October 15, 2018
Interior architecture & product design student wins $30,000 scholarship
Taylor Hegarty, a graduate student in the College of Architecture, Planning & Design's department of interior architecture & product design, or IAPD, was selected as the recipient of a $30,000 scholarship from the Angelo Donghia Foundation for her innovative design work.
Hegarty, Olathe, was one of 12 selected from 69 student nominations submitted by accredited design schools.
The Angelo Donghia Foundation's committee for the 2018 Senior Scholarship Program consisted of designers, architects and design journalists.
"It was such an honor to be nominated to represent our department as a candidate for the Angelo Donghia Foundation scholarship," Hegarty said. "I cannot thank the IAPD faculty enough for the opportunity to submit my work. It is also an honor to be selected as one of the recipients by a highly respected panel of people from the design community."
The foundation was established by interior design pioneer Angelo Donghia with a focus on funding the last year of schooling for promising interior design students.
As part of the application, students were asked to write an essay and submit one project from studio. Hegarty's winning project, "Flex," was created during her third-year design studio led by Professor Neal Hubbell. Students were tasked with designing a new type of retail experience. Hegarty's concept focused on healthy living and fitness throughout a multilevel space. "Flex" housed a yoga studio and event space, restaurant and store selling yoga equipment and clothing.
"The foundation's decision has been an affirmation to the type of designers the IAPD program is forming with its innovative curriculum and award-winning faculty," said Nathan Howe, department head for interior architecture and product design. "We are quite proud of Taylor. She represents the quality of student that we strive to graduate in the IAPD program. It is always wonderful to see that recognized at the national level."