“I’ve always been drawn to the environment,” she said. “Nature is what inspires me.”

Drakakis brought that passion into Assistant Professor Hojung Kim’s Blurred Boundaries studio, where students were challenged in the spring 2026 course to transform a historic cantilever barn in Cades Cove into a contemporary space while preserving its original character and cultural significance.

“I wanted the space to feel rooted in its environment,” she said. “The goal was to open up the interior and bring the outdoors in, so you’re still connected to the landscape.”

Finding Inspiration

As Drakakis researched Appalachian architecture, the project became more than just redesigning a historic barn. She was fascinated by how generations of builders adapted these structures to the region’s landscape, climate, and available materials. Originally built to store crops and shelter livestock, the barns reflected a deep understanding of both community and place.

“So much knowledge is passed down through these buildings,” she said. “They evolved through generations of people responding to their surroundings and creating spaces that met the needs of their communities.”

Those ideas took shape in Rootbound Studios, Drakakis’s design proposal for a contemporary artist residency that reimagines the traditional Appalachian cantilever barn as four artist residences arranged around a shared courtyard. Each residence provides space for artists to work independently, while the shared courtyard encourages collaboration and community.

Over 12 weeks, the concept evolved from initial research and sketches into a complete set of construction documents. An elevated deck connects the residences, inspired by the barn’s iconic cantilevered form while drawing residents into the surrounding landscape.

Cedar shake roofing, hickory wood, and linen textiles draw from Appalachian craftsmanship, while a custom biodegradable insulation brick made from soil, reclaimed sawdust, oil, and moss reflects her commitment to sustainable, locally inspired design.

Drakakis credits Professor Kim with helping her recognize that sometimes less is more.

“He challenged me to simplify the project and let the materials speak for themselves,” she said. “That guidance ultimately made the design stronger and more honest.”

The project stood out beyond the studio. Based on the strength of her work, Drakakis was nominated to submit Rootbound Studios for the prestigious Angelo Donghia Scholarship.

A National Honor

Drakakis was visiting family in the Philippines when she learned she had been awarded the Angelo Donghia Scholarship. Because of the 12-hour time difference, she missed the initial phone call but opened the email during a family brunch.

“It was one of the biggest accomplishments of my life,” she said.

Named in honor of renowned interior designer Angelo Donghia, the scholarship is awarded each year to a select group of undergraduate students whose work demonstrates exceptional creativity, technical skill, and innovation in interior architecture and design. Submissions are evaluated by a jury composed of prominent figures in the fields of interior architecture, architecture, and design media. This is the second consecutive year a UT student has received the scholarship.

“The Donghia Foundation’s ongoing support of the UT School of Interior Architecture highlights the exceptional quality of our student body and the dedication of our faculty,” said Liz Teston, interim director and professor of interior architecture. “Angelo Donghia’s design philosophy championed a holistic approach to interiors, and awarding Rena this significant prize reflects her creativity and her own holistic design approach.”

While the scholarship recognizes one project, Drakakis’s interest in design began years earlier.

Growing up in Maryland with two parents who are architects, she was surrounded by conversations about buildings and design. Still, she found her own path through art and competitive swimming before discovering interior architecture, where creativity, problem-solving, and purpose came together.

As she prepares for her senior year, Drakakis is already looking ahead. This fall, Rena will begin applying to graduate programs to pursue a Master of Architecture, with the long term goal of eventually starting her own practice.

Wherever that path leads, she hopes to keep learning from every place she visits and every person she meets along the way.

“One of the most important responsibilities about being a designer is understanding the people you’re designing for,” she said. “I am so grateful to the Angelo Donghia Foundation.”

“Thank you to my professors these past years and thank you to my department for the nomination.”

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In its first five years, the Tennessee RiverLine and a regional consortium of partners collaboratively laid the foundation for its success by creating the framework for the RiverTowns Program, which has since become the cornerstone of its operations since launching in 2021. This year, the RiverLine celebrates its fifth anniversary, reflecting on transformational milestones, the partnerships that have driven its success and the enduring legacy of the river’s cultural and natural heritage.

on the Tennessee RiverLine.

