Published on May 2, 2023 by Ashley Smith  
Samford Student Winners 2023
Photos Samford student winners. L-R: Kat Budd, Faith Merkel, Kayli Leonard, Audrey Scott Joe Turner and Allison Grace Lee.
It was a big night for Samford University at the 2023 IIDA Alabama Design Award celebration. IIDA Alabama is the state chapter of the International Interior Design Association. The event is held every other year and recognizes design excellence in a variety of project categories as well as student work and special recognition.
 
Samford alumni, faculty and students received awards. Samford Interior Design students took home two of the three student awards for their school projects. Audrey Scott received a student design award for her AirBnB project. A Samford student team received a student design award for their AGAPE Community Center, a project designed for a real client in the Dominican Republic, The team members were Kat Budd, Kayli Leonard, Joe Turner, Allison Grace Lee and Faith Merkel.
 
Three Samford alumni accepted awards for their respective firms for their projects. Anne-Marie Gianoudis won for Best Higher-Education for the Highlands College Renovations and Addition by TurnerBatson Architects. Whitney Tingle won in the Best Residential/Multi-Family category for Armour & Co. by Christopher Architecture & Interiors. The final and highest award went to Anna Patton Bautista for Best of Healthcare and Best in Show for Total on 1st by CCR Architecture & Interiors.
 
Special recognition went to Jim Griffo, adjunct professor in Architecture & Interior Design. Griffo was recognized for being among IIDA International's first Emeritus Class; a designation awarded to nineteen of the Institute's 15,000 members.
 
 
 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.