle ✦

Courtney Siegenfeld ✦ ✦

Stephanie Vivianna Striebe ✦ ✦

Melania Tosh ✦ ✦

Mengting Wu ✦

Wenfei Xu ✦

Wendi Yu

ACADEMIC HERALDRY

The caps, gowns, and hoods worn at college and university functions date back to the medieval period. Derived from the traditional dress at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, they were originally worn to provide warmth in cold and drafty buildings. In Colonial America, Kings College (now Columbia University) was the first to adopt this academic attire. The garments are now donned during ceremonial occasions at most institutions of higher education. The ensemble generally consists of a gown with a separate hood and a cap that is actually a mortarboard, tam, or bonnet according to the institution’s choice.

Distinctions in the type of gown worn signify different degrees. For example, the bachelor’s gown is distinguished by its long pointed sleeves, while on the master’s gown, the sleeves are long but square. Gowns for the doctor’s degree carry broad velvet panels down the front and three velvet bars on the full, rounded sleeves. While typically black, doctoral robes may also be in the school’s colors like those of Columbia (light blue), Harvard (crimson), Fordham (maroon), and St. John’s (bright red). Members of the board of trustees of any institution of higher education are entitled to wear doctoral robes faced with black velvet and with black velvet bars on the sleeve regardless of their terminal degrees.

The brilliant colors of the hoods were added in the 19th century to signify the various degrees and the subject to which the degree pertains. The size of the hood varies according to the level of the degree. Basically a black shell in material to match the robe, it is lined in silk with the color or colors of the institution conferring the degree. The hood is then bordered with the proper width to indicate the degree and the color signifying the level of learning the degree represents. For example, brown velvet signifies fine arts, white velvet the humanities, and purple velvet law and jurisprudence. The doctoral degree requires blue velvet irrespective of the major field of study. If more than one degree is held, the gown and the hood of the highest degree attained are worn.

The colors and insignia of academic dress are subject to a strict code, and the American Council on Education’s Committee on Academic Costumes and Ceremonies reviews the dress code periodically and may recommend changes.

SCHOOL CHARTER

In New York, an institution that wishes to organize as an educational corporation must do so by petitioning the State Board of Regents for the issuance of a charter. Organizational and educational standards established by the Board of Regents must be fully met in order for a charter to be issued. In 1924, the New York School of Interior Decoration, as the College was known at that time, was chartered by the Board of Regents and the first course catalogue was published.

THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDALLION

The official insignia of the NYSID presidency, the Medallion symbolizes both the authority of the president and the ensuing responsibilities of the office. Worn on ceremonial occasions as part of the president’s academic regalia, the Medallion was designed by the late Michael Graves, who served on NYSID’s Advisory Board and was Program Advisor for the Master of Professional Studies in Healthcare Interior Design. The College expresses thanks to Michael Graves and his colleagues at Michael Graves Architecture & Design for so generously donating their time and talent to the creation of the Medallion.

Featuring a replica of the College’s seal and a rendering of a klismos chair in relief on the reverse, the Medallion is a gold-plated bronze medal measuring five inches in diameter. The dies for the medal, fabricated by the Medallic Art Company, were created from hand-sculpted models provided by Michael Graves Design. The production of the Presidential Medallion was made possible by the Board of Trustees of the New York School of Interior Design.

THE CEREMONIAL MACE

The Ceremonial Mace is a symbol of order and authority and is carried before the president and other dignitaries during academic processions. The NYSID Mace, symbolic of the search for enlightenment, is a replica of a flame-bearing urn resting on a plinth and mounted on a fluted handle. The hand-turned solid brass torch with an antiqued bronze finish is engraved with the College’s logo. Resting on top of the urn is the flame, which is a resin cast of a 19th century finial. The Mace was designed by NYSID faculty member René Estacio. The flame was finished in 23.5k gold leaf by Dean Barger, also a NYSID faculty member. The Mace was fabricated by Lite Makers, Inc., of Long Island City, New York. The manufacture of the Mace was made possible by the generosity of the Board of Trustees of the New York School of Interior Design.

New York School of Interior Design

New York School of Interior Design is a private, nonprofit college focused exclusively on interior design. The college offers certificate, undergraduate, and graduate programs for students at all stages of their careers—whether they’re just becoming familiar with the discipline, considering a career change, or looking to deepen knowledge in a particular area. Consistently ranked one of the top interior design programs in the United States, students study both residential and commercial interior design, some with specialties in sustainable design, lighting, and healthcare interiors. NYSID students enjoy a small class size and sharp focus, along with a great deal of personal attention from dedicated faculty. They go on to practice at the highest levels of the profession.

NYSID has two NYC locations: 170 E. 70th Street and 401 Park Avenue South. The majority of NYSID’s programs have online components. With the 2022 launch of the CIDA-accredited BFA distance degree in interior design, now the entire undergraduate curriculum is available both on-site and online so students everywhere have access to earning a NYSID degree. To learn more, visit nysid.edu

92NY

Founded 140 years ago to serve the Jewish people, 92NY promotes individual and family development and participation in civic life within the context of Jewish values and American pluralism.

As a nonprofit community and cultural center, 92NY seeks to create, provide, and disseminate programs of distinction that foster the physical and mental health of human beings throughout their lives, their educational and spiritual growth, and their enjoyment.

92NY reaches out beyond its core constituency of American Jews to serve people of diverse racial, religious, ethnic, and economic backgrounds, seeking partnerships that leaven our programs and broaden our influence.