CHICAGO—The IIDA Foundation and John J. Nelson Sr. are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022 John J. Nelson Sr. Legacy Scholarship, a fund established to support diversity and further the study of interior design and architecture by students of African American descent.

Scholarship recipients include Brianna Toussaint of the School of Visual Arts, New York, and Kambria Lauderdale of California State University, Sacramento.

“One of IIDA Foundation’s greatest honors is supporting and recognizing emerging designers,” said IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO, Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA. “As an association and community, funds like this help drive the common goal across the design industry of amplifying the talents of Black students and providing assistance as they begin their careers. We’re thankful to John J. Nelson Sr. for his role in this crucial support year after year.”

With a mission to promote inclusivity and accessibility across the design profession, John J. Nelson Sr. joins the IIDA Foundation in support of young designers of African American descent through an annual scholarship program offering monetary aid.

“Both recipients of this year’s John J. Nelson Sr. Legacy Scholarship showcase the indisputable potential found in the future of the industry,” said Nelson Sr., the founder and a former owner of NELSON Worldwide. “Not only do their submission videos inspire, but they offer hope for those looking toward the next decades of our field and beyond.”

Applications were reviewed by the Scholarship Fund Evaluation Committee and the IIDA Foundation Board of Trustees. The distinguished evaluation committee included O|A Object Agency Principal and Creative Director and Pratt Institute Interior Design Professor Jon Otis, IIDA, and Hickok Cole Associate Principal and Director of Interiors Mike Johnson II, IIDA.