2022 Alumni Awards
Timothy Cahill
Lifetime Achievement Award
Timothy Cahill, FAIA, is the senior vice president and chief design officer at HNTB in Kansas City. Tim graduated from the University of Kansas in 1977 with a bachelor of architecture. After working in Chicago, Tim accepted a design scholarship to the University of Illinois, where he graduated with the AIA School Medal and a master’s degree in 1980. Over the course of his career, Tim has garnered numerous design awards, showcasing his achievements in many aviation, sports, and workspace projects. Tim has assumed various leadership roles within the AIA community. Notably, he served as the AIA KC president in 1994, as past president in 1995, the Central States director to the National AIA Board of Directors in 1997-99, and now as president of the KC Architectural Foundation. In recognition of his outstanding contributions, Tim was honored with AIA Fellowship in 2001, a Richard Upjohn Fellowship in 2002, and the prestigious Fred Schirmer Award, the highest honor from AIA Kansas.
Lance Rake
Lifetime Achievement award
Lance Rake is professor of Industrial Design at KU School of Architecture & Design and has held visiting professorships in Nepal, Australia, India, and Sweden. He holds 11 design or utility patents for his creations. He has been awarded the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award twice and the IDSA Educator Award in 2019 by the Industrial Designers Society of America. He has served as an expert witness in over 35 design patents, utility patents, and product liability cases. His design expertise is sought by firms representing Nike, Nikon, and Apple, demonstrating his national and global reputation in the industry.
Steve Smith
Lifetime Achievement award
Stephen A. Smith, FAIA, is the chief executive officer of The Lawrence Group in St. Louis. Since establishing Lawrence Group as a co-founder in 1983, Steve has embarked upon a truly visionary career trajectory to create opportunities for excellent design, historic preservation, and community transformation through a successful architect-led, design-develop-delivery model. His approach has led to transformative developments within the city of St. Louis, including City Foundry STL, Grand Center Arts District, Angad Arts Hotel, Historic Sun Theater, The Marquette Building, Park Pacific Redevelopment, and the ongoing development of the Moto Complex. His contributions are honored with the AIA Fellowship, as well as recognition from regional, national, and international media, including CNBC, Forbes, Bloomberg News, The Economic Times, Travel + Leisure, and The New York Times. In a remarkable career, he has become a model for other architects around the nation, an irreplaceable visionary within the St. Louis community, and above all else, a true champion for the city he has loved all his life.
Arjun Bhat
Distinguished Alumni Award
Arjun Bhat is associate vice president at Cannon Design in St. Louis. He was a notable student, winning the Thayer Medal for his design excellence and going on to MIT for his graduate education. He worked at Interstice Architects in San Francisco, before joining Cannon Design in St. Louis, where he has risen in the ranks, mentoring young designers, leading multiple award-winning projects, and serving on non-profit organizations like the St. Louis Contemporary Art Museum and the Grand Center. He was recognized internally by Cannon Design many times as part of the NEXT Council, promoted to associate only 10 years out of school, and now leads the design studio. His projects include the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Florida, BCJ Health 16-story tower in St. Louis, The Kansas Strawberry Hill Adaptive Reuse project, and Missouri State’s O’Reilly Clinical Health and Sciences Building, among others like recreational centers and incredibly complex educational/health buildings. He leads a large studio with incredible design skills and leadership, connects with local communities, and contributes to local professional organizations.
Tad Carpenter and Jessica Carpenter
Distinguished Alumni Award
Tad and Jessica Carpenter founded the Carpenter Collective, one of the most dynamic and exciting branding companies in the nation. Their work has helped define the visual aesthetic of Kansas City, as well as clients like Coca-Cola, Hallmark, Conan O’Brien, Target, Adobe, and MTV. Both have continued their connections to KU Design through teaching and mentorships. Their work has been featured in over 20 books on illustration and design, cementing their status as influential figures in the industry. Additionally, press outlets, including Creative Boom, GD USA, The Great Discontent, Grain Edit, Design Sponge, and KU News, have consistently highlighted their contributions to the world of design and illustration. Their remarkable career journey, marked by their exceptional creative achievements and unwavering commitment to mentorship and community engagement, makes them outstanding candidates for the Distinguished Alumni Award.
Brad Lacey
Distinguished Alumni Award
Brad Lacey is vice president of Design-Lifestyle at New Balance Footwear design company. Throughout his career, Brad has made category-changing contributions to the footwear industry through his design and leadership at Puma, Converse, and now at New Balance. A few of Brad's highlights are designing the New Balance 1978, the New Balance 327, collaborations with Alexander McQueen, interviews with Forbes and Esquire, and giving a 2020 Hallmark Symposium Lecture at KU. Brad has been a mentor to many in the industry, to the designers on his teams, and to students, especially KU’s Industrial Design students.