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The program received approval from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission on Thursday, July 23, after a two-year planning period. The addition builds upon the �ֲ���ý’s longstanding strengths in creative problem-solving, making, and interdisciplinary collaboration while supporting manufacturing, one of the state’s biggest industry sectors.

“Industrial design shapes nearly every product and experience we encounter and must remain nimble to address the demands of a rapidly changing world.” said Sarah Lowe, director of the �ֲ���ý. “The program at UT will integrate a shared foundation in design principles with a forward-looking focus on interaction design and emerging technologies, while staying rooted in the core goals of a traditional industrial design education.”

Industrial designers bridge creativity, technical knowledge, and human-centered problem-solving to shape the products and systems that define our daily lives. Students in the four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts program will build skills for addressing contemporary challenges with innovative solutions. Through a hands-on, studio-based curriculum, students will explore the intersection of traditional methods and emerging technologies, for developing innovative and sustainable solutions. This comprehensive approach prepares graduates to address the evolving needs of individuals, industries, and communities.

“As Tennessee’s industries continue to grow and evolve, the college is preparing graduates who are equipped to lead innovation, strengthen our workforce, and improve lives through thoughtful design,” said Jason Young, dean of the �ֲ���ý. “The launch of the Industrial Design BFA reflects the evolution of the �ֲ���ý and our commitment to preparing students for the future of the professions.”

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design complements the �ֲ���ý’s existing graphic design program and reflects the college’s broader commitment to educating designers through curiosity, empathy, and imagination.

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A registered interior designer, Fulbright Scholar and Specialist recipient, and nationally recognized academic, Teston joined the school in 2013. Her research and creative practice explore public interiority, atmospheric interiority, and the social and political dimensions of design. Through drawing, making, writing, and collaborative design partnerships, she examines how interiors can shape more equitable, engaging, and human-centered public experiences.��

“Liz has been an invaluable member of our faculty and a thoughtful leader within the school,” said Young. “Her commitment to academic excellence, student success, and the future of interior architecture makes her exceptionally well positioned to guide the school during this transition.”��

Teston is widely known for advancing the concept of public interiority, which challenges conventional definitions of interior space by exploring how interiors can exist beyond buildings through atmosphere, social interaction, and civic engagement. Her work has been exhibited internationally in cities including Bucharest, Stockholm, Toronto, Venice, Atlanta, Austin, Knoxville, and New York.��

She is the co-author and editor-in-chief of Public Interiority: Exploring Interiors in the Public Realm (Routledge, 2024), which received the 2025 Interior Design Educators Council Book Award. She also initiated and produced the Public Interiority Symposium + Exhibition at the University of Tennessee and is currently completing a forthcoming monograph, The Field Guide to Public Interiority, which documents case studies from cities around the world. Her scholarship has been supported by organizations including the Center for Architecture Foundation, the American Academy in Rome, and the Fulbright Specialist Program.��

Beyond her teaching and scholarship, Teston has demonstrated significant leadership within the profession. She has served as an advisor to student organizations, contributed to national Interior Design Educators Council initiatives, and was appointed to the International Interior Design Association Equity Council’s Education Committee. Her advocacy has helped strengthen connections between academic programs, professional practice, and local communities.��

As interim director, Teston will work closely with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and industry partners to build on the school’s strong foundation while supporting ongoing academic, research, and outreach initiatives.����

“I am honored to serve the School of Interior Architecture in this role,” said Teston. “Our faculty, staff, students, and alumni have created an extraordinary culture of creativity, inquiry, and engagement. I look forward to working alongside them to continue strengthening the school’s impact and preparing students to lead in a rapidly evolving profession.”��

Teston succeeds Milagros Zingoni, who is completing five years as director of the School of Interior Architecture and will return to the faculty. The college will conduct a national search during the coming academic year to identify the school’s next permanent director.

