The Educational Foundation (EF) of IFDA, the International Furnishings and Design Association, announced its design student scholarship winners for 2026. Since the early years of this 79-year-old global design industry alliance, EF has awarded scholarships to high-achieving design students.
This year the 10 scholarship winners received a total of $27,500. The judging was conducted by a subset of the EF’s Board of Trustees.
“We are very pleased to present these scholarships to such exceptional students,” said Karen Dzendolet, chairman of the Board of the Educational Foundation of IFDA. “Their shared commitment to improving the world through design is commendable, whether the focus is on sustainability, biophilic design, neurodivergent design, health and well-being, or community engagement and giving back.”
Earline Feldman, FIFDA, director of scholarships & grants, echoed the sentiment.
“True to our mission, we awarded 10 scholarships to outstanding students whose talent, creativity and dedication distinguished them among an exceptionally competitive field,” said Feldman. “With applications from across the country, selecting the winners was no easy task for our judges.”
Applicants must be currently enrolled, and scholarships are paid to the school for the 2026 fall semester tuition. The 10 scholarship winners are as follows:
Sophia Royale won the new Avalon Flooring Scholarship for $2,000. Royale is an emerging interior design professional with a background in sales and client relations. She graduated from the University of Arizona in 2023 before transitioning into the design industry. Royale currently works full-time at Amanda Stefanski Interiors in Wayne, Pa., while furthering her education through the Interior Design Certificate Program at Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia. Combining strong communication skills with a passion for thoughtful, functional spaces, she is dedicated to developing her expertise in residential interior design and creating environments that are both beautiful and purposeful.
Troy Rudolph was awarded the Tony Fusco Scholarship for $6,000, another new scholarship open to New England residents currently enrolled in interior design or related programs at the full-time undergraduate or graduate level. Rudolph is currently pursuing a Master of Architecture degree at Boston Architectural College after earning his bachelor’s degree in urban studies and visual arts from Fordham University in New York City in 2024. In 2025, he was recognized at the IFDA New England Awards Gala, receiving both the Best Student Architecture Residential and Commercial Project awards. His goal is to design civic architecture in order to create meaningful spaces that engage and support the communities in which they exist.
Gabriella Sutherland, a dual-degree student in interior design and psychology, minoring in cognitive science, neuroscience and environments and sustainability at Mississippi State University, won the FBN Leaders Commemorative Scholarship for $3,000 open to full-time undergraduate students. She is passionate about how the built environment shapes human experience, well-being and behavior. Her academic work and research interests lie at the intersection of sustainable design, environmental psychology and universal accessibility, especially in educational, institutional and hospitality spaces. She has pursued opportunities that allow her to investigate how space impacts cognition, mental health and inclusivity, with a particular focus on neurodivergent individuals and those with disabilities.
Chelsea Brown, a third-year interior design student at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind, was awarded the Part-Time Student Scholarship for $1,500. She made a career pivot after nearly a decade in sales. Her design philosophy focuses on sustainable design practices and centering occupant well-being. While all stages of design development pose a creative challenge, she most enjoys the puzzle of crafting effective and succinct floor plans. During fall 2026, she will work as an undergraduate teaching assistant for IU’s Design Methods course.
The IFDA Student Member Scholarship for $2,000, open to full-time IFDA student members, went to Kirsten Jones, a recent graduate of Endicott College in Beverly, Mass., with a BFA in interior architecture. She has always had a passion for interior design and always knew this was the path for her. She is also excited to go back to school to earn her master’s degree in interior architecture with a focus in education.
Gianna Palazzolo of the University of Idaho captured the Vercille Voss IFDA Graduate Student Scholarship for $2,000. She has always felt a calling to design. Her previous years of education revolved around the life sciences and arts and, eventually, she found that these two passions aligned perfectly within interior design. Throughout her college career, she has explored this interest. She learned about sustainable practices and earned her LEED Green Associate credential. She has also learned more about community through qualitative research and a service-learning project. In graduate school, she aims to further understand how the built environment can improve quality of life.
Sophia Hancock, an undergraduate interior and furniture design student at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, was awarded the Ruth Clark Furniture Design Scholarship for $4,000. This scholarship is open to full- or part-time undergraduate or graduate students. Hancock has a passion for transforming everyday spaces through movement, texture and sustainability. She hopes to create spaces that integrate the belief that furniture and interior spaces shouldn’t just fill a space but tell the stories of the hands that made them, the people who live them and the lives they live beyond them.
Marissa Scheid won the Tricia LeVangie Green/Sustainable Design Scholarship for $1,500, which is open to full- or part-time undergraduate students. She is an interior design student at Palomar College in San Marcos, Calif., pursuing a bachelor’s degree in building performance and environmental design. After spending eight years in marketing and operations, she transitioned to design to create spaces that enhance well-being, foster connection and support environmental responsibility. Her work is inspired by biophilic principles, thoughtful material selection and the belief that design can positively impact both people and the planet.
Open to full- or part-time undergraduate and graduate students with course emphasis on textile design, the Barbara Beckmann Textile Design Scholarship for $3,000 was awarded to Nina DiCicco, a junior fibers major at the Savannah College of Art and Design with a concentration in print & pattern design, and a minor in business management and entrepreneurship. Her passion for surface design begins with the origin art. Reinterpreting everyday objects in a new space reminds her that even the smallest details have meaning and purpose. Each collection begins with a singular, hand-drawn motif, emphasizing artisanal craft in a primarily digital age. Much of her color palette and overall work is inspired by fine art and the essence of joy and childhood.
Joshua Paul earned the IFDA Philadelphia Scholarship for $2,500, which this year focuses on designs and is open to two-, three- or four-year interior design or related program students. He is an undergraduate graphic design student at Anderson University in Anderson, S.C. Paul cites his passion as glorifying Jesus Christ through creative excellence. Whether designing a bespoke typeface for a Christian summer camp, an Instagram post for his college’s campus ministry or a cohesive visual campaign to address homelessness in Anderson, Paul seeks to give through creativity. To Paul, design is about reflecting the heart of his creator through creativity and generosity. Long-term, he is interested in starting a freelance graphic design studio that specializes in branding for nonprofits, churches and small businesses.
