Commencement 2024 Program

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Ellen Kravet, Chairman

David Sprouls, NYSID President

Chesie Breen

Jill H. Dienst

James P. Druckman

Cheryl S. Durst

Ingrid Ongaro Edelman

John Edelman

Susan Zises Green

Alexa Hampton

Young Huh

David Kleinberg

Courtney R. McLeod

Dennis Miller

Betsey Ruprecht

Brad Schneller

David Scott

Gale Singer

Kelly M. Williams

Eric Joseph Gering, Faculty Trustee

Joanna L. Silver, Esq., General Counsel

Inge Heckel, Trustee Emerita

Patricia M. Sovern, Chairman Emeritus

ADVISORY BOARD

Robin Klehr Avia

Michael Bruno

Kathleen M. Doyle

Ross J. Francis

Mariette Himes Gomez

Gerald A. Holbrook

Thomas Jayne

Wolfram Koeppe

Charlotte Moss

Barbara Ostrom

Sylvia Owen

Ann Pyne

Peter Sallick

Calvin Tsao

Bunny Williams

Vicente Wolf

PROGRAM

Musical Prelude

Academic Procession

Chairman of the Board

Board of Trustees

President

Recipients of Honorary Doctorates

Faculty

Members of the Class of 2024

Welcome

Ellen Kravet, Chairman, Board of Trustees

President’s Address

David Sprouls, President

Presentation of Awards and Prizes

Ellen S. Fisher, Ph.D., Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean

Graduating Student Speakers

Chih Chung Chen (BFA)

Kayla Lowry (MFA1)

Commencement Address

Joy Moyler, Design Principal, Joy Moyler Interiors

David Rockwell, Founder and President, Rockwell Group

Conferral by the President of the Honorary Doctorates

Joy Moyler

David Rockwell

Presentation of Diplomas

David Sprouls, President

Ellen S. Fisher, Ph.D., Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean

Recessional

Music provided by the David Glukh Brass Quartet

Student Speakers

NYSID’s community has selected two graduating students to speak at Commencement. This year’s speakers are Chih Chung Chen (BFA) and Kayla Lowry (MFA1).

Chih Chung Chen (BFA)

In three words, what does interior design mean to you?

Timelessness, Awareness, Behavior

Interior designers have the honor to create an environment that inspires people’s joy, impacts the human experience positively, and enables people to thrive in our design and hard work. Interior design shapes human behaviors in both subconscious and conscious ways, and it is our duty to create ways to enhance the quality of both experience and functional purpose. As interior designers it is our job to see those everyday things, to feel them, and try to improve upon them. We not only have to focus on the problem that no one has figured out, but also fix the problem in an aesthetic way. By addressing unspoken needs aesthetically and functionally, and by weaving the unique stories of our clients into each project, our designs do not merely fill spaces—they tell stories that are eternally relevant.

Kayla Lowry (MFA1)

In three words, what does interior design mean to you?

Expression, Safety, Transformation

Growing up, I moved around a bit. It wasn’t always easy adjusting to new places, but something I took comfort in was my bedroom. It's where I felt safest. I was completely free to dance, cry, or just be a kid. It’s where I could fully express myself while transforming into whomever I wanted to be. My room gave that to me. The older I got, the more I realized that the way a space is designed has a huge impact on how we feel inside of it. Especially now, as an educated designer, I understand that it is my duty to create spaces where people can experience what my childhood bedrooms gave me—a place to feel safe, to express yourself, to transform physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Commencement Speakers

Every year, nominees for the NYSID honorary doctorate degree are selected from a distinguished pool, each having demonstrated leadership in the interior design industry and values that are consistent with the goals of the College’s mission and higher education.

Joy Moyler

Recipient of the Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts

Joy Moyler’s love of color and textiles are forever embedded in her DNA. From collecting fabric swatches for her late mom to make quilts, and spending countless hours at Barney’s as a child, pouring over wool and cashmere while watching her dad and grandfather being fitted for suits, she has been learning all her life. For Joy, the texture, haberdashery and haute couture details found in fashion inspire her brand of architecture and interior design.