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Located on the third floor of the Art + Architecture Building, the DFL provides students and faculty with opportunities to engage with emerging technologies, immersive visualization, digital content creation, interactive media, and evolving forms of design. Designed as a flexible environment rather than a fixed technology center, the lab serves as a platform for experimentation across disciplines while adapting to the changing needs of the design professions.

“When the �ֲ���ý was established in the �ֲ���ý in 2019, it created an opportunity to think differently about shared resources and emerging forms of creative practice. The DFL grew from a former graphic design print room and was reimagined as a college-wide space where students can engage with the digital tools, ideas, and forms of practice shaping the future of our fields,” said Sarah Lowe, the school’s director.

In 2023, the college established the Digital Futures Fellowship, a two-year appointment which rotates among the college’s schools, to support researchers whose work explores the future of design through technology, experimentation, and interdisciplinary practice. In turn, fellows help expand opportunities for students by introducing new tools, research methods, and ways of thinking about design.

For Timothy Arment, the inaugural fellow and a lecturer in the �ֲ���ý, the fellowship provided an opportunity to build upon years of work exploring virtual reality (VR), digital environments, animation, and game design while creating new learning opportunities for students.

“Supporting this technology is really important,” Arment said. “One of the most valuable things you can bring into the job market as a new graduate is exposure to these cutting-edge tools and technologies.”

Before the fellowship was formally established, Arment had become known throughout the college for his work with immersive technologies. He’d begun developing virtual reality experiences and digital content creation resources that would eventually serve as the foundation for the Digital Futures Lab.

“There are lots of ways that VR can be used outside of video games,” Arment said. “In architecture and design, there are opportunities to experience spaces, interact with models, and explore ideas in completely different ways.”

Today, the Digital Futures Lab serves students and faculty across the college through a combination of physical and digital resources. The space includes virtual reality workstations, software platforms such as Rhino, Unity, and Unreal Engine, and a video production studio equipped for recording lectures, presentations, podcasts, and other digital content. Students can use the lab to visualize architectural and design models at full scale, experiment with immersive environments, develop interactive projects, and explore new approaches to digital storytelling and communication.

Just as importantly, the lab provides a framework for future growth. Each fellow inherits a foundation established by previous fellows while contributing new ideas, technologies, and areas of expertise. In this way, the fellowship serves not only as a faculty opportunity, but also as a mechanism for continually expanding the educational experiences available to students.

The fellowship’s rotating structure is intended to ensure that the lab evolves alongside the college’s disciplines. Future fellows may bring expertise in areas such as artificial intelligence, computational design, advanced visualization, hybrid realities, interactive media, or other emerging domains. Their work will help students understand how technological innovation intersects with architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, graphic design, and other fields represented across the college.

“We will look at ways the fellowship and lab can explore hybrid constructs, make connections with the college’s Fab Lab, and emphasize augmented and hybrid realities,” said Carl Lostritto, director of the School of Architecture.

As new fellows build upon the foundation established by Arment, the Digital Futures Fellowship will continue to support educators, researchers, and practitioners whose work expands opportunities for students while helping shape the future of design education.

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Inspired by his lifelong interest in making, Long designed an ambient lamp constructed from materials of his more recent interest, risograph printing. The project evolved into coursework after Lindsay Brine, associate professor of practice in the �ֲ���ý, encouraged him to develop the concept further through a branding assignment.

“She told me to run with it,” said Long. “That is one of the greatest things about the �ֲ���ý. We’re encouraged to explore our own opportunities and what we’re interested in.”

Incorporating subtilties into the branding was one of the most fun aspects of the package design process.

Amiten, the Japanese word for “halftone”, drove the packaging’s appearance.

“I believe every design should be intentional. I chose to do cardboard instead of other options because it had a tactile feel, the same as the paper you usually print on with risograph. The big decision was to keep the brand subdued, which is quite the opposite of risograph prints which are very vibrant.”

The resulting project balances restraint and vibrancy, using materiality and packaging to reinforce the brand story behind the product itself.

