Student Awards

Student Commencement Awards

These awards are presented each year during the commencement ceremony.

Architecture

The American Institute of Architects Henry Adams Certificate of Excellence is awarded to the student in the Department of Architecture with the second highest grade point average.

2021, Kelsey DeWitt
2019, Samuel Green
2018, Paul Kippel

The American Institute of Architects Metal Award for Academic Excellence is awarded to the student who possesses an outstanding academic record and who has been an active participant in the local student chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

2025, Tom Murillo
2024, Shelby Thornton
2023, JoBeth Hancock
2022, Riley Griggs
2020, Roger Clark

The Alpha Rho Chi Medal is awarded to a student who has demonstrated leadership ability, performed willing service, and shows promise of professional merit through attitude and personality.

The John F. Helm Award is given in honor of artist and educator John F. Helm, who, from 1924 until his retirement in 1971, served Kansas State University as a professor of Art and Design, curator of the University Art Collection, and director of the graduate program in the College of Architecture, Planning & Design. His commitment to the graduate program in architecture lives on through the annual award given in his memory to a student in the Master of Science in Architecture program who, in the opinion of the Graduate Committee of the Department of Architecture, has demonstrated outstanding performance in course work, leadership and service, and has completed an outstanding thesis or final project.

The Kremer Prize is awarded to recognize outstanding collaborative design achievements by students in the final year of the professional Master of Architecture degree program. The prize is named in honor of Eugene Kremer, a long-time professor and head of the Department of Architecture. As an educator and advisor, Professor Kremer fostered in thousands of students a passion for learning and a desire to achieve excellence. While working tirelessly throughout his tenure to promote strong and lasting relationships between practicing architects and the College’s students, Professor Kremer also endeavored to create opportunities to engage students in collaborative design activities, both on and off campus.

The Heintzelman Prize, named for long-time professor J. Cranston Heintzelman, is awarded for excellence in design during the final semester of study in the Department of Architecture. One student in each of the fifth-year design studio sections is selected by the faculty as a Heintzelman nominee. One Heintzelman Prize winner is then selected by a distinguished jury.

The Building Technology Educators’ Society Edward Allen Student Award is the highest honor given by the Building Technology Educators’ Society recognizing students–who over their academic career–have demonstrated commitment, passion, curiosity, and excellence in the integration of building technology and architectural design.

2025, Tom Murillo
2024, Lindsay Adams
2023, Duc Nguyen
2022, Matt Eichler
2021, Kelsie DeWitt

The Condia + Ornelas Travelling Prize, established in 2020 by K-State Professors Bob Condia and Wendy Ornelas, annually enables an outstanding graduate from the K-State architecture department to study firsthand significant architectural works and cultural values beyond the boundaries of the university.

Interior Architecture & Industrial Design

The Jack C. Durgan Interior Architecture & Product Design Award is presented to the outstanding overall designer who best demonstrates understanding of the synthesis of specializations within the design curriculum by his/her standard of excellence and innovation in design solutions.

2025, Maia Smith (IA), Mason Fetter (ID)
2024, Isaiah Tarwater (IA), Henry Hammes (ID)
2023, Juliana Schwartz (IA) & Dustin McDermott (ID)
2022, Joel Buford
2021, Sofia Acosta
2020, Kanoa San Miguel
2019, Makena Rhodes
2018, Abigail Reece

The Allan Hastings Outstanding Product Design Award is presented for the outstanding project and overall performance in product design.

The Outstanding Furniture Design Award is presented for the outstanding project and overall performance in furniture design.

The Outstanding Interior Architecture Design Award is presented for the outstanding project and overall performance in interior architecture design.

2025, Sara Wright
2024, Drew Thompson & Madeline Carey
2023, Katie Olson
2022, Claire Yackley
2021, Chloe Cudney
2020, Kanoa San Miguel
2019, Nourah Algowiri
2018, Elizabeth Witsken

The James DuBois Outstanding Graduating Senior Award is given in recognition of academic performance, thesis project and contributions to the Interior Architecture & Product Design department, program and peers.

2025, Lily Turner (IA), Cale Curtis (ID)
2024, Alexis Davies
2023, Masie Edmonson (IA), Juliana Schwartz (IA), Jacob Kim (ID)
2022, Abigail Horton, Monserrat Rios-Luca
2021, Lauren Fitzpatrick
2020, Abby Dick
2019, Alison Trent
2018, Jamie Causey

The Interior Architecture & Product Design Student Leadership Award is presented for outstanding contributions performed for the betterment of the Department of Interior Architecture & Product Design.

2025, Chloe Aufderdeide (IA), Summer Glenn (ID)
2024, Lizeth Sustaita Delgado (IA), Hannah Klippenstein (ID)
2023, Julia Lasky (IA), Jordan Cutzinger (ID), Dustin McDermott (ID)
2022, Caitlyn Barry
2021, Aaron Burson, Jacquelynn Ruwwe, Emme Goodin
2020, Annie Wilkerson
2019, Margaret Schulte
2018, Chelsea Bainbridge

The Eugene T. McGraw Scholastic Award is presented to the student with the highest grade point average in the Department of Interior Architecture & Product Design.

2025, Maia Smith, Cale Curtiss
2024, Christa Gorman, Rowan Taylor, and Isaiah Tarwater
2023, Juliana Schwartz, Zachary Spearman
2022, Claire Yackley
2021, Chloe Cudney
2020, Meredith Hill
2019, Makena Rhodes
2018, Abigail Reece

Landscape Architecture and Regional & Community Planning

The MLA Outstanding Graduate Student Award is awarded for academic performance and contributions to the College, the Landscape Architecture program and the recipient’s peers.

