MSU Students Win Big at Interior Design Convene

STARKVILLE, Miss.–Mississippi State interior design students picked up 24 of 57 possible awards at the recent American Society of Interior Designers South Central Career Day at Harding University in Arkansas.

MSU participants won first place in 12 categories during the competition, which included interior design students from Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. MSU swept the commercial design team, hospitality design team and retail design team categories.

Professor Beth Miller, MSU interior design program director, credited the group’s success to its involvement in a wide variety of university programs, including furniture design, computer renderings and hand renderings.

“I think it was evident that student work from MSU is high quality,” said Miller. “In the past few years, the MSU interior design program has dominated the competition, and we expect to continue to do so.”

Winners from MSU included, by hometown:

BILOXI–Erin Bristol, a junior and daughter of Jerry and Kathy Bristol, received honorable mention in the portfolio category.

CALHOUN CITY–Emily Hardin, a junior and daughter of Tony and Susan Hardin, received third place in healthcare design. Hardin’s work was completed in studio V, taught by assistant professor Lyndsey Miller.

CORINTH–Blake Marlar, a senior and daughter of Jason and Leslie Marlar, received first place in commercial design team and hand rendering. The winning work was done in instructor Robin Carroll’s color and lighting course and director and professor Beth Miller’s rendering course.

COLLIERVILLE, Tennessee–Taylor Tillman, a senior and daughter of Chad and Kim Tillman, received third place in hospitality design team. Her work was done in studio V, taught by assistant professor Lyndsey Miller.

FRANKLIN, Tennessee–Anna Strohm, a senior and daughter of Chris and Susan Strohm, received first place in computer generated rendering and third place in retail design team. Strohm’s work was done in instructor Robin Carroll’s color/lighting course and studio III, taught by assistant professor Lyndsey Miller. Also at Career Day, Strohm was announced as the new student representative and will serve on the board for the 2015-2016 year.

HERNANDO–Emily Robinson, a senior and daughter of Anthony and Susan Hardin, received honorable mention in hospitality design team. Her work was done in studio V, taught by assistant professor Lyndsey Miller.

JACKSON–Ebbony Evans, a junior and daughter of Ruby Smith, received first place in retail design team. Evans’s work was done in studio V, taught by assistant professor Lyndsey Miller.

Marguerite Johnson, a junior and daughter of Bill and Hope Johnson, received third place in portfolio and second place in hand rendering. Johnson’s rendering was completed in professor and program director Beth Miller’s rendering course. Kayla Thompson, a senior and daughter of Kevin and Judy Aeschliman, received first place in residential design team for her work in studio IV, taught by associate professor Amy Crumpton.

LOVELAND, Ohio–Sidney Ashmore, a senior and daughter of Jeffrey Ashmore and Margaret King, received an honorable mention in retail design team. Ashmore’s work was done in studio IV, taught by assistant professor Lyndsey Miller.

MURFREESBORO, Tennessee–Caroline Riley, a senior and daughter of David and Donna Riley, received second place in hospitality design team. Her work was done in studio V, taught by assistant professor Lyndsey Miller. Riley also received second place in portfolio.

NASSAU, Bahamas–Daniella Bower, a junior and daughter of Bobby and Kay, received honorable mention in hand rendering and first place in hospitality design individual and beginning studio residential. Bower’s work was completed in director and professor Beth Miller’s rendering course and assistant professor Lyndsey Miller’s studios III and I.

RIDGELAND–Victoria Owchar, a senior and daughter of Gary and Lorna Owchar, received second place in hospitality design individual. Owchar’s work was completed in studio III, taught by assistant professor Lyndsey Miller.

WILSON, North Carolina–Chelsea Harrell, a senior and daughter of William and Margaret Harrell, received second place in hospitality design team and first place in educational design. Her work was completed in studios IV and V, both taught by assistant professor Lyndsey Miller.

YAZOO CITY–Jennifer Potter, a junior and daughter of Belinda Poe, received second place in retail design team, as well as computer generated rendering. Potter’s work was done in studio III, taught by assistant professor Lyndsey Miller. She also received honorable mention in product design for her work in assistant professor William Riehm’s furniture design course.