IIDA Educator of Impact Award
AwardsThe IIDA Foundation is pleased to present the IIDA Educator of Impact Award, recognizing and celebrating educators that contribute to the advancement of racial and ethnic diversity in the interior design industry.
Applications
Applications are closed.
Opens: Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Closes: Friday, October 9, 2026
Eligibility
Full-time educators who have made recognized contributions to advance and expand racial and ethnic diversity in the interior design industry are encouraged to apply. To nominate an educator other than yourself, email foundation@iida.org with the name and a brief description of the educator that you are nominating, and IIDA Foundation staff will contact the nominated educator to invite them to apply. IIDA membership is not required to apply.
Award
The 2026 IIDA Educator of Impact Award is a $5,000 cash prize. The recipient will be honored at the IDEC Annual Conference in March, and provided a $500 travel stipend from Interior Design Educators Council Foundation (IDECF) to attend. The recipient will receive official digital assets, a mention on IIDA’s website, and recognition on IIDA social media channels.
For questions or more information, contact IIDA Foundation at foundation@iida.org
2024 Educator Diversity Award Recipient
Professor Rana Abudayyeh
Associate Professor, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Abudayyeh has been an educator at UT Knoxville’s College of Architecture and Design since 2015, teaching a range of courses — from studios and seminars to design-build projects with the local community — all of which prioritize social justice and encourage students to consider the unspoken politics of space. Learn more.
2023 Educator Diversity Award Recipient
Dr. Asha Kutty
Assistant Professor, Interior Architecture at the University of North Carolina Greensboro
Through her work, Kutty has exposed students to the importance of designing through a wide lens, and investigating how different communities and diverse peoples might interact with the spaces once designed. She shows students how leaning on communities can provide better design solutions that serve the needs of the people who will occupy the spaces. Learn more
2022 Educator Diversity Award Recipient
Tina Patel
The 2022 Educator Diversity Awardee, presented by the IIDA Foundation, in partnership with Interior Design Educators Council Foundation (IDECF), is Tina Patel. As Assistant Professor of Interior Design in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design, at Kent State University, Patel encourages students to consider realities and experiences divergent from their own, and teaches to center empathy in design methodologies. Learn more