The MLA Outstanding Graduate Research Award is awarded for significance, quality and scope of research efforts, based on nominations by the faculty.

2025, Kyle Odgers, Devin Tilley, Simon Worthley
2024, Landon Oschner
2023, Katherine Herrera
2022, Eliza Seagrist
2021, Thomas Schneider
2020, Yingyi Zhong
2019, Pamela Blackmore (outstanding thesis award), Madison Dalke (outstanding master’s report)
2018, Conner Bruns

Honoring the first Department Head of Landscape Architecture at Kansas State University, the Dr. Robert P. Ealy Award recognizes academic excellence based upon scholarly endeavors.

The L.R. Quinlan Award is awarded to the student judged to have made the most advancement and improvement during their course of study.

The Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture Fountain Scholar.

2025, Adyline Ramirez

Named for Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American landscape architecture, the Landscape Architecture Foundation Olmsted Scholar was created to identify, recognize and support students with exceptional leadership potential who are willing to engage current and critical issues through the use of ideas, influence, communication, service, and leadership, thus advancing sustainable planning and design and fostering human and societal benefits.

The American Society of Landscape Architects Honor and Merit Award is awarded to students demonstrating the highest level of academic scholarship and accomplishments in skills related to the art and technology of landscape architecture.

2025
- Honor, Lukas Freelove
- Honor, Adyline Ramirez
- Merit, Chris Marble
- Merit, Madelynn Swaney
2023
- Honor, Victoria Brenneis
- Honor, Emily Siler
- Merit, Charling Chen
- Merit, Chloe Gillespie
2022
- Honor, Xing Huang
- Honor, Madison Wulfkuhle
- Merit, Elizabeth Franks
- Merit, Eliza Seagrist
2021
- Honor, James Ryan
- Merit, Julie Kappelman
- Merit, Julie Schneider
2020
- Honor, Grace Mader
- Honor, Spencer Sanders
- Merit, Shelby Hollman
- Merit, Yingyi Zhong
2019
- Honor, Pamela Blackmore
- Honor, Janna Schulte
- Merit, Priyasha Shrestha
- Merit, Mackenzie Wendling
2018
- Honor, Conner Bruns
- Honor, Astrid Tsz Wai Wong
- Merit, Caroline Finck
- Merit, Josh Sundine

The Sigma Lambda Alpha International Honorary Society recognizes academic excellence in preparation for the profession of landscape architecture.

2025, Chris Marble, Gabrielle Smith, Madelynn Swaney, Devin Tilley
2024, Julia Hammes, Emily Hemsath, Blaine Hupe, Cody Kloeppel, Emily Moore, Abigail Mueller, Landon Oschner, Claire Schneider
2023, Victoria Brenneis, Kiona Freeman, Katherine Herrera, Suzanne Sharp, Sam Wolkey
2022, Jia Cheng, Xing Huang, Brennan R. Walter
2020, Logan Baker,Madison Quincke, Elsa Stoffel, Miles Updike, Yingyi Zhong

The American Institute of Certified Planners Outstanding Student Award in Regional and Community Planning is awarded by the National American Planning Association to a graduate student in planning at each accredited program based on nomination by the Planning faculty. The criteria for the award are academic performance, leadership contribution to the program, participation in planning activities, and professional promise.

The Regional & Community Planning Outstanding Master's Thesis award.

2025, Shahadat Hossin, Bethany Stock
2024, Kylee Jennings

The MRCP Outstanding Master’s Report is awarded to the student who produces the best report based on the quality of the final product and the King Medal criteria.

2024, Lance Wackerla
2023, Raegan Linenberger
2022, Abigail Mason
2021, Abbey Hebbert
2020, Amber Berg
2019, Rial Carver (outstanding thesis), Lesley Frohberg (outstanding report)
2018, Taylor Whitaker

The Leland R. Edmonds Award is awarded, in the spirit of Professor Edmonds, to the student who has best represented the planning profession within the college, university and community and made significant contributions to the K-State planning program.

2024, Caden Pfeifer
2023, Zachary Abell
2021, Caleb Whitehouse
2020, Kyle Oneth
2019, Samantha Estabrook, Regan Tokos

The Advancement in Regional & Community Planning award.

2025, Olivia Depperschmidt
2024, Izzy Gunderson

The Real Estate and Community Development Outstanding Student award.

2025, Madelyne Alfonso-Torres
2024, Tanner Faust

The Advancement in Real Estate and Community Development award.

2025, Tristyn Little
2024, Kye Kordonowy

The Van Nahmen Student Excellence Award.

2025, Morgan Holloman

Interior Design

The ARCC/King Student Medal for Excellence in Architecture is named in honor of the late Jonathan King, co-founder and first president of the Architectural Research Centers Consortium (ARCC). The award is given to one student per member college. Selection is based upon criteria that acknowledges innovation, integrity, and scholarship in architectural and/or environmental design research. One student/project was nominated from each of the college disciplines.

2025, Bethany Stock (MRCP)
2024, Landon Oschner (MLA)
2023, Kayla Roles (IAPD)
2022, Xing Huang (MLA)
2021, Abbey Hebbert (MRCP)
2020, Lindsey Logan (MRCP)
2019, Kasey Holle (ARCH)
2018, Abigail Reece (IAPD)
2017, Jonathan Knight (MLA)
2014, Deanne Peterson (MLA)
2011, Erica Besler (MRCP)
2010, Christie Murman (MLA)