This year’s DIELINE Awards jury included leading voices from across the global design industry representing internationally recognized brands, agencies, and studios. Entries were evaluated on creativity, marketability, innovation, execution, and on-pack branding, placing Long’s work among projects recognized for advancing contemporary packaging design practices and pushing the field in new directions.

“In an era where beautiful design is now considered table stakes for many CPG brands, it takes a truly exceptional studio or designer to place at DIELINE awards,” said DIELINE founder Andrew Gibbs in the . “Without a doubt, this was one of the strongest competitions to date, particularly as we introduced tiered pricing so that smaller indie studios could take part. Taken as a whole, our incredible 2026 winners are a testament to our industry, as they continue to prove just how valuable brand design and packaging are.”

Founded in 2007, the DIELINE Awards recognize innovation and excellence in packaging design from around the world. Long’s recognition highlights how emerging designers from UT are helping push the industry forward through thoughtful, sustainable, and conceptually driven work.

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At the heart of her research is a simple but powerful question: What would change if we designed with our future selves in mind?

“During a conversation with a gerontologist, she described touring retirement communities and realizing they didn’t reflect her and her husband’s interests—he still plays video games,” Mitchell says. “It raised a larger question about why we continue designing for outdated ideas of aging instead of how people actually live today.”

Supported by the James Johnson Dudley Faculty Scholarship��and the Alma and Hal Reagan Research Award, Mitchell has spent the past two years visiting interdisciplinary aging-research labs across the country to explore how collaboration among design, health, engineering, and gerontology can lead to more innovative ways to supportolder adults. By challenging outdated assumptions and rethinking conventional models, she aims to influence how care, technology, and everyday experiences are designed to support independence, dignity, and meaningful connection at every stage of life.

“While aging is universal, no two people experience it the same way,” Mitchell says. “We want to understand the physical, emotional, cultural, and social changes that shape our lives so we can work toward new possibilities.”

Designing in the “Murky Middle”

Mitchell visited eight research labs at leading institutions, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgia Tech, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s McKenchie Family LIFE Home, a premier research center focused on smart-home technologies. These spaces bring together engineers, psychologists, and health experts to improve quality of life as we age.

Mitchell describes this work as happening in what designers sometimes call the “murky middle.” It’s the space where disciplines that do not traditionally intersect come together and where, she says, true innovation happens.

“I was on a conference call and a participant asked, ‘Why is there a graphic designer on the call?’ And I thought, well, who do you think is shaping how people interact with these systems? There is so much we gain from collaboration across disciplines if we broaden the conversation.”

During her lab visits, Mitchell saw how user testing and feedback from older adults shaped everything from lighting and layout to technology integration. She knew many people want to age in place, staying in their homes and communities as they grow older. But saw first-hand how various disciplines are working together to support different models of aging in place.

Turning Research into Resources

Recognizing a gap in how aging is represented in design, Mitchell created the website, a curated shop for aging-related research, tools, and case studies from multiple disciplines, giving designers tangible ways to rethink assumptions and apply more inclusive approaches in their work.

“It’s a digital resource hub for designers, educators, and professionals who are passionate about creating inclusive, thoughtful, and joyful experiences for aging adults,” she says.

Mitchell also created interactive workshops and a companion workbook to help designers put that research into practice. A key conversation during her research became a turning point, revealing how often the systems and experiences we design don’t reflect how people actually live as they age.

That insight led to her “Designing for Our Future Selves” workshops, where participants examine how age bias shapes design decisions, consider physical and social changes, and reflect on what it means to design for their own future selves and others.

Central to the workshops is the 6Ms framework—What Matters, Mobility, Meaningful Activities, Medication, Mealtime, and Making Comfortable—which encourages designers to think more broadly about the experience of aging. Through that lens, Mitchell says participants consider how design decisions can support comfort, independence, dignity, and connection.

“When they first come into the workshops, they often think design for aging is just about accessibility,” she says. “But once they begin thinking about how the systems and experiences they design today will shape their own future selves as they age, everything starts to shift.”

