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Alumni Association Awards

The 2025 Alumni Awards Nominations are now open!

From innovative thinkers who push boundaries to community builders, educators and passionate creators, our alumni community abounds with inspiring individuals who consistently redefine what it means to embody an art and design education.

We invite our RISD community to let us know who they feel the the established makers, emerging leaders and community activators are by nominating an alum for the 2025 Alumni Association Awards. We are seeking nominations for the following awards

The Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf Visionary Award
The Emerging Leader Award
The RISD Serves Award
The Art & Design Educator Award

Please use the form linked below and let us know...

Who inspires you?

Nominate an alum

In their own words

Our 2024 Alumni Association Award recipients, Elizabeth Whelan 91 TX, Moon Jung Jang MFA 08 GD, Gail Ahlers 85 JM and Hanson Cheng BArch 16, share what it meant to be honored by their peers.

About the Awards

The RISD Alumni Association honors alumni who, through their work, exemplify RISD’s core values and positively impact their communities. The Alumni Association Awards Committee issues an annual call for nominations to the RISD community and decides who will receive the awards each year. Learn more about our previous awardees

The RISD Alumni Association Award Committee, of the Alumni Association Leadership Council, which oversees the administration of the awards program and honors awardees in an annual recognition event for the following awards:

The Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf Visionary Award

The Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf Visionary Award. This award is the highest award by the RISD Alumni Association and honors Helen Metcalf, the founder of RISD, her visionary spirit, and civic generosity. The award recognizes alumni who have achieved outstanding distinction in their life’s work in a professional field, or in community, public or humanitarian service.

The Emerging Leader Award

The Emerging Leader Award recognizes alumni who graduated within the past 10 years, who have made significant achievements and contributions to their profession and/or community, think boldly, mindfully and creatively, and have helped to create new fields of study or contributed to fundamental change in their area of practice.

The RISD Serves Award

The RISD Serves Award recognizes alumni who have achieved distinction through significant contributions and voluntary service to improving the lives of others over a sustained period of time. The award recognizes the values of service and civic responsibility that reflect RISD’s core values.

The Art & Design Educator Award

The RISD Art & Design Educator Award recognizes alumni who demonstrate exceptional skills as an educator or a clear commitment to the field of art education, and are recognized by their peers and students as having shown those qualities that most encourage students to learn and thrive creatively.

Past Alumni Association Award Recipients

The RISD Alumni Association honors alumni who, through their work, exemplify Rhode Island School of Design’s core values and positively impact their communities. The Alumni Association Awards recognizes outstanding alumni and community members. Whether through community service, education, professional achievement or service to the college, these awardees exemplify the true strengths of RISD.

1963

Joseph G. Reynolds Jr. 07 DD, Gold Medal of the Rhode Island School of Design Alumni Award

1964

Arthur W. Heintzelman, Alumni of the Year Award

1965

Grace T. Albee 12 PT, Alumni of the Year Award

1966

Helen M. Danforth HD 76, Alumni of the Year Award

1967

Williams Levy 36 IA, Alumni of the Year Award

1968

Edna W. Lawrence 20 PT, Alumni of the Year Award

1969

Anton L. Refregier 25 PT, Alumni of the Year Award

1970

Peter Farago 52 TX HD 93, Alumni of the Year Award

1971

Louis M. Beal 52 IA, Alumni of the Year Award

1972

Herman D. Spiegel BArch 53, Alumni of the Year Award

1973

Leo J. Narducci 60 AP, Alumni of the Year Award

1974

Stephen W. Macomber 13 PT, Alumni of the Year Award

1975

Robert M. Engman 52 PT, Alumni of the Year Award

1976

Donald P. Pollard 49 IA, Alumni of the Year Award

1977

Patricia A. Cappalli-Taylor 60 AP, Alumni of the Year Award

1978

Kenneth B. Dresser Jr. 61 IA, Alumni of the Year Award

1979

Bertrand H. Surprenant 50 AP, Alumni of the Year Award

1980

William R. Mccloskey 40 GD, Alumni of the Year Award

1981

Noel Quinn 36 GD, Alumni of the Year Award

1982

Gordon Allen, Honorary Alumni Award
Virginia M. Lynch HD 97, Distinguished Citizen Award
Shope Reno Wharton Associates, Young Alumni Achievement Award

1983

Ronald J. Chatalbash 81 IL, Young Alumni Achievement Award
Carolyn L. Hawes, Honorary Alumni Award
Peter M. Meserol 66 ID, Alumni Service Award
Corning, Inc., Distinguished Citizen Award

