Graduation Awards

Congratulations, 2026 Award Winners!

As we celebrate the close of the academic year, we are proud to recognize the graduating students whose work, leadership, and academic excellence represent the very best of the Hines College. This year’s student awards honor our top graduates, those who have demonstrated exceptional leadership within our College community, and outstanding projects across our disciplines. Please join us in congratulating these students on their achievements and the lasting mark they leave on the Hines College.

Top Graduating Students

AnnaMarie Wallace
American Institute of Architects Academic Excellence Award | Master of Architecture

Olivia Salinas
American Institute of Architects Academic Excellence Award | Bachelor of Architecture

Hannah Ritchie
Outstanding Academic Achievement in Graduate Industrial Design

Mary Leath
Outstanding Academic Achievement in Undergraduate Industrial Design

Elena Mexicano
Outstanding Academic Achievement in Undergraduate Interior Architecture

Yeni Perez
Outstanding Academic Achievement in Undergraduate Environmental Design

Leadership Awards

Rickie Lindemann
Nia Becnel Award
Recognizing Initiative, Service, and Leadership

Victoria Gonzalez
Myron C. Anderson Award
Honoring Collegiality, Purpose, and Service

Olivia Blas
Alpha Rho Chi Award
Celebrating Leadership, Service, and Professional Merit

Zulema Ayon
Architectural Research Centers Consortium Award
Recognizing Innovation, Integrity, and Scholarship

Graduate Architecture

Rickie Lindemann
“The Orrery: Instruments for Spatial Cosmology”
Best Master Project of the Year

Madison Ford
“Unhoused, Unseen, Unheard”
Design Award

Christopher Hynum
“The Stop: Encounter the Silence”
Design Award

Karissa Herman
“Woven Roots”
Design Award

Undergraduate Architecture

Diego Iñiguez
“Campo Libertad”
Design Award – First Place

Carla Covarrubias, Danielle Raffainer, Tessnim Mohammed
“Way of Water”
Design Award – First Place

Linzhen Chew and Casey Quick
“Plug-in Archipelago”
Design Award – First Place

Eddy Sanchez Gonzalez
“Found Form”
Design Award – First Place

Zulema Ayon
“Learning from the Desert: Biological Intelligence and Water Infrastructure in Sonora, Mexico”
Outstanding Senior Honors Thesis Award

Olivia Salinas
“The Space Between Generations: How Thoughtful Thresholds Facilitate Care, Reduce Conflict, and Increase Flexibility”
Outstanding Senior Honors Thesis Award

Alfred Rivera
BTES Edward Allen Student Award

Environmental Design

Avery Ford
Graduation Design Award

Interior Architecture

Marshall Bradley
“Journey to the Chapel”
Senior Project Award

Jesus Aguirre
“A Living Memorial on the Water: Africatown”
Senior Project Award, First Runner-Up

Alexander Baltazar 
“Vessels of Restoration”
Senior Project Award, Second Runner-Up

Industrial Design

Camila Campos
Capstone Project – First Place

Bennett Decker
Capstone Project – Second Place

Amanda Tran
Capstone Project – Third Place

Mohammadmehdi Mortazavi
IDSA Graduate Student Merit Finalist

Jamal Bally
IDSA Undergraduate Student Merit Finalist