What Comes Next

Mitchell is continuing to advance her research through writing, collaboration, and speaking engagements. She is currently drafting a journal article on innovation in care environments, writing a book on the future of aging and design, and expanding the Design for Aging Resources website as a place where researchers, designers, and practitioners can share ideas and tools.

Building on this research, Mitchell has established the Design for Care Lab, an emerging lab that organizes collaborations across design, health, and engineering. The lab has been designated as an AARP AgeTech Collaborative Testbed, positioning it within a national network evaluating new technologies with older adult populations.��

“As designers, we’re shaping the future and changing the way people think about aging,” she says. “And the future includes all of us, at every stage of life.”

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The 2025 biennial received 11,845 submissions reviewed through a juried selection process led by an international panel of designers and educators representing the United States, Iran, Belarus, Taiwan, Venezuela and India.

The students’ posters will be exhibited nationally, placing their work alongside leading professional and emerging voices in contemporary poster design.

Seniors Sophia Crosby and Emma Fingeret and juniors Mary Kent Driscoll and Caroline Elliott were accepted into the , focused on the breathtaking landscapes and ecological significance of national parks. Their posters were developed as part of a second-year course led by Assistant Professor Kimberly Mitchell which focuses on typography, image-making, and visual communication.

“At this stage, students are building on foundational skills from the previous semester and beginning to integrate type and image into more cohesive, concept-driven work,” said Mitchell. “The poster project is something I’ve taught across multiple semesters, adjusting the context over time—from regional systems like the Tennessee RiverLine to broader explorations of national parks and trails.”

The project challenged students to develop original poster concepts rooted in personal experience, geographic connection, or environmental observation.

Crosby drew inspiration from a hike of Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park shortly after losing her grandmother and enduring the pandemic.

“Climbing 1,500 feet over 2.5 miles—including the famous switchbacks of Walter’s Wiggles—while wearing a mask and navigating grief wasn’t easy, but it was an incredible experience,” she said. “The trail features ridges only two feet wide with chains bolted into the rock to secure you during the scramble. The specific framing I chose to illustrate was based on a photo I took of the narrow ridge and the chains guiding the way. It captures the exact spot where I thought, ‘I am really going to make it.’”

The following semester, Mitchell pivoted the brief to focus on the Great Smoky Mountains. Elliott, who grew up an hour from the park, drew inspiration from its nighttime environment.

“I’ve always kind of been fascinated with the fireflies that they have, and while that’s not really portrayed in my poster, I think that it’s a cool aspect of showing that there’s still stuff happening at night.”

Together, the selected works demonstrate a range of approaches to visual storytelling, from personal memory and endurance to regional identity and environmental observation.

For Mitchell, the recognition affirms the value of introducing ambitious, concept-driven challenges early in the curriculum.

With their posters now reaching audiences beyond the university through exhibition and publication, the students’ achievement signals not only exceptional individual accomplishment, but the growing impact of student work on the international design stage.

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Guerguis, who teaches design and structural technology, was recently awarded $50,000 from the , a competitive program that provides seed funding to help faculty develop and commercialize new technologies. The award will support the launch of OTTO, a startup designed to bring Guerguis’ integrated building system from research into real-world use.

“Turning research breakthroughs into real-world technologies is a key way in which we fulfill our responsibility as a land-grant university,” said Deb Crawford, vice chancellor for research, innovation, and economic development. “This initiative closes critical gaps between discovery and impact.”

Experience with Large-Scale Digital Printing

Guerguis’ research explores advanced manufacturing approaches at the building scale, including large-scale additive manufacturing as one of several methods. Using digital fabrication tools and advanced production technologies, he investigates how structures can be realized with greater precision and flexibility than traditional construction methods.

“The way we’ve built homes hasn’t changed in 140 years,” Guerguis says. “It’s slow, fragmented, and wasteful with frequent cost overruns and delays. But when we start thinking about construction as a system instead of separate pieces, we can simplify the entire process.”