1984

Alfred L. Falk, Honorary Alumni Award
Lorraine Howes, Faculty Member of the Year Award
Erma W. Leavitt 44 PT, Alumni Service Award
Tyler T. Smith 66 GD P 02, Alumni of the Year Award
Steven R. Umbach 80 ID, Alumnus of the Year Award
The Providence Journal Company, Distinguished Citizen Award

1985

Steven J. Branfman MAT 75, Alumni Service Award
Bayard Ewing HD 86, Honorary Alumni Award
Louis A. Fazzano HD 01, Distinguished Citizen Award
Michael Fink, Faculty Member of the Year Award
Donald B. Friedlich 82 JM, Young Alumni Achievement Award

1986

Yvonne K. Anderson, Faculty Member of the Year
Daphne Farago HD 93, Distinguished Citizen Award
Richard W. Jones 51 GD, Alumni Service Award
Christopher E. Osgood MFA 85 SC, Young Alumni Achievement Award
Franklin W. Robinson, Honorary Alumni Award

1987

Geoffrey C. Adams 83 FAV, Young Alumni Achievement Award
Barnet Fain, Distinguished Citizen Award
Linda Joy Goldner 73 GD, Alumni Service Award
Hardu Keck 64 PT P 91 P 92 P 16, Faculty Member of the Year Award
Charles F. Moccio, Honorary Alumni Award
Erminio Pinque 83 IL, Young Alumni Achievement Award

1988

John Allen BArch 68, Alumni Service Award
Michael C. Leva 83 AP, Young Alumni Achievement Award
Charles W. Luther Jr. BArch 49, Faculty Member of the Year Award
Joanne Lynch, Honorary Alumni Award
IMB Corporation, Distinguished Citizen Award

1989

Allison J. Druin 85 GD, Young Alumni Achievement Award
Martha T. Goethals, Faculty Member of the Year Award
James M. Grear HD 89 P 83 P 85 P 88, Honorary Alumni Award
John O. McCrillis 39 GD HD 06, Alumni Service Award
Claiborne D. Pell HD 91, Distinguished Citizen Award

1990

Marjorie B. Catanzaro, Distinguished Citizen Award
Robert S. Catanzaro, Distinguished Citizen Award
Adeline Hawkins, Honorary Alumni Award
Emily H. Lisker 86 PT, Young Alumni Achievement Award
W. Bruce Tillinghast 68 GD, Alumni Service Award
John W. Udvardy P 92, Faculty Member of the Year Award

1991

Luigi Bianco 69 TX, Alumni Service Award
Murray S. Danforth, III, Honorary Alumni Award
Ann K. Finkbeiner P 90, Distinguished Citizen Award
Kenneth L. Hunnibell 69 ID/MAE 72 P 80 P 91 P 00, Faculty Member of the Year Award

1992

Philip Briggs BArch 64 P 86, Alumni Service Award
Nancy L. Hastings, Honorary Alumni Award
John L. Massey, Faculty Member of the Year Award
Zachary C. Stratis 87 FAV, Young Alumni Achievement Award

1993

James Barnes BArch 69, Faculty Member of the Year Award
Dana M. Newbrook 63 AR, Alumni Service Award
C. George Taylor, Distinguished Citizen Award
Anita L. Teto P 87, Honorary Alumni Award
Paul V. Timmins, Honorary Alumni Award

1994

Carolina Calderin P 94, Alumni Service Award
Michael Fink Honorary, Alumni Award<
Maria Tulokas MAE 74, Faculty Member of the Year Award
Joshua R. Yeldham 92 FAV, Young Alumni Achievement Award

1995

Sidney Greenwald HD 00, Distinguished Citizen Award
Jocelyn A. Hobbie 91 PT, Young Alumni Achievement Award
Lorraine Howes, Honorary Alumni Award
Jacquelyn Rice P 91, Faculty Member of the Year Award
Steven D. Whitten, Honorary Alumni Award

1996

Natasha L. Harrison 91 GL, Young Alumni Achievement Award
Patricia (Pat) A. White, Alumni Service Award (Emeriti Trustee)

1998

Cliff Selbert BLA 75, Award for Business and Design
David A. Macaulay BArch 69 HD 04, Distinguished Service Award (Emeriti Trustee)
Kate Rittmann P 95, Alumni Award for Service and Leadership (Emeriti Trustee)

1999

Sylvia B. Arnold BArch 80, Alumni Volunteer Award
Judy Sue Goodwin Sturges 66 IL, Art of Education Award
Peter A. Niemitz BArch 76, Business of Design Award
GianCarlo Ronci, Service and Leadership Award

