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Mississippi State interior design majors received nearly 60 awards at the recent American Society of Interior Designers’ South Central Career Day in Ruston, Louisiana. Most notably, the nearly 30-member university group took first place in eight categories during competition drawing challengers from throughout Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas.

(photos submitted by Haley Austin and Victoria Owchar)

Interior design majors at Mississippi State now own more than half the possible competition awards of the 2016 American Society of Interior Designers’ South Central Career Day.

Nearly 30 university juniors and seniors from Mississippi, Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas and the Bahamas recently brought back to the Starkville campus 56 of 102 total honors—including first place in eight categories.

Professor Beth Miller, interior design program director, credits their successes to involvements in a wide range of MSU academic programs, including furniture design, computer renderings, hand renderings and a new lighting course.

“For the past few years, the MSU interior design program has dominated the competition and we hope to continue the tradition,” she said.

“I think it is evident that student work from MSU is high quality and competitive,” Miller added.

Held this year at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, the ASID student competition drew representatives from higher education institutions throughout the Bayou and Magnolia states, as well as Arkansas.

The 2016 MSU winners and their categories include (by hometown):

BARTLETT, Tenn.—Senior Caitlyn R. Fleming, second place in retail and third in product design.

BILOXI—Senior Vanessa L. Holden, second in the portfolio, large-scale commercial and hospitality–restaurant.

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo.—Senior Alexandra S. “Ali” Carter, second in computer rendering, hospitality–hotel and sustainable design.

CLINTON—Senior Martina R. Walker, first in new student spotlight-healthcare, second in small-scale commercial and third in product design.

COLUMBUS—Senior Hannah E. Higgins, second in large-scale commercial and third in both product design and hospitality–restaurant.

CORDOVA, Tenn.—Junior Sarah A. Galbreath, third in product design and retail, and senior Regan Sanders, second in both small-scale commercial and new student spotlight–residential.

CORINTH—Blake Marlar, second in healthcare, and Anastasia F. “Ana” Miller, first in hospitality–restaurant and second in retail. Both are seniors.

CUMMING, Ga.—Senior Anastasia D. “Staci” Dorsey, second in retail.

FRANKLIN, Tenn.—Senior Anna L. Strohm, first in healthcare and second in large-scale commercial.

GREENWOOD—Senior Terry E. “Liz” Grantham, first in large-scale commercial and second in both hospitality–hotel and healthcare.

JACKSON, Tenn.—Junior Sydney E. Sharp, first in new student spotlight–residential.

KINGWOOD, Texas—Senior Victoria C. “Tori” Reynolds, first in retail.

LELAND—Senior Katherine F. “Katie” Fratesi, second in new student spotlight–non-interior and third in small-scale residential.

LONGVIEW, Texas—Senior Caroline E. Smith, second in both hand rendering and hospitality–restaurant.

MADISON—Annah K. Pennebaker, second in both hand rendering and hospitality–restaurant and third in retail; and Elizabeth Sosebee, second in new student spotlight–non-interior. Both are seniors.

MEADOWS PLACE, Texas—Senior Joy C. Bottom, second in both product design and hospitality–restaurant and third in hand rendering.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn.—Senior Haley F. Austin, third in retail.

NASSAU, Bahamas—Senior Daniella R. Bower, second in healthcare and third in product design.

NEW ALBANY—Senior Bobbie O. Rogers, first in hand rendering.

OLIVE BRANCH—Junior Natalie E. Watson, first in new student spotlight–residential.

PICAYUNE—Junior Austin R. Deloach, second in new student spotlight–non-interior and third in mid-scale residential.

RIDGELAND—Senior Victoria M. Owchar, first in both large-scale commercial and healthcare.

SENATOBIA—Senior Kalyn S. Johnson, second in hospitality–hotel.

SOUTHAVEN—Mary Katherine “Katie” Hughes, second in hospitality–restaurant and third in educational; and Carley M. Jones, first in hospitality–hotel and third in large-scale commercial. Both are seniors.

TERRY—Senior Amber C. Henry, second in both small-scale residential and healthcare.

Accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation and National Association of Schools of Art and Design, MSU’s interior design program is part of the 91����. Its curriculum provides a broad background in interior elements, materials, sources and practical experiences.

For more, contact Beth Miller at 662-325-7689 or BMiller@caad.msstate.edu. Additional information also is found at , , and .

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at .

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