A trip to Spain when she was fourteen confirmed her love for architecture and grounded her career path. “I became enthralled by the light, color, angles and textures of Madrid and Barcelona,” said Moyler. Joy’s work is informed by a multitude of design styles, from Beaux Arts to Modernism, and everything in between. Her broad understanding is reflected in the furniture, decorative finishes, hardware and textiles she uses.

With a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and more than 20 years of experience, the New York-based designer boasts a range of projects, including residential, retail, hospitality and commercial projects. Joy Moyler Interiors' recently completed projects include Raevo Golf Resort in Moscow, Russia, alongside famed golfer Jack Nicklaus, as well as residential work for clients including Pia Getty, Leonardo DiCaprio, Adrien Brody, John Mayer, and Thomas Keller. The firm also created Joy Moyler Atelier a capsule tabletop collection, inspired by the architectural design elements found on The Dakota, The Beresford and The Majestic, the landmark residential buildings on New York City’s Central Park West.

Joy has been profiled in myriad design publications worldwide, and her name consistently shows up in places like the Elle Decor A-List and Architectural Digest 100. She is also a contributing design editor for Veranda Magazine and columnist for Homes & Gardens, UK

David Rockwell

Recipient of the Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts

Long before turning his attention to architecture, David Rockwell, FAIA, had a fascination with immersive environments. Growing up in the United States and Guadalajara, Mexico, David was a child of the theater, and was often cast in community repertory productions by his mother, a vaudeville dancer and choreographer. There, he experienced the power of collaboration in service of a shared artistic goal, and witnessed the ways in which narrative and design created meaning and lasting memories. Later, he would bring his passion for theater and curator’s eye for the color and spectacle of Mexico to his practice.

Through this unique lens, David founded Rockwell Group, which celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2024. Now a 330-person, crossdisciplinary architecture and design firm based in New York with satellite offices in Los Angeles and Madrid, Rockwell Group emphasizes invention and thought leadership. Led by David and partners Shawn Sullivan and Greg Keffer, the firm creates extraordinary experiences and built environments across the globe. Merging theater, performance, and architecture to create unique narratives for each project, the firm’s work includes hotels and restaurants, theaters, cultural and educational institutions, set designs, products, exhibitions, and urban interventions that engage the public realm.

One of his recent projects is the Perelman Performing Arts Center in New York (restaurant and lobby interior architect), and his notable works include Nobu Hotels and restaurants worldwide. Honors include the AIANY President’s Award, the National Design Award from the CooperHewitt National Design Museum for outstanding achievement in Interior Design, and a Tony Award for Best Scenic Design for She Loves Me

Known for his commitment to nonprofit and community organizations, David serves as the Chair Emeritus of the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA) and as a board member of Citymeals on Wheels, New York Restoration Project, and the American Theatre Wing.

