Alumni Experience

Oct 14, 2020

Remembering Susan Toplikar

Susan taught, trained, and mentored rising artists, designers, and architects for over 30 years at the College of Design at NC State University. In addition to teaching, Susan maintained a rigorous studio presence. She was very prolific, creating works in the studio when she wasn’t in the classroom, and completed an astonishing body of work.

Jul 28, 2020

Continuities and Transformations: Evolving a Home Over Four Decades

Paul Tesar has been designing his home over the past 40 years. Since 1979 he has been collaborating with former students from the College of Design to shape the gradual evolution of his house to “home.” He embraces building as a process, rather than a product, interwoven with the lives of its inhabitants, its place and those who built it, and his home is a true reflection of that.

Annie McDonald working on project with seniors

Jul 2, 2020

Annie McDonald Wins IDSA Student Merit Award

“This is an extraordinary accomplishment, and I could not be prouder of Annie” said Tsailu Liu, head of the Department of Graphic Design and Industrial Design, and Professor of Industrial Design. “This process was competitive, and the caliber of the students chosen to win awards reflects Annie’s place among the nation’s top industrial design students.”…

Jun 29, 2020

Black Design Matters: A Q&A with Demarcus Williams

He was the only Black student to graduate that year with a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, and one of seven Black students in his class accepted into the College of Design out of 120.

May 11, 2020

Congratulations, Class of 2020!

The College of Design is excited to celebrate the graduating class of 2020.

May 8, 2020

The Class of 2020 Writes Their Own Story

Members of the class of 2020, you’ve heard over and over that you’re missing your big moment. No walk across the stage this spring, no cap toss for now. But that’s only part of the story. We wanted you to tell the rest. So we asked for your memories, photos and plans for the future,…

Apr 14, 2020

Alumna Maggie Snoke Designs Masks for Under Armour

For Maggie Snoke, design thinking wasn’t just a product of her time in school. As a successful designer on the apparel innovation team for Under Armour, she and a team of designers brainstormed ways to support healthcare workers with masks, gowns, and supply kits. Under Armour was quick to answer the call for aid, pivoting…

Mar 20, 2020

Five Architects Inducted as Fellows

Three alumni and two professors of the practice were recently inducted as Fellows for the American Institute of Architects in 2020. AIA Fellows are recognized with the AIA’s highest membership honor for their exceptional work and contributions to architecture and society. Architects who have made significant contributions to the profession and society and who exemplify architectural…

Mar 20, 2020

In Memoriam: Landscape Architect Dick Bell

Landscape architect Richard C. Bell designed some of North Carolina’s iconic spaces, but none meant more to him than his alma mater’s University Plaza, more commonly known as the Brickyard. March 19, 2020 | Tim Peeler Richard C. “Dick” Bell the beloved Raleigh landscape architect responsible for NC State’s Brickyard and other open spaces around the state,…

Mar 17, 2020

Andy Fox and Kofi Boone Featured in Alumni Magazine for Work in Princeville

Reclaiming Their History Princeville, N.C., has seen tough times. In recent years, hurricanes have ravaged the town, and many residents left the area. But some don’t want to give up on their home, which was the nation’s first town incorporated by African-Americans. Standing with them are NC State landscape architecture professors and students who are…

Mar 12, 2020

Ami Sueki and the Creation of a Design Language

Ami Sueki and the Creation of a Design Language Get Lost. Explore. Discover. Make this your mission when you choose to visit the website of the Atlanta-based creative studio, Zoo. You will be greeted by the absurd. Your senses will be overwhelmed. And despite all reason, you will want to dive deeper. Standing in front…

Feb 25, 2020

The Urgency and Necessity for Greenways: Five Questions with Charles A. Flink

February 19, 2020 | Lauren Barker This post was originally published in NC State’s The Abstract. There’s a lot of talk about the need for greenways but besides being attractive, nice areas to take a jog, how do these spaces actually benefit communities? Do they outweigh the financial cost, physical labor and political will to build…

Feb 12, 2020

Alumnus Heath Satow’s “Dream of Flight” Sculpture moves from RDU to Global Courtyard

In summer 2018, sculptor and NC State College of Design alumnus Heath Satow (BEDA, ’91) posted a call for help on Facebook. He had just moved from Los Angeles to Ogden, Utah, when he was contacted by the RDU Airport Authority, saying that his Dream of Flight sculpture (his first large-scale public sculpture commission in…

Jan 22, 2020

Industrial Design Program will host PENSOLE Academy for Spring 2020

PENSOLE Academy recently launched its L.E.A.D program, aimed at introducing students of color to footwear and functional apparel product-creation careers while providing the industry with a more diverse talent base. MID Alumna and Director of Education at PENSOLE Anna Smith created the program, which will host its master class at NC State this summer. Read…

Dec 16, 2019

Renowned Architect Curt Fentress Gave Commencement Speech, Received Honorary Degree

Now an internationally, recognized architect, Curt Fentress grew up in the small, rural town of Summerfield, NC. His passion for design led him to pursue courses of drafting and engineering in high school, and eventually led him to the College of Design, where he graduated with honors in 1972. Forty-seven years later, he came back…

Dec 6, 2019

Creating a Lasting Legacy to the College of Design

By Stuart Hall As Bill Dove shares stories about his 86 years of life, some of the names and dates are admittedly a little blurred. The reason has little to do with age. It has much more to do with the broad landscape of rich experiences and interesting people that Dove has to talk about. As…

Oct 22, 2019

Hal Meeks Leads Students to Explore Animation Through Design Camp

By Stuart Hall For as long as Hal Meeks can recall, he’s had a passion to tinker. “I was doing a lot of things that you’re supposed to do as a designer,” said Meeks, 60, whose father was an engineer and mother was an avid painter. “I got it from them and I always making…

Sep 24, 2019

Designer Liora Manné To Be Honored As A Distinguished Alumnus

The NC State College of Design has selected Liora Manné ('77 MPD) as the 2019 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Aug 16, 2019

Remembering Steve Schuster

The College of Design is saddened by the death of '73 BEDA alumnus and Leaders Council member Steve Schuster, FAIA. Steve was the Founding Principal of Clearscapes, a corporate partner of the College, and a leader in the practice of architecture and adaptive reuse.

Jul 10, 2019

Architecture Community Loses Phil Freelon

The NC State College of Design is saddened to learn of the passing of renowned architect Phil Freelon, FAIA. A Distinguished Alumnus of the College of Design, Freelon graduated with a BEDA in 1975 and earned an Honorary Doctorate in 2017.