IFDA educational foundation announces grant winners for 2025

LEWISVILLE, N.C., Aug. 18, 2025 — The Educational Foundation (EF) of IFDA, the International  Furnishings and Design Association, is pleased to announce its grant winners for 2025. Since the early  years of this 78-year-old global design industry alliance, EF has awarded grants to talented professionals  as well as scholarships to high-achieving design students annually. The funds awarded this year total  $30,800. The judging is conducted by a subset of the EF’s Board of Trustees. 

“We are honored to present the grants for a diverse array of projects,” said Karen Dzendolet, Chairman  of the Board of the Educational Foundation of IFDA. “The grant winners’ skills and initiative in undertaking new challenges are impressive and eachexemplified the goals ofthe award they weregranted, whether universal design, historic preservation, the advancement ofinterior design programs or professional development through research initiatives and expanding horizons.” Earline Feldman, FIFDA, Director of  Scholarships and Grants, echoed the sentiment. “Though the judgeswere challenged in selectingwinners, each one was very deserving ofthe award.” 

IFDA Educational Foundation Grants are offered to all professionals working in the interior design or  furnishingsrelated fields, but notto undergraduate students. Winners were notified earlier in the month. For more information, visit: ifdaef.org. 

Irma Dobkin Universal Design Grant ($2,000) 

Hessam Ghamari, Ph.D., Associate Professor, California State University Northridge  currently serves as a U.S. Fulbright Research and Educator Scholar, a role that has allowed  him to further integrate Universal Design (UD) principles into teaching, research and  applied learning environments. Dr. Ghamari has conducted research and published scholarly work on Universal Design, with a focus on how it influences user experience, environmental psychology and health outcomes.  

The Irma Dobkin Universal Design Grant will support the development of an immersive educational tool that allows students and professionals to experience everyday spaces through the lens of people with 

different physical, cognitive and sensory needs. This virtual reality (VR) simulation will highlight  common spatial barriers and offer contrasting environments that implement Universal Design  strategies. “This grant represents an opportunity to translate years of research, teaching and advocacy into a meaningful resource that elevates Universal Design as a standard of excellence,” said Dr.  Ghamari. 

Ina Mae Kaplan Historic Preservation Grant ($2,000

Cyndi Parker, Interior Designer and Assistant Professor at Mississippi State University, has  more than 20 years of professional experience in Interior Design and a master’s degree in  Historic Preservation. As an educator, she teaches Interior Design Studio courses and will  lead the university’s Intro to Historic Preservation course. With the support of the Ina Mae  Kaplan Grant, she will travel to George Washington’s Mount Vernon to study preservation  

work during a major restoration effort. This experience will enhance her teaching and research, allowing  her to bring firsthand knowledge of historic materials and methods into the classroom and the field of  preservation. 

Elizabeth Brown Grant to Interior Design Programs — $2,500 

Rosa Otero, Ph.D., and trained as well as an architect is Professor of Design and current  Director of the Design and Visual and Performing Arts programs at Salem College in Winston-Salem, N.C. She is also the designer and curator of the Salem College SIDE Chair  Library, a one-of-a-kind facility that provides access to 20th-century furniture icons.  Before Salem, she helped establish the interior design program at Forsyth Technical  

Community College, also in Winston-Salem, and became the first coordinator of the program. Additionally, she has taught interior design, as an adjunct, at High Point University. 

Prior to her teaching and professional experience in North Carolina, Dr. Otero was the program  coordinator for the Architectural Technology Program at Essex County College in Newark, N.J. She also  worked at the architectural firm, Hillier, in Princeton and Newark. Dr. Otero believes that architecture and design possess a major social role by having the potential to enrich people’s lives; and, that it is the  architect’s responsibility to perform that role. 

See Also
See Also
See Also
See Also
woman lounging wrapped in bright collage wallpaper
See Also
See Also

Tony Torrice Professional Development Grant ($1,500) 

Hugo Nakashima-Brown, a furniture maker and educator based at RISD in Providence,  R.I., received the Tony Torrice Grant to research Ming dynasty joinery and itsapplications in sustainable contemporary design. His project adapts centuries-old, glue free joints for digital fabrication and flat-pack workflows, emphasizing repairability,  durability and cultural legacy. Nakashima-Brown is developing a teaching archive – including CNC toolpaths, physical samples and instructional materials – to share this construction logic with students designing for fast-paced industries like packaging and modular interiors,  expanding the canon of design education while re-centering longevity as a core tenet of sustainability. 

Valerie Moran Memorial Grant — up to $3,000 

Heather Hill of Hill Drapery & Design in Phoenixville, Pa., and member of the IFDA  Philadelphia Chapter, won this grant for those IFDA professional members interested in  expanding their horizons through travel, trade shows and professional development  studies. Hill is using the funds to attend the Custom Workroom Conference in Kingsport,  Tenn. She has more than 25 years’ experience in the world of interior design and  obtained an Interior Design Certificate from Philadelphia Textiles and Sciences,  

subsequently dedicating herself to becoming an expert in window fashions, with several awards to her  name. Her approach to design is collaborative, drawing on the unique talents of those she works with,  and bringing a deep understanding of fabric behavior and window treatment styling to every project.

Each year, the Educational Foundation encourages IFDA chapters to apply for five $1000 grants available  for IFDA chapters to support their marketing and event programming. For the fourth year in a row, EF is  a sponsor of the Future Designers Summit at Bienenstock Furniture Library in High Point, N.C. from  September 24 to 26, 2025, providing tuition for five students to attend the summit. IFDA Educational Foundation is a non-profit, tax exempt, 501c(3) organization. Its nine scholarships  support both full and part-time undergraduate and graduate students in the areas of interior,  green/sustainable, product and textile design. In addition, the grants support professional development  opportunities for IFDA members and other design industry professionals as well as needed resources for  design schools, and IFDA programs for chapters and members. Visit ifdaef.org or follow us on  instagram.com/ifdaef/ and facebook.com/ifda.educational.foundation/. 

View Comments (0)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Scroll To Top