AWARDS & PRIZES

The Chairman’s Award

The Ana Blanc Verna Award

The Alumni Award

The Robert Herring Travel Prize

The William Breger Faculty Achievement Award

CLASS OF 2024

ASSOCIATE IN APPLIED SCIENCE CANDIDATES

Jhanela Thea Serrano Agabon

Jessica Beresford

Priyanka Bradoo ✦✦

Laura Hesse ✦✦

Michaella Holmes

Olga Kalenska ✦

Sarah Kaufman ✦

Bryana Marie Klofstad ✦✦

Olivia Kramer ✦

Kristen Lande ✦✦

Molley Maloney ✦✦

Lucia Mantica ✦

Jessica Lynne Matta ✦✦

Lilit Miridzhanyan ✦✦

Anna Ozymko

Marylynn Piotrowski

Lillian Downing Ratcliffe

Kiara M. Sierra Serrano ✦✦

BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS CANDIDATES

Katherine Alise Balke

Nicole Ramos Bravo ✦

Lauren Brkaric ✦

Chih Chung Chen •

YiBai Chen

Joseph Tyler Di Carlo

Lan Thu Do ✦

Addison Hansen ✦

Dallas Hayes ✦

Kang Tae Ho ✦

Louisa Holden

Xinyu Jiang

Emerson Kraus ✦✦

Bridget Lee ✦✦

Melanie Lewis ✦

Yael Moinzadeh ✦✦

Nicole Montesino

Nathalie Murillo-Jimenez

Aaron Ortiz

Merve Buse Ozden ✦

Aleiagrace Katherine Stender ✦

Ilan Stuyck-Plant ✦

Jack Wolfe ✦

Erika Yardeni ✦

Teejai Elaine Pearson

Deldrys Gomez Reynoso ✦✦

Veronica Rose Rossmeissl

Bridget Saluk ✦

Jonosuke Tanaka

Irena Victoria Viitiuk

Yuxiao Wang ✦✦

Mengnan Yang ✦

Chiara Zanolin ✦✦

CLASS OF 2024

MASTER OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES CANDIDATES

MPS IN DESIGN OF HEALTHCARE ENVIRONMENTS

Ashley Spencer

Sarah Wolfe

Wenfei Xu

Wenqi Yu

MPS IN LIGHTING DESIGN

Gavin Cantrell

Sera Imirzalioglu

Francine Alexandra T. Mariano

Huien Yin

MASTER OF FINE ARTS CANDIDATES

MFA PROFESSIONAL (MFA1)

Ashley Abaunza ✦✦

Valentina Cravioto Alcantara ✦

Ranjetha Bommareddy

Jake Brett ✦

Christine Cameron

Rachel Cutler ✦

Emily Evans ✦✦

Ashley Elizabeth Mahr Flagg ✦✦

Danielle Fleming ✦

Jessica Foss ✦

Katherine Paige Giminaro ✦✦

Carli Grims ✦✦

Kile Hotchkiss ✦✦

Mackenzie Hughes ✦✦

Alexandra Hyman ✦✦

Peter Francisco Ibarra ✦✦

Daniela Cravo Jacobovicz ✦✦

Kallee La Rosa ✦✦

Simone Lawton

Charles Li

Zi Liang ✦✦

Evelyn Annette Liu ✦✦

Nanxuan Liu ✦✦

Kayla Lowry ✦ •

Jamie Nathan ✦

Setayesh Parvinjah

Natalia Pugliese ✦✦

Marisol Lizelle Salvador ✦

Silvia Paez Santos ✦✦

Sara Schipani ✦✦

MPS IN SUSTAINABLE INTERIOR ENVIRONMENTS

Krishna Nidhi Babu

Rajshree KC

Bhumi Shah

Samantha Shyer ✦✦

Allison Stephens ✦✦

Daniel Antonio Diaz Tai ✦

Mayra Tarsinian ✦

Truc Thanh Tran ✦

Melida Valera ✦✦

Tsai Ying Wang ✦

Sara Watson ✦✦

Samantha Weissberg ✦✦

Jessica Rachel Wiener ✦✦

Jason Win ✦✦

Zeinab Youssef ✦✦

Connie Zhang ✦✦

Alessandra Zucchi ✦✦

MFA POST-PROFESSIONAL (MFA2)

Sonal Aggarwal ✦

Sarah Alrekhis

Sofia Echalie ✦

Prachi Fulwane

Shiqi He ✦

Mishkin Mande

Sota Mochizuki

Amrutha Modepalli

Afsin Zehra M. Musa ✦

Sachi Shah ✦

Amina Shinassylova

Sheng Tao

Stephanie Ann Tyler ✦✦

Tripureshee Vashishtha ✦

ACADEMIC HERALDRY

The caps, gowns, and hoods worn at college and university functions date back to the medieval period. Derived from the traditional dress at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, they were originally worn to provide warmth in cold and drafty buildings. In Colonial America, Kings College (now Columbia University) was the first to adopt this academic attire. The garments are now donned during ceremonial occasions at most institutions of higher education. The ensemble generally consists of a gown with a separate hood and a cap that is actually a mortarboard, tam, or bonnet according to the institution’s choice.

Distinctions in the type of gown worn signify different degrees. For example, the bachelor’s gown is distinguished by its long pointed sleeves, while on the master’s gown, the sleeves are long but square. Gowns for the doctor’s degree carry broad velvet panels down the front and three velvet bars on the full, rounded sleeves. While typically black, doctoral robes may also be in the school’s colors like those of Columbia (light blue), Harvard (crimson), Fordham (maroon), and St. John’s (bright red). Members of the board of trustees of any institution of higher education are entitled to wear doctoral robes faced with black velvet and with black velvet bars on the sleeve regardless of their terminal degrees.

