Alumni Awards
CCAD grads shape culture and commerce around the globe. Our annual alumni awards recognize these creative and artistic achievements.
Columbus College of Art & Design graduates make work that changes the world. They create businesses (and make significant contributions to existing ones), lead nonprofits, excel in their creative practices, and help guide the next generation of artists and designers. Each year, we celebrate many of these contributions at a special alumni awards ceremony.
What began more than four decades ago with the Joseph V. Canzani Alumni Award for Excellence has expanded into honors including leadership, community impact, and creative entrepreneurship. Recipients have been nominated by their fellow alumni, CCAD employees, students, and other community members, thanks to their hard work in industry, community, education, and more.
MEET OUR 2024 ALUMNI AWARD WINNERS
Our most recent honorees are:
-
Emerging Leader Award
Cameron Granger
(Cinematic Arts, 2016)
Fine artist -
Community Impact Award
Erin Lozzi
(Media Studies Still-Based, 2003)
Founder and president, Capturing Courage -
Joseph V. Canzani Alumni Award for Excellence
Olivia Pendergast
(Illustration, 1993)
Fine artist
Previous Honorees
A look back at our alumni award winners from throughout the decades.
Our longest-running honor, the Joseph V. Canzani Alumni Award for Excellence has recognized extraordinary CCAD graduates since 1962.
Here’s a look at our past honorees:
2022 - Albert Wong (Fine Arts, 1970)
2021 - Ron Miller (Illustration, 1970)
2020 - Douglas Bell (Illustration, 1989)
2019 - Manjari Sharma (Media Studies, Photography, 2004)
2018 - Tony West (Illustration, 1989)
2017 - Michael Flechtner (Fine Arts, 1981)
2016 - Derek Fansler (Fine Arts, 1995)
2015 - Steven Hubbard (Time Based Media Studies, 2010)
2014 - Inka Essenhigh (Fine Arts, 1991)
2013 - Chad Hunt (Photography, 1994)
2012 - Dan Scanlon (Illustration, 1998)
2011 - Nathan Greno (Illustration, 1996)
2010 - Rosanne Percivalle (Illustration, 1980)
2009 - Aaron Szymanski (Industrial Design, 1991)
2008 - Joan Hall (Fine Arts, 1974)
2007 - Ron Tsang (Industrial Design, 1983)
2006 - Jeff Link (Advertising & Graphic Design, 1969) (awarded posthumously)
2003 - William "BJ" Van de Velde (Advertising & Graphic Design, 1961)
2002 - Charles O'Connor (Industrial Design, 1962)
2001 - Dean Mitchell (Illustration, 1980)
2000 - Edmund Kuehn (Fine Arts, 1938)
1999 - Wucius Wong (1965)
1994 - Dean Mitchell (Illustration, 1980)
1994 - James C. Lutz (Advertising & Graphic Design, 1978)
1994 - Linzy Randolph
1993 - Mary Lou Alpert (1956 – 60)
1992 - Ruth Anne Johnson (Illustration, 1965 – 70)
1992 - Chris Snell (Advertising & Graphic Design, 1972)
1991 - Daniel Thomas Chrzanowski (Illustration, 1970)
1991 - George Gaadt (Illustration, 1966)
1991 - Dean Kette (1959)
1991 - George Kinney
1991 - Ann Rothan (Fine Arts, 1992)
1990 - Arthur Klemushin (Illustration, 1966)
1990 - Doug Anderson (Illustration, 1942)
1990 - Ming Fay (Industrial Design, 1965)
1990 - James F. Lutz (Advertising & Graphic Design, 1978)
1990 - Beverly Jane Niffenegger (Advertising & Graphic Design, 1977)
1990 - Marcia Tabler (Retail Advertising, 1974)
1989 - Kenneth Batista (Fine Arts, 1975)
1989 - Robert Bender (Advertising & Graphic Design, 1966)
1989 - George Radway (Fine Arts, 1938)
1989 - Clyde Singer (1934)
1989 - Wucius Wong (1965)
1988 - Stanley Ray Corfman (Advertising & Graphic Design, 1960)
1988 - James Grimes (Industrial Design, 1963)
1988 - Margaret Lynn (1935)
1988 - Thomas O'Donnell (1955)
1988 - Jack Shinn (Fine Arts, 1942)
1988 - Marilyn Skeffington (Advertising & Graphic Design, 1969)
1987 - Frank Hoffelt
1987 - Dorothy Neill (1937)
1987 - Charles O'Connor (Industrial Design, 1962)
1987 - Bernard Stockwell (Industrial Design, 1948)
1987 - B. J. Van de Velde (Advertising & Graphic Design, 1961)
1982 - Jerry McDaniel (Illustration, 1957)
This award celebrates the outstanding achievements of graduates who have studied at the institution within the last 10 years and have displayed remarkable potential, leadership, and excellence in their chosen field.
