UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State graphic design students in the College of Arts and Architecture’s Stuckeman School earned national recognition in the University and College Designers Association’s (UCDA) 2025 Design Awards Competition, which celebrates outstanding work by designers, educators, photographers and illustrators across the country.
The UCDA’s mission is to promote design excellence, support educational institutions and promote the exchange of ideas that highlight the significant impact of creatives in education and the wider world, according to the association’s website.
Wyatt Poorman, a recent spring 2025 graduate, won a Gold Award for his project titled “Invisible Borders,” in the digital coursework category. His submission was supervised by Emily Burns, assistant professor of graphic design, in her "GD 402: Senior Problems" course.
Poorman’s project, he said, is more than just an entry in a competition.
“I want to help residents of underserved areas achieve equity and homeownership,” Poorman said. “It will not be easy but having the opportunity to build a community while raising awareness about housing segregation is an opportunity I knew I needed to take to help others create change.”
The competition also recognized two other students with honorable mention awards.
Emma Cohen, a fourth-year student, won an Honorable Mention Award for her project titled “Nice Spice,” in the student coursework category, supervised by Burns.
Katie Hackenburg, a fourth-year student, won an Honorable Mention Award for her entry titled “HorrorShow Magazine” in the student coursework category. Hackenburg was supervised by Taylor Shipton, associate teaching professor of graphic design, in the "GD 300: Photography Design" course.
“It’s no small task to imagine, design and build a project entirely from scratch — from the initial concept, identity design, deliverables and final installation,” Burns said. “On top of that, they collaborated as a class to design and install a public exhibition showcasing the projects, which brought the work to life, and was an inspiring event for the students, families and alumni who attended. The level of commitment and creativity that went into these projects and the capstone show has been truly remarkable.”
Winning entries will be showcased during the UCDA Design Awards Show at the 55th annual UCDA Design Conference in Pasadena, Calif., Nov. 10-13.