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The Florida State University Department of Interior Architecture & Design is celebrating the success of 4th-year students Samantha Crown and Katie Becher, who earned third place in the prestigious 2025 International Interior Design Association Student Design Competition. This international competition that draws healthcare project submissions from top design programs around the world. Their project, Vantage Point Behavioral Health Clinic, was recognized for its innovation, sensitivity and empathetic approach to creating meaningful healthcare environments.

“The opportunity to design an inpatient behavioral healthcare facility was an extremely important challenge that has altered how I navigate projects and my understanding of how users interact with the built environment,” said Crown. “Working through this as a collaborative effort was critical to the success of the project.”

Becher echoed Samantha’s sentiment, highlighting the profound impact of the project on her personal and professional growth.

“Working on this project with Samantha allowed me to become a better designer and student, said Becher. “We are so honored and excited to be a recipient of this prestigious award. It was extremely rewarding to learn about behavioral health and design a space that promotes mental and emotional well-being for users. I am so excited to continue my education in this field and advocate for innovative design in all aspects of life.”

The juried competition challenges students to tackle complex real-world design problems. This year’s brief focused on behavioral healthcare, an area of growing importance in the built environment.

Gresham Smith, a nationally recognized architecture and design firm, provided funding to cover the team’s submission fee, making this achievement possible. This generous support was facilitated by FSU Interior Architecture & Design Advisory Council member and alumna, Carolyn Blake, who serves as Technical Practice Leader, Senior Interior Designer, and Partner at Gresham Smith. Guest speakers Penny Houchens, Principal Partner, and Kayla Reiff, Healthcare Interior Designer, also shared insights with students as they developed their designs. Gresham Smith’s investment highlights the powerful role of professional partnerships in advancing the next generation of designers. In addition, Katie and Sammy also benefited from the guidance of esteemed industry leaders Michael Pukszta, Global Healthcare Practice Leader, and David Sass, Senior Vice President at CannonDesign, whose mentorship enriched their design process and professional growth.

“We are incredibly proud of our students for this incredible showing in a highly regarded international competition,” said Amy Huber, associate chair of the Department of Interior Architecture & Design and instructor for the students’ healthcare design studio. “Our students are designing a bright future for the healthcare industry, and we’re incredibly proud of their work.”

In addition to the $750 cash prize, the students’ work will be featured on IIDA.org, across IIDA’s social media platforms, and in the Spring 2025 issue of QUAD. Their project will also be included in the IIDA Student Design Showcase set to publish in Summer 2025.

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The Department of Interior Architecture and Design at Florida State University honored three outstanding alumni last week at its annual Alumni Awards ceremony, acknowledging their significant contributions to the field. 

Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies Yelena McLane presented on behalf of the department, accompanied by chair of the department’s advisory council, Seka Collins. 

“One of the elements that makes our department and these degree-programs so well-regarded is the consistent success of our alumni,” Seka Collins remarked. “Alumni with degrees in Interior Design from FSU are living all over the world, positively affecting the environments in which we live, work and play. They are designers, managers, product experts, among many other titles, and today we are thrilled to recognize three of these amazing alumni”. 

Meet the Award Winners: 

Distinguished Alumni Award: Karen Hansen (B.S. 1996)

Karen D. Hansen, a proud FSU alumna, graduated in 1996 with Dean’s List honors and a one-year-old child. Post-graduation, she launched her interior design career and, within a few short years, embarked on her entrepreneurship journey in the industry. Today, she is the CEO and Creative Director of ID Collaborative, a thriving commercial interior design firm backed by a history of projects nationwide and in the Caribbean. She holds seven US patents for product design, has written an autobiography, and has successfully woven together her advocacy and interior design passions to give back in a truly personal and meaningful way. Hansen is an NCIDQ-certified, registered interior designer in both Florida and Washington D.C., energetically serves on both the University of Miami School of Architecture’s Advisory Board and the Palm Beach County Criminal Justice Commission, and is a Champion for the United Nations’ UNiTECampaign, while simultaneously volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, and focusing on her most important role as the mother of two amazing adult children.

Distinguished Service Award: Giselle Newman (B.S. 1982)

Giselle Newman AAIA, IIDA, RID is currently the Senior Director, Nashville for Hendrick Inc, an Atlanta-based, 50 yr old architectural and interior design firm. Giselle’s primary focus is on healthcare design in which she has decades of experience not only as director of interiors for UNC Hospitals but heading up her own firm. This depth of experience helps Hendrick healthcare market segment throughout the southeastern United States. 

As a 1982 graduate of Florida State University, she then continued her growth with a master’s degree (1997) from UNCG. Her roots are still in Florida, although she resides in Nashville.  Giselle is an active researcher and professional speaker, and involved in Women in Healthcare Nashville, where she is a founding member. Some of her favorite volunteer organizations she donates her time to are Crossroad Campus Pets, Room in the Inn, and ACE (Architecture, Construction, Engineering) Mentor Program, where she received the National Mentor Award.

Emerging Alumni Award: Abby Eckard (M.S. 2018)

Abby Eckard is a Senior Interior Designer at //3877 in Washington, D.C. with nearly seven years of experience in the hospitality design sector, specializing in creating innovative spaces for hotels and restaurants. She holds a BFA in Interior Architecture from UNC Greensboro and an MS in Interior Design from Florida State University and is NCIDQ-licensed and a LEED GA professional. Eckard’s exceptional work has earned her industry recognition, including being named to Interior Designer Magazine’s 30 Under 30 (2023) and Space Magazine’s Rising Star (2022). She was also selected for the Boutique Design Magazine Boutique 18 Class of 2023.

Beyond her design expertise, Eckard is deeply committed to serving her design community. She served as Scholarship Director on her local NEWH (Network of Executive Women in Hospitality) board for 2 years and is an active participant in various local design initiatives. In the winter of 2019, Abby co-founded District Design Collaborative, an organization that brings together ambitious, goal-oriented young designers in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia to foster mentorship and community. Known for her well rounded abilities, keen attention to detail, exceptional organizational skills, and efficient communication, Abby is dedicated to inspiring others while pushing the boundaries of hospitality design.

Each award-winner gave a presentation outlining their career journey and offering advice to the dozens of current students in attendance with a shared sentiment expressed throughout all of the speeches- Your FSU community is here to support you.

Following the awards ceremony, a short reception was held in WJB, allowing current students to connect with the award winners.

FSU’s Interior Architecture & Design program is consistently ranked among the best in the nation. Learn more at interiordesign.fsu.edu.