Contact: Sammy McDavid
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Nearly 30 current and recently graduated architecture majors hold honors for outstanding achievements during their study in Mississippi State University's College of Architecture, Art and Design.
Established in 1973, the college is the only one of its kind in the state. Some 250 architecture majors usually are enrolled in the five-year undergraduate curriculum; four in Starkville and a final year in Jackson to transition from an academic foundation to the profession's daily realities.
Since its beginning, the architectural program has emphasized small towns and continually uses local and state locations as teaching tools--an emphasis that sets it apart from traditional urban-based programs. This regional focus has received praise at the local, state and national levels.
Graduates have distinguished themselves in advanced study at schools such as Harvard, Yale and Columbia, as well as in professional careers throughout the United States.
Presented their honors by college Dean James West, the outstanding 2004-05 architecture majors include (by hometown) [with additional information in brackets]:
ACKERMAN--Rising sophomore Emily R. Parsons, receiving the $1,000 Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. Annual Scholarship. The 2001 French Camp Academy graduate is the daughter of Dr. Morris Parsons of Ackerman and Karen and Mike Gray of Starkville. [Sponsored by the national trade association, the award honors an achieving student who is completing the program's freshman year.]
BATON ROUGE, La.--Rising junior Sarah L. Webb, receiving the $1,000 Stephanie M. Pizzetta Endowed Scholarship. The 2003 Baton Rouge High School graduate is the daughter of Janice Webb (ZIP 70810). [Recognizing a top sophomore completing the second year of design studio, the award was established in 2001 by Pizzetta, a 1983 alumna who now is senior associate vice president for the New York architectural firm of Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer.]
BELZONI--Rising senior Charlie J. Holmes, receiving the Second Year Faculty Book Award. The 2000 Humphreys County High School graduate is the son of Georgette Holmes and the late Robert Holmes. [The award recognizes one or more students "who have had the most influence on their peers in second-year design classes."]
BRANDON (1)--Senior Timothy R. Mize, receiving the $300 TrimJoist Competition Travel Fellowship honorable mention. The 1998 Northwest Rankin High School graduate is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Stan Mize. [Established in 2003 by the Columbus-based TrimJoist Corp., the fellowships are designed to assist three top students in their study of sustainable building design.];
BRANDON (2)--Senior Frances E. Pharis, receiving the $500 Pryor and Morrow Endowed Scholarship. The 2000 Brandon High School graduate is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Buddy Pharis. [The scholarship is made possible by MSU alumnus John C. Morrow, partner Roger Pryor and other employees of the Jackson/Columbus architectural firm.]
BUCKATUNNA--Senior Candis D. Carroll, receiving the $2,800 first-place TrimJoist Competition Travel Fellowship. The 2002 Wayne County High School graduate is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Carroll. [Established in 2003 by the Columbus-based TrimJoist Corp., the fellowships are designed to assist three top students in their study of sustainable building design.]
BYHALIA--Senior Justin Zahner, receiving the Tau Sigma Delta/Charles Calvo Memorial Digital Media Design Award. The 2001 Horn Lake High School graduate is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Mike Meziere and Debbie Meziere. [Tau Sigma Delta is the national honor society of architecture and allied arts; Calvo, who died in 2000, directed the college's Digital Research and Imaging Laboratory.]
CANTONMENT, Fla.--May graduate Richard A. Webre, receiving the American Institute of Architects' Henry Adams Medal. The 1999 J.M. Tate High School graduate is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Hal Webre. [The Adams Medal recognizes "general excellence" and is the highest honor presented by the college faculty to a bachelor's degree candidate.]
CLEVELAND--Whitney S. Grant, receiving the $1,000 Matt L. Virden III Memorial Scholarship. The 2003 Cleveland High School graduate is the daughter of Starr Payne. [Established in 1994 by the M.L. Virden family to honor their late architect son, the annual scholarship is designated for a top rising junior from any of 18 Mississippi Delta counties.]
COLUMBUS (1)--Senior Ralph W. Eide, receiving the $1,000 Charles H. Dean Jr. Endowed Scholarship. The son of Barbara Pollard of Janesville, Wis., and an associate degree graduate of the University of Wisconsin's Rock County Center, he also is pursuing a second MSU degree in management of construction and land from the College of Business and Industry. [The scholarship was established by Jackson architect Richard Dean as a memorial to his late father.];
COLUMBUS (2)--Senior Landon A. Voller, receiving a $500 Mississippi Concrete Industries Design Award. The 1999 Heritage Academy graduate is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Voller. [The award recognizes design excellence with particular sensitivity to materials.]
DIAMONDHEAD--Senior Daniel S. Hamburg, receiving the $2,000 Pella Traveling Fellowship. The 2001 Hancock High School graduate is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Hamburg. [Sponsored by the Iowa-based Pella Corp., the fellowship honors the winner of a semester-long design competition among fourth-year students.]
HORN LAKE--Stephen B. Herges, receiving the $1,000 Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. Annual Scholarship. The 2005 Horn Lake High School graduate is the son of Melanie Herges. [Sponsored by the national trade association, the award recognizes a top incoming freshman architecture major.]
JACKSON--Senior John W. Algood, receiving the $1,600 second-place TrimJoist Competition Travel Fellowship. The 2000 Murrah High School graduate is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Terry Algood (ZIP 39211). [Established in 2003 by Columbus-based TrimJoist, the fellowships are designed to assist three top students in their study of sustainable building design.]
MACON--Senior Elizabeth J. Pearson, receiving the $1,000 Boral Brick Design Award. The 2002 Columbus High School graduate is the daughter of the Rev. and Mrs. Andy Pearson. [The award is provided by Boral Brick Inc., which has manufacturing facilities throughout the Southeast and Southwest.]
