In Prestigious Competition, Seniors Dominic Luna and Carlos Ramirez Among 15 Honorees Nationwide

LOS ANGELES (July xx, 2016) – Underscoring the growing stature of Woodbury University’s Interior Architecture curriculum, seniors Dominic Luna and Carlos Ramirez have been selected as two of fifteen recipients of the prestigious Angelo Donghia Foundation Senior Student Scholarship – a first for the nationwide program.

The Angelo Donghia Foundation’s Senior Student Scholarship Program in Interior Design was launched in 2002. Through the program, the Foundation awards scholarships to deserving students who are entering their senior year in a baccalaureate degree program in Interior Design.  Students must submit either a residential or commercial project of their own design; the panel of judges consists of top interior designers in New York City.  Each student winner receives up to a $30,000 scholarship to be applied to senior year tuition, board, maintenance and books.  

Both Woodbury students chose their projects from Studio 6, taught by Associate Professor Heather Peterson.  In Peterson’s class, the design of a speculative museum of the future began with the exploration of material experiments using unconventional ingredients like wax and glycerin, in order to expand into a new palette of tactile and aesthetic experiences.  From there, both submissions were developed without reference to a specific site, growing solely out of the internal logic of the spatial experience.

While five School of Architecture students have won the scholarship since its inception, the double win is a first for the program. “Our success at this award and other awards and scholarships testifies to the ever-increasing quality of our Interior Architecture program,” said Christoph Korner, Chair of the Interior Architecture program.  “It’s a tremendous achievement for both students, and our sincerest congratulations go to Dominic and Carlos.”  Previous School of Architecture recipients include Yumin Zeng, Iva Kremsa, Jill Wood, Caroline Morris and Kristen Dusold.

“I’m very grateful to receive this scholarship award, and I couldn’t have done it without Carlos,” Luna said. “We both encouraged each other throughout the process, and I couldn’t be happier that we won this scholarship together.”

“When I first read the award letter I was proud to find out that we had not only one but two winners representing Woodbury in this year’s Donghia Scholarship competition,” Ramirez said.  “We could not have accomplished this without the help of our amazing faculty and staff, especially Kristin King, Christoph Korner, Heather Peterson and Brigid McManama.  Many thanks to them for their guidance and support.”

Woodbury University School of Architecture is a network of locations strategically sited within the Southern California megalopolis: Los Angeles, Burbank, Hollywood and San Diego. Together, these sites form a critical infrastructure for architectural investigations. The school’s undergraduate and graduate programs in architecture and interior architecture train students as entrepreneurs, architect citizens, and cultural builders.

About Woodbury University

Founded in 1884, Woodbury University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Southern California.  The university ranks 15th among the nation’s “25 Colleges That Add the Most Value,” according to Money Magazine, and is a 2014-2015 College of Distinction.. With campuses in Burbank/Los Angeles and San Diego, the university offers bachelor's degrees from the School of Architecture, School of Business, School of Media, Culture & Design, and College of Liberal Arts, along with a Master of Business Administration, Master of Architecture (MArch), Master of Interior Architecture (MIA), Master of Science in Architecture (MSArch), and Master of Leadership. The San Diego campus offers Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture, Master of Interior Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture degrees, as well as an MSArch degree with a concentration in Real Estate Development. Visit woodbury.edu for more information.

Media Contact:

Ken Greenberg

Edge Communications, Inc.

(323) 469-3397

ken@edgecommunicationsinc.com