2022 - Joshua Walz (Advertising & Graphic Design, 2016)
2021 - Kilee Price (Fine Arts, 2016)
2020 - Lalese “Lolly” Stamps (Advertising & Graphic Design, 2017)
2019 - Michael G. Manes (BFA Painting/Art History, 2009)
2018 - Ali Prater (Advertising & Graphic Design, 2013)
2017 - Colleen Clark (Illustration, 2014)
This award honors the personal and/or professional commitment to the betterment of a community through philanthropy, advocacy and/or volunteerism.
2022 - Lori Sayre (Advertising & Graphic Design, 1995]
2021 - Rachael Santillan (Media Studies Still-Based, 2000)
2020 - Krista Sison (Fashion Design, 2013)
2019 - Paul Richmond (Illustration, 2002)
2018 - Michael McFalls (Fine Arts, 1998
2017 - Marshall Shorts (Industrial Design & Advertising & Graphic Design, 2006)
This award honors a graduate who exemplifies all of CCAD's Core Values—Positivity,
Respect, Accountability, and Inspiration—and whose contributions to their community are not only creative but outstanding. Unlike the other alumni awards, the Core Values Award may not be awarded every year and is chosen by the Award Selection Committee.
2022 - David Brane (Illustration, 2005)
2021 - Lara Alsoudani Weeks (Advertising & Graphic Design, 2015)
2019 - Bob Barner (Illustration Major, Advertising Minor, 1970)
2018 - AG Ford (Illustration, 2007)
Active from 2017 to 2022, this award honored significant contributions a graduate made to a business, public, or non-profit organization, with preference given to an individual who has started a business or non-profit.
2022 - Cathy Ann Johnson-Conforto (Illustration, 1989)
2021 - Max Ulichney (Media Studies Time-Based, 2004)
2020 - Emily Kellett (Industrial Design, 2016) & Brian Kellett (Media Studies Still-Based, 2007)
2019 - Susana Madrid (Fashion Design, 2010)
2018 - Sugandh G. Agrawal (Industrial Design, 2005)
2017 - Paula Froehle (Fine Arts, 1987)
Active from 2017 to 2022, the Arts Educator Award honored the exceptional skill and clear commitment to the field of art education.
2022 - Kymberly C. Moreland-Garnett (Fine Arts, 1991)
2021 - Peter Wachtel (Industrial Design, 1990)
2020 - William Potter (Fine Arts, 199
2019 - Soo Sunny Park (Fine Arts, 1998)
2018 - Aubrey Jewel Rodgers (Time-Based Media, 2000)
2017 - Jon Keith Swindell (Illustration, 1973)
Volunteering your expertise, experience, and talents to a nonprofit group serving the community is a gift you give to them and to yourself…. Seeing the real results of that connection in the form of human betterment and transformation has been the most rewarding part of my career. I am super proud and humbled to be recognized for those efforts.
Headquartered in Columbus, like many of the world’s biggest retail brands, Bath & Body Works has hired a number of talented, skilled CCAD students and alumni over the years—creative thinkers who have found professional success and fulfillment in their work.
Each year, CCAD recognizes some of our outstanding alumni with our Alumni Awards. And this year, we were aided in that process by our inaugural 12-member CCAD Alumni Advisory Board, who aided in selecting the winners from the pool of nominees submitted by our community members.
The Columbus Arts Festival is back in 2023. This year’s festival, presented by the American Electric Power Foundation and produced by the Greater Columbus Arts Council, is Friday, June 9–Sunday, June 11, on Columbus’ downtown riverfront.
Columbus College of Art & Design alum Robert Coles (Retail Advertising, 1995) has established the Coles Diversity Impact Scholarship Fund to strengthen access and opportunities for incoming students at CCAD.
Shorts (Industrial Design, 2006) is the founder/creator-in-chief of Columbus creative agency Artfluential; in addition, he founded the Maroon Arts Group (a collective promoting Black culture and art); has a newsletter, Shut Up and Create; and, with fellow alum—and CCAD Trustee Corey Favor (Illustration, 2003)—is co-founder of artist conference Creative Control Fest.