The brilliant colors of the hoods were added in the 19th century to signify the various degrees and the subject to which the degree pertains. The size of the hood varies according to the level of the degree. Basically a black shell in material to match the robe, it is lined in silk with the color or colors of the institution conferring the degree. The hood is then bordered with the proper width to indicate the degree and the color signifying the level of learning the degree represents. For example, brown velvet signifies fine arts, white velvet the humanities, and purple velvet law and jurisprudence. The doctoral degree requires blue velvet irrespective of the major field of study. If more than one degree is held, the gown and the hood of the highest degree attained are worn.

The colors and insignia of academic dress are subject to a strict code, and the American Council on Education’s Committee on Academic Costumes and Ceremonies reviews the dress code periodically and may recommend changes.

SCHOOL CHARTER

In New York, an institution that wishes to organize as an educational corporation must do so by petitioning the State Board of Regents for the issuance of a charter. Organizational and educational standards established by the Board of Regents must be fully met in order for a charter to be issued. In 1924, the New York School of Interior Decoration, as the College was known at that time, was chartered by the Board of Regents and the first course catalogue was published.

THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDALLION

The official insignia of the NYSID presidency, the Medallion symbolizes both the authority of the president and the ensuing responsibilities of the office. Worn on ceremonial occasions as part of the president’s academic regalia, the Medallion was designed by the late Michael Graves, who served on NYSID’s Advisory Board and was Program Advisor for the Master of Professional Studies in Healthcare Interior Design. The College expresses thanks to Michael Graves and his colleagues at Michael Graves Architecture & Design for so generously donating their time and talent to the creation of the Medallion.

Featuring a replica of the College’s seal and a rendering of a klismos chair in relief on the reverse, the Medallion is a gold-plated bronze medal measuring five inches in diameter. The dies for the medal, fabricated by the Medallic Art Company, were created from hand-sculpted models provided by Michael Graves Design. The production of the Presidential Medallion was made possible by the Board of Trustees of the New York School of Interior Design.

THE CEREMONIAL MACE

The Ceremonial Mace is a symbol of order and authority and is carried before the president and other dignitaries during academic processions. The NYSID Mace, symbolic of the search for enlightenment, is a replica of a flame-bearing urn resting on a plinth and mounted on a fluted handle. The hand-turned solid brass torch with an antiqued bronze finish is engraved with the College’s logo. Resting on top of the urn is the flame, which is a resin cast of a 19th century finial. The Mace was designed by NYSID faculty member René Estacio. The flame was finished in 23.5k gold leaf by Dean Barger, also a NYSID faculty member. The Mace was fabricated by Lite Makers, Inc. of Long Island City, New York. The manufacture of the Mace was made possible by the generosity of the Board of Trustees of the New York School of Interior Design.

New York School of Interior Design

New York School of Interior Design is a private, nonprofit college focused exclusively on interior design. The college offers certificate, undergraduate, and graduate programs for students at all stages of their careers—whether they’re just becoming familiar with the discipline, considering a career change, or looking to deepen knowledge in a particular area. Consistently ranked one of the top interior design programs in the United States, students study both residential and commercial interior design, some with specialties in sustainable design, lighting, and healthcare interiors. NYSID students enjoy a small class size and sharp focus, along with a great deal of personal attention from dedicated faculty. They go on to practice at the highest levels of the profession.

NYSID's Manhattan facilities are located at 170 E. 70th Street and 401 Park Avenue South. The majority of NYSID’s programs have online components. With the 2022 launch of the CIDA-accredited BFA distance degree in interior design, now the entire undergraduate curriculum is available both on-site and online so students everywhere have access to a NYSID degree. To learn more, visit nysid.edu

92NY

Founded 140 years ago to serve the Jewish people, 92NY promotes individual and family development and participation in civic life within the context of Jewish values and American pluralism.

As a nonprofit community and cultural center, 92NY seeks to create, provide, and disseminate programs of distinction that foster the physical and mental health of human beings throughout their lives, their educational and spiritual growth, and their enjoyment.

92NY reaches out beyond its core constituency of American Jews to serve people of diverse racial, religious, ethnic, and economic backgrounds, seeking partnerships that leaven our programs and broaden our influence.