IIDA Announces Jon Otis as the Educator of the Year
The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) proudly announces Jon Otis, IIDA, as the 2017 IIDA Educator of the Year. Otis is a tenured professor of interior design at Pratt Institute in New York City and principal and creative director of OIA-Object Agency. The IIDA Educator of the Year Award recognizes and celebrates the outstanding accomplishments and commitment to interior design education by a full-time educator. Otis will receive $10,000, sponsored by Milliken, and a complimentary 2018 IIDA membership.
“Professor Otis understands that at the core of teaching is a desire to give, and through his empathy, understanding, and ability to connect with students, he has guided countless young designers through Pratt Institute and onto successful careers in the industry,” said IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA, LEED AP. “The depth of his practical experience in design as well as his mission to positively impact his students and the industry illustrates his deep commitment to interior design education. We are so pleased to name Jon Otis the 2017 IIDA Educator of the Year.”
Otis has been a professor of interior design at Pratt Institute since 1998 and was named Design Intelligence’s Most Admired Educator in 2009. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English/journalism from Moravian College and a master’s degree in interior design and architectural studies from the University of Massachusetts. He was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship and Lusk Memorial Fellowship to Italy in 1985.
Otis is actively involved in the interior design industry. In 2014, Otis was guest editor/curator for Phaidon Press’ Room. In 2016, he participated in the inaugural IIDA Educator’s Roundtable, sponsored by Milliken. Otis has also lectured at American universities, presented at multiple international industry conferences, and participated as an IIDA design competition juror.
In 1991, Otis formed The Moderns design studio as partner in charge of interior architecture and product design and won numerous design awards for showroom and exhibition design. He left to form Object Inc., in 1999, which was rebranded Object Agency in 2009 to reflect the firm’s expanded range of strategic, creative, and communication services.
Otis will be presented with the award and celebrated at the IIDA Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 11, 2017, at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. For more information about the IIDA Educator of the Year Award, visit www.iida.org.
About International Interior Design Association
The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) is the Commercial Interior Design Association with global reach. We support design professionals, industry affiliates, educators, students, firms and their clients through our network of 15,000+ members across 58 countries. We advocate for advancement in education, design excellence, legislation, leadership, accreditation, and community outreach to increase the value and understanding of interior design as a profession that enhances business value and positively impacts the health and well-being of people’s lives every day. www.iida.org