His work has extended beyond the university through collaborations with and the , where he explored how advanced fabrication methods can create forms that would be difficult or even impossible to build using conventional techniques.

While no single fabrication method is suited for every project, Guerguis says the strength of these approaches lies in their flexibility and ability to support customization.

“With digital fabrication, we can move beyond standard shapes and create efficient forms that respond to structure, performance, and design all at once.”

Topology Optimization

Another aspect of Guerguis’ research focuses on topology optimization, a design approach that places material only where it is structurally needed. Using computational tools and stress analysis, he identifies where a structure carries the most load and strategically distributes material in those areas, informing more efficient building systems.

Inspired by nature’s efficiency, this approach creates lighter, stronger structures while using fewer resources. It reflects principles pioneered by , whose lightweight structural designs helped reshape modern architecture.

Topology optimization is already used in aerospace and automotive industries, where it has reduced material use by up to 40 percent. Guerguis believes similar strategies could reshape residential construction by lowering costs and improving sustainability.

“Nature is incredibly efficient,” Guerguis says. “We’re using computational tools to learn from those patterns and apply them to architecture.”

For Guerguis, efficiency isn’t just about saving materials. It’s also about improving how people live.

“Think about your everyday experience at home,” he says. “Do you have enough natural light? How is your indoor air quality? Do you feel connected to the outdoors? These aren’t luxuries, they shape how you live, work, and sleep every day.”

From Research to Market

With support from the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund, Guerguis is advancing OTTO’s core technologies, including the U-Panel, a system he has developed that is patent pending and integrates smart infrastructure directly into the building assembly.

The U-Panel includes built-in channels for electrical wiring, plumbing, and mechanical systems, serving as a building block for an integrated smart home system that allows homeowners to monitor and control lighting, HVAC, water usage, and security directly from their phones.

OTTO will also feature a digital platform where users can choose and customize key features online, creating a more personalized experience and helping bring well-designed, high-performance homes to a wider range of homeowners, from affordable housing to high-end homes.

With OTTO expected to launch in the coming months, Guerguis is focused on moving these innovations from research into real-world housing solutions and laying the groundwork for a more efficient and scalable approach to home construction.

“Home construction hasn’t fundamentally changed in decades,” he says. “But with computational design and digital fabrication, we have an opportunity to rethink how homes are made from the ground up, making them more efficient, more adaptable, and better suited to how people live today.”

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“The graphic design program has received fairly consistent ADDY recognition over the past several years,” said Sarah Lowe, director of the �ֲ���ý. “The professional recognition is an important acknowledgment of our program’s successes, but it more importantly highlights the phenomenal talent and skill of the students themselves.”

Sam Brott received top acknowledgement from the judges with Best of Show in the student category and a Judges’ Choice award for his cover art in the television campaign design. Brott’s graphics for season two of Nathan Fielder’s series The Rehearsal on HBO Max��were created under the constraint that all compositions be made by hand.

“The imagery visualizes the mental health pressures faced by commercial airline pilots,” he said. “Pilots operate under extreme expectations with no margin for error, while often lacking access to emotional support or appropriate medication. These systemic pressures are explored within the themes of the show and are reflected in these compositions.”

Lila Gsanger and Sam Tugman received Judges’ Choice awards for their respective designs Works and History pamphlet in the publication design category and Fizzology in the packaging category.

Gold Awards

• Integrated brand and Identity Campaign: Coastal, Delaney Kohlstedt

Silver Awards

• Out of Home: Big Ole Picnic, Kohlstedt

• Packaging: Fizzology, Tugman

• Publication Design: Critique Book, Alex Long and Ella Merkel

• Publication Design: Uneven Bars, Merkel

• Television Campaign: The Rehearsal Season 2, Brott

The local awards mark the start of a three-tier national competition. Recipients of gold awards are automatically entered into one of 15 district competitions.

This year’s��ADDYs were judged by Raul Rios, head of strategy at Saylor; Bjorn Madrid, marketing director at YMCA of the East Valley; and Appolllo Bey, a freelance creative director.

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