MADISON--Senior William C. Hamilton, receiving a $500 Mississippi Concrete Industries Design Excellence Award. The 1999 Woodland Hills High School graduate is the son of Dr. and Mrs. Eddie Hamilton. [The award recognizes design excellence with particular sensitivity to materials.]
MEMPHIS, Tenn.--Senior Jason D. King, receiving second place honors in the Pella Design Competition. The 2001 Ridgeway High School graduate is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert King (ZIP 38119). [Sponsored by the Iowa-based Pella Corp., the competition is a semester-long challenge among fourth-year majors.]
MOBILE, Ala.--Rising sophomore Mary Katherine Devine, receiving the First-Year Faculty Book Award in Design Excellence. The 2004 McGill-Toolen Catholic High School graduate is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Devine (ZIP 36693). [The award recognizes one or more students "who have had the most influence on their peers in first-year classes."]
NASHVILLE, Tenn.--Senior Lindsay E. Allen, receiving an honorable mention certificate in the Pella Design Competition. The 2000 M.L. King Magnet High School graduate is the daughter of Karen Lefkovitz of Nashville (ZIP 37221) and Marshall Allen of Kingston Springs. [Sponsored by the Iowa-based Pella Corp., the competition is a semester-long challenge among fourth-year majors.]
NEW ORLEANS, La.--Graduating senior Kemper B. Smith, receiving the Faculty Achievement Award. The 1999 Benjamin Franklin High School graduate is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Farrell Smith (ZIP 70114). [Given by the faculty, the award recognizes high achievement in service, leadership and academics.]
PARAGOULD, Ark.--Senior James L. "Jamey" McFadden, receiving an honorable mention certificate in the Pella Design Competition. The 1988 Crowley's Ridge Academy graduate is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Larry McFadden. [Sponsored by the Iowa-based Pella Corp., the competition is a semester-long challenge among fourth-year majors.]
PENSACOLA, Fla. (1)--Robyn N. Clary, receiving the Alpha Rho Chi Medal. The 2000 J.M. Tate High School graduate is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Speed, now of Katy, Texas (and formerly of Fla. ZIP 32514). [Alpha Rho Chi is the national professional fraternity of architecture and applied sciences. The MSU award is presented by the faculty to the graduating senior with a demonstrated ability for leadership who performed willing service for the college, and whose attitude and personality gives promise of future professional merit.];
PENSACOLA. Fla. (2)--Sophomore Lindsay B. Hamilton, receiving an American Institute of Architecture Students Award. The 2004 B.T. Washington High School graduate is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Hamilton (ZIP 32504). [Chosen by a vote of the college's AIAS chapter, the award recognizes a student "who goes above and beyond what has been asked, has demonstrated initiative and leadership qualities, has been an AIAS leader within the academic class, and is a scholastic achiever."]
RIDGELAND--May graduate Molly M. Matthews, receiving a Jurist Award in Design Excellence. The 2000 Jackson Preparatory School graduate is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Brett Matthews. [The award recognizes "students achieving the greatest personal growth as designers, and whose work has contributed to the overall success of the fifth-year program."]
SAUCIER--Rising sophomore Sara D. Silvestri, receiving the $500 National Organization of Minority Architecture Students Scholarship. The 2004 Ocean Springs High School graduate is the daughter of Sun Cha Theriot and Mark Silvestri. [The honor recognizes an achieving minority architecture major completing the first-year design studio program.]
SALTILLO--Senior Adam H.J. Smith, receiving the $2,000 Mockbee Hall & Drake Scholarship. The 2001 Tupelo Christian School graduate is the son of Diane McCarty. [The award was established in 2003 by David Mockbee and other members of his Jackson architectural firm to recognize an academically achieving student entering the fifth-year program where Mockbee also teaches.]
STARKVILLE (1)--Graduate student Guochang Wang, receiving the Jonathan King Award of the Architectural Research Centers Consortium. The Shanghi, China, native is the son of Laingji Wang and Fen Liu. [Recognizing "innovation, integrity and scholarship in architectural and/or environmental design research," the award is named for the co-founder and first president of the international professional research body.];
STARKVILLE (2)--Senior Armando Garma-Fernandez, receiving an honorable mention certificate in the Pella Design Competition. The 1992 Starkville High School and 1998 MSU fine arts graduate is the son of Drs. Armando Garma-Avina and Marcela Garma. [Sponsored by the Iowa-based Pella Corp., the competition is a semester-long challenge among fourth-year majors.]
TISHOMINGO--May graduate Justin J. Taylor, receiving the American Institute of Architects' Henry Adams Certificate. The 1999 Belmont High School graduate is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Gary Taylor. [The second-highest award given to a graduating senior, the Adams Certificate recognizes "general excellence" throughout the required five years of study.]
VICKSBURG (1)--May graduate Sirobe` D. Carstafhnur, receiving the Jurist Award in Design Excellence. The 1999 Vicksburg High School graduate is the daughter of Janice Carstafhnur. [The award recognizes "students achieving the greatest personal growth as designers, and whose work has contributed to the overall success of the fifth-year program" in Jackson.];
VICKSBURG (2)--May graduate Russell R. "Russ" Markle, receiving the Tau Sigma Delta Bronze Medal. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Markle and is also a 1999 VHS graduate. [Tau Sigma Delta is the national honor society of architecture and applied arts; the medal recognizes the student whose final year of design work "most contributed to the expansion of architectural insight and awareness" of other majors.]