Dani Kolker
Young Architect/ Designer Award
Dani Kolker is a healthcare planner at Page and a rising star within the field of healthcare design through project work, research, publication, advocacy, public speaking, and business development. Dani has received a Tradewell Fellowship and the MillerKnoll Healthcare Scholarship. She is a key member of projects at Paige and has worked on a variety of project types, including healthcare campus master plans, cancer centers, behavioral health facilities, and children’s hospitals. She serves as a mentor to current Tradewell Fellows and has traveled to several universities to speak about the Tradewell Fellowship and her specific research contributions. She is also active outside the office as a member of Women in Healthcare Organization and the NextGen AIA Academy of Architecture for Health Group.
Jenny O’Grady
Young Architect/ Designer Award
Jenny O’Grady is an experiential designer at Populous, where she works to activate brands and create immersive environments for stadiums, arenas, training facilities, and major sporting events. Working at the intersection of architecture, interior design, and graphic design, Jenny’s unique expertise helps her produce next-level experiences for athletes, fans, and sponsors, seamlessly integrating a brand’s story into the built environment, such as The Living Wall at Climate Pledge Arena. In addition to her role at Populous, Jenny is committed to education and her community through her work as an adjunct professor at the University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design and her involvement on various industry-specific boards and community organizations, such as AIGA Kansas City Board of Directors and the Advisory Board of a local public school district.
Micaela Sheffield
Young Architect/ Designer Award
Micaela Sheffield is senior interior designer of the hospitality team at LEO A DALY. She graduated from KU with a bachelor of fine arts in environmental interior design and a certificate of entrepreneurship. Micaela has been awarded the Director’s Award, NEWH Top ID Award, and an Individual Achievement Award at LEO A DALY in recognition of her exceptionally meritorious leadership, exceptional achievement, and substantial contributions to the success of LEO A DALY. Micaela was named to Boutique Design’s 2021 Boutique 18 and was celebrated at BDNY’s kick-off party at Gotham Hall in NYC. She has led her studio’s team in IIDA’s Lavish Design Event and has participated in community charitable events in Dallas, TX.
Brandon Wood
Young Architect/ Designer Award
Brandon Wood is vice president at Dimensional Innovations in Kansas City. He is an exceptional leader, innovative designer, and creative problem-solver with a wide range of design skills. Leading the Innovation Lab and the Engineering Team at Dimensional Innovations, he has worked on many projects, including the Bushnell binoculars and rifle scope design and the design, engineering, and fabrication of the Largest 3D-printed object in the world, The Al Davis Memorial Torch in the Las Vegas Raiders Stadium. Brandon also helped engineer and develop the original model for the Parade of Hearts model, which became one of the largest philanthropic events in Kansas City history. It was developed to help those most impacted by the events of 2020 surrounding COVID. Working with the Center for Design Research at KU, he also co-developed the open-source face mask that was uploaded worldwide to assist front line people during the early days of COVID.
Irvetta Williams
Distinguished Service Award
Irvetta Williams is the owner of IJay Enterprise LLC of St. Louis. She is an accomplished tri-sector leader, with more than 30 years of experience in the building industry related to community and economic development, municipal government, affordable housing, zoning and planning, and design and construction. A self-titled “impacter,” Irvetta works on the ground, every day, to ensure a just, equitable and sustainable future for all, with an intentional focus on communities of color. She works to equalize planning, design, and construction projects in low-to-moderate income communities by consulting as a representative to clients, and by providing opportunities and access to individuals and business-owners who would not know about upcoming design and construction projects. Throughout her career, Irvetta has often been the first or only woman of color sitting at the table with “10 white guys.” Without Irvetta being in the room, the African American and female voice wouldn’t be heard. One of Irvetta’s passions is mentoring and supporting young people, especially women of color, to consider jobs in the architecture, construction, and engineering fields. Recently, IJay Enterprise proudly became a first-time sponsor of the NOMA initiative, Project Pipeline. For nearly 14 years, Irvetta has funded the I. J. Williams Scholarship Fund in the KU School of Architecture & Design that supports a first- or second-year African American student. And she now proudly serves on the School’s Professional Advisory Board.
Eman Siddiqui
Distinguished Service Award
Eman Siddiqui is an architect at GSBS in Salt Lake City and the president of the Utah Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA). Eman’s strong interest in equity and inclusion in architecture and design led her to establish the Utah Chapter of NOMA. Within the first year of the chapter's formation, Eman has led discussions about creating an inclusive workplace culture at the AIA Utah Annual Conference and has served as a jury member for the NOMA Phil Freelon Professional Design Awards. She organized Utah’s first Project Pipeline Summer Camp, connecting marginalized communities with real-world architects and designers to introduce middle school students to the profession, strengthening a more diverse pipeline into the design and construction industry. As president, Eman creates opportunities for mentorship, provides support for licensure, and increases the representation of minority architects and allied professionals. Eman has been recognized as Utah Construction and Design Magazine’s 40 & Under Rising Stars working in the design sector in the state of Utah in 2023.