Student Honors
Students in the School of Design are encouraged to submit work to local, national, and regional design competitions.
Dedicated faculty advisors guide students through the preparation of a successful submission and the school pays competition entry fees. UIC Design students have been recognized by Adobe Creative Jam, AIGA Boost, AIGA Chicago Emerging Designer Award, Art Director’s Club of New York, What’s Next?, Be Original Foundation, ComEd Innovation Challenge, CHGO DSGN, Chicago Design Archive, Dubai Design Week, Dutch Design Week, Graphis New Talent, International Contemporary Furniture Fair, Print Regional Annual, Society of Typographic Arts, Type Directors Club, and more.
2025
IDSA Gianninoto Scholarship
Bahar Aryana, MDes ID, graduate recipient
GD USA Students to Watch 2025
Kyra McKay, BDes GD
Nahid Yahyaee, MDes GD
2025 GIA Global Innovation Awards, Student Design Competition
Ada Carter, BDes ID
TypeCon 2025, Education Forum presentation
DES308 physical typography project (presented by assistant clinical professor Grace Spee)
2024
Philadelphia Museum of Art Design Competition, first place
Manuel Luna, BDes ID
Natty Bwoy Chicago on WGN Chicago
Katon Sylvain-Blackburn, DES Foundations
TypeCon 2024, Education Forum presentation
DES251 class project (presented by assistant clinical professor Grace Spee)
2023
TypeCon 2023, Education Forum Presenter
Quentin Bu, MDes GD
Philadelphia Museum of Art Design Competition, runner-up
Tanisha Boekstaaf, BDes ID
2022
IDSA Student Merit Award
Phoebe Liandyartha, UIC BDes
Global Design Graduate Show, Service Design Category
Xavier Pacheco, BDes ID
2021
Graphis New Talent 2021 Gold Award & Silver Award
Nada Abourashed, BDes GD (Gold)
Jonathan Pacheco, BDes GD (Silver)
Graphis New Talent Annual 2021
Ola Alsarraj
Sara Armstrong
Samuele Bianchi
Madison Chessare
Farida Fadly
Jonathan Hernandez
Jasmine Hu
Anthony Jones
Ali Khan
Yawen Lin
Yingtang Lu
Amod Mahadik
Jewel Mathew
Ashely Menardo
Adrian Politzer
Ivan Salazar
Heather Trofimchuk
Asha Whitehorne
Nour Zaki
2019
Creative Quarterly Journal 57 Runner-up
Yingtang Lu, BDes GD
Graphis New Talent Annual 2019
Amir Berbic’s 3D Typography class
2018
Dubai Design Week Global Grad Show
Christel Tiu, MDes ID
antenna/Dutch Design Week
Alexandros Skouras, MDes GD
Graphis Typography 4, the Silver Award
Jeff Torres, BDes GD
T’Yanna Moore, BDes GD
Alexandra Spiroff, BDes GD
Caroline Schwarm, BDes GD
Graphis New Talent 2018, Silver Award
Hyunji Kim
Jennifer Brott
William Dutton
Christopher Fanelli
Elissa Lepoire
Diana Mazurok
Judith Pauly
Kenneth Randall
IDSA Student Merit Award
Jake Rynkiewicz, MDes ID
2017
TypeThursday Conference, Presenter
Jacob Behling, BDes GD
Hurlbert Brent, BDes GD
Harley Richard, BDes GD
STA 100 Award, Society of Typographic Arts
Kaleb Dean, MDes GD
Nina Swiderski, MDes GD
TypeCon Education Forum, Presenter
Charlotte Yue Qin, MDes GD
2016
ICFF Exhibition, International Contemporary Furniture Fair
UIC students invited annually to showcase their work in UIC’s exhibit at ICFF
IDSA Student Merit Award
Nicholas Savidge, BDes ID
2015
STA Design Inspiration Weekend, Presenters
Elizabeth Villareal
Kristine Lee
Katherine Edwards
Christine Lee
Amanda Sanchez
Paul Zdon
Madison Chessare
Alice Lee
May-Zu Chien
Laura Ferrario
Jerome Grand
Beiruo He
Heesung Kim
Astha Thakkar
IDSA Student Merit Award
Rotimi Solola, BDes ID
2014
TypeCon 2014, Presenter
Alice Lee, MDes GD
AIGA Signature Award
Nina Andorf, BDes GD
UIC Image of Research, Finalist
May-Zu Chien, MDes GD
IDSA Student Merit Award
Jillian Tackaberry, BDes ID
2013
University & College Designers Association Gold Award of Excellence for Type Design
Alex Giraldo
Society of Typographic Arts Award & Archive 13 Exhibition
Alex Giraldo
Graphic Design USA American Graphic Design Award
Alex Giraldo
Jeff Barnes
Julia Kaufman
Typeforce Exhibition
Jonathan Duncan
Designer Magazine
Jonathan Duncan
Natalia Piegat,
Jonathan Schelling
Jessica Toro
Ching-Mei Lin
Raul Pena
Jennifer Wandro
Matthew Wizinsky
2011
Graphis New Talent Annual: Type Design, Gold Award
Kevin Beronilla
2010
Creative Quarterly Journal 20
Alexa Viscius (winner)
Amy Cawvey (Runner-up)
2009
AIGA Snapshot
Mary Ann Park
Eric Cervantes
Octavio Acosta-Carlock
Karimé Castillo Ramirez
Jaclyn Kutsinski
Alexa Viscius
Brian Bauer
Ernestina Perez
Christina Wildgrube
Kelli Evans
2008
Society of Typographic Arts Awards
Hannah Kim
Joseph Condon
Nicole Stormer
Christopher Kalis
Jungjin Kim
Anna Leithauser
Matthew Wizinsky
Graphic Design USA, American Graphic Design Awards
Hannah Kim
Octavio Acosta-Carlock
Karimé Castillo Ramirez
Brian Bauer
Christopher Kalis
Jungjin Kim
UIC Image of Research, Honorable Mention
Renata Graw
2007
National Association for the Practice of Anthropology, Logo & Identity Competition Winner
Matthew Suhr