Annual Scholarships and Awards Celebrate Impact-Driven Work in Health, Equity, Sustainability and the Human Experience
The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Foundation has named the recipients of its annual scholarships and awards—recognizing academic excellence, research innovation, and design with a purpose. These distinguished honors include: the David Barrett Memorial Scholarship, the Legacy Scholarships, and the Joel Polsky Award and Prize, spotlighting the next generation of designers advancing the field through interdisciplinary research and human-centered work. In ASID’s 50th year, the Foundation continues its commitment to elevating voices that are shaping a more sustainable, inclusive, and health-forward built environment.
“As we mark 50 years of championing design’s power to improve lives, the ASID Foundation remains focused on supporting those who are leading the profession into its next era,” said Khoi Vo, chief executive officer, ASID. “This year’s recipients reflect the values that define ASID—design that is backed by research, rooted in empathy, and responsive to today’s challenges. We are proud to invest in the people and ideas that are transforming how we live, learn, heal, and connect through design.”
The David Barrett Memorial Scholarship is given biennially to recognize the work of an outstanding undergraduate or graduate student who demonstrates a continuing interest and ability in utilizing classical designs and traditional materials, including furniture and fabrics. The 2025 David Barrett Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Analiese Narum.
Analiese Narum
University of Idaho
Narum is an interior architecture and design student with minors in architecture and sustainability. Her passion lies at the intersection of neuroscience, environmental psychology, evidence-based design, and biophilic design. Narum’s work is grounded in the belief that healing environments and classical design principles can coexist to create spaces that are timeless, restorative, and deeply connected to place.
The Joel Polsky Academic Achievement Award recognizes an outstanding interior design research project or thesis project, specifically related to wellness in design, conducted by an undergraduate or graduate student. The 2025 award was awarded to Lindsey Walker for her dissertation, “Examining Project Communication within Design Teams Operating in Hybrid Work Environments: Findings from an Architecture and Design Firm.” Fatemah Dianet received an Honorable Mention for her study on “Stack Ventilation vs. Cross Ventilation in Educational Buildings.”
Lindsey Walker
Ph.D. Student, University of Florida
Walker’s doctoral research empirically studied design communication, media effectiveness, and project performance within U.S. architecture and design firms, adding to the understanding of team dynamics in hybrid workplaces.
Fatemah Dianet, Honorable Mention
Ph.D. Student, Texas Tech University
Dianet’s research aims to improve health and comfort in learning environments through climate-appropriate ventilation strategies, offering insights for architects and administrators working in hot, dry climates.
The Joel Polsky Prize recognizes outstanding academic contributions to interior design through print or digital communication. This year’s recipient is Tamie Glass for “People and Space: Experience, Ethics and Intent,” which explores the relationship between the built environment and human behavior.
Tamie Glass
Faculty Director, University of Texas at Austin
Glass’s work focuses on psychosocial design interventions that enrich the human condition. She is also a recipient of the ASID Luminary Award, recognizing her contributions to interior design through education and research.
The Legacy Scholarship for Graduate Students supports students enrolled in or accepted to a graduate-level interior design program.
The 2025 scholarship was awarded to Pariya Sheykhmaleki, with an Honorable Mention awarded to Na Lyu.
Pariya Sheykhmaleki
Ph.D. Student, Texas Tech University
Sheykhmaleki’s research explores how spatial configurations affect well-being in healthcare environments, applying Space Syntax Theory to improve design outcomes for patients.
Na Lyu, Honorable Mention
MFA Student, Parsons School of Design
Lyu’s studies emphasize community engagement and sustainability, aiming to create spaces that foster belonging, health, and environmental responsibility.
The Legacy Undergraduate Scholarship, open to juniors and seniors, recognizes academic and creative achievement. The 2025 recipient is P. Gia Kieu.
P. Gia Kieu
Georgia Southern University
Kieu’s approach to design is empathetic, inclusive, and sustainability-driven, integrating her global perspective and human-centered design philosophy to create meaningful, culturally grounded spaces.
For more information on the ASID Foundation scholarships and prize recipients, visit https://www.asid.org/foundation/initiatives.
About ASID
The American Society of Interior Designers believes that design impacts lives. Through its programs, networks, and advocacy, ASID supports everyone in the interior design profession—including practitioners at all stages, industry partners, and affiliates—across every design sector. ASID thrives on the power of interdisciplinary collaboration, representing designers in workplace, healthcare, hospitality, retail, education, institutional, and residential sectors. A leader in shaping dialogue around critical issues, from human-centric design to sustainability and social responsibility, ASID champions the role of interior designers in enhancing the human experience and delivering measurable value.
2025 marks ASID’s 50th anniversary. Celebrating five decades of leadership, the Society remains committed to driving impact in all the places we live, work, play, and heal. Learn more at www.asid.org.