2000

Nancy A. Davis 79 PH, Alumni Volunteer Award
David A. Jaacks BArch 93, Business of Design Award<
Susan Barbieri Montgomery 71 AE/MAE 78, Service and Leadership Award

2001

Mark S. Goodkin 87 PT, Alumni Volunteer Award
Margot E. Livingston 95 IL, Service and Leadership Award
Colgate M. Searle Jr. BLA 71 P 02, Art of Education Award

2002

Timothy E. Hunter 98 ID, Fine Arts Achievement Award
Edward R. Neubauer BArch 92, Service and Leadership Award
Stephen E. Saunders MAE 84, Art of Education Award
Tyler T. Smith 66 GD P 02, Business of Design Award

2003

Janine M. Antoni MFA 89 SC, Artistic Achievement Award
Steven C. Kellogg 63 IL, Professional Achievement Award
David N. Paolino 74 IL/MA 75 AE, Art of Education Award
Charles S. Stone III 88 IL, Business of Design Award
Charles D. Thomas MFA 74 PR, Service and Leadership Award

2004

Anthony C. Belluschi BArch 66 P 95, Service and Leadership Award
Christopher H. Bing 83 IL, Artistic Achievement Award
Henry Horenstein 71 PH/MFA 73, Art of Education Award
Oren S. Sherman 78 IL, Professional Achievement Award

2005

James C. Childress BArch 78, Professional Achievement Award
Jarrett J. Krosoczka 99 IL, Service and Leadership Award
Laura A. Owens 92 PT, Artistic Achievement Award
Franz J. Werner, Art of Education Award

2006

Julie Mehretu MFA 97 PT/PR, Artistic Achievement Award
Barbara A. O'Brien MFA 90 PH, Professional Achievement Award
Philip T. Seibert Jr. 67 IA, Service and Leadership Award
Jeffrey Yan BArch 01, Art of Education Award
DEZCO Furniture Design, LLC, Entrepreneurial Award

2007

Nathaniel T. Hesse 76 SC, Service and Leadership Award

2008

Walter H. Lorraine 52 AD, Professional Achievement Award

2009

Elizabeth B. Collins 91 TX/MFA 99 TX, Art and Education Award

2010

Deidre D. Scherer 67 AE, Artistic Achievement Award

2011

Katie Salen MFA 92 GD, Art and Education Award

2012

Nicholas D. Felton 99 GD, Business of Design Award

2013

Tamara C. Kaplan MAT/MAE 00, Art and Education Award

2014

Hildegard Vasquez BArch 94, Professional Achievement Award

2015

Miriam H. Beerman 45 PT, Artistic Achievement Award

2016

Bunny Harvey 67 PT/MFA 72, Professional Achievement Award

2017

Rosalind B. Chast 77 PT, Artistic Achievement Award

2018

David F. Hanson 96 FAV, Artistic Achievement Award

2019

Todd Bartell 85 PT, Art and Design Educator Award
Deborah L. Berke BArch 77 HD 05, Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf Visionary Award
Grace Jun 09 GD, Emerging Leader Award

2020

Rodolphe G. El-Khoury BArch 86, Art and Design Educator Award
Jonathan G. Key 13 GD, Emerging Leader Award<
Lina Sergie Attar MArch 01, RISD Serves Award
Kara E. Walker MFA 94 PT/PR HD 06, Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf Visionary Award

2021

Renata Fenton 06 ID, RISD Serves Award
Yelitsa Jean-Charles 16 IL, Emerging Leader Award
Enrique Lomnitz 06 ID, RISD Serves Award
Brian P. Selznick 88 IL, Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf Visionary Award
Stephanie C. Silverman 04 FD, Art and Design Educator Award

2022

Tanya Aguiñiga MFA 05 FD, RISD Serves Award
Jawaher Khaled Al-Bader BArch 98, Art and Design Educator Award
Max L. Frieder 12 PT, RISD Serves Award
Tara Gupta 19 FAV, Emerging Leader Award
Melissa McGill 91 SC, Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf Visionary Award

2023

Julia Rothman 02 IL Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf Visionary Award
Jonsara Ruth 92 ID Art & Design Educator Award
Andy Chen MFA 13 GD Emerging Leader Award
Nafis M. White 15 SC MFA 18 PR RISD Serves Award

2024

Hanson Cheng BArch 16, Emerging Leader Award
Gail Ahlers 85 JM, RISD Serves Award
Moon Jung Jang MFA 08 GD, Art & Design Educator Award
Elizabeth Whelan 91 TX, Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf Visionary Award