February 11, 2026

The Georgia Tech College of Design community gathered this year for the second annual Design Excellence Awards, an evening dedicated to celebrating creativity, leadership, and the individuals whose work continues to shape the built environment and creative industries around the world. Faculty, alumni, students, donors, and industry partners came together to recognize extraordinary professional achievement—and the generosity that makes the College’s future possible.

From the opening welcome, the tone of the evening was clear: this event is as much about community as it is about accolades. Dean Ellen Bassett welcomed attendees and highlighted the remarkable turnout and shared purpose of the night—honoring both transformative gifts and the people whose careers reflect the highest standards of design excellence.

Many honorees reflected on how the College of Design helped shape their paths and how recognition from their alma mater or professional community carries special meaning.

Architect Ralph Raymond shared that being recognized by Georgia Tech was deeply significant: “Being recognized by my alma mater is extremely important… my path may not have been linear, but there’s always direction. This recognition lets me know that it has purpose, it’s meaningful, and there’s more value to it.”

For designer Michelle Berryman, the moment marked a full-circle journey. She recalled spending hours convincing a dean to let her transfer into industrial design and reflected that the younger version of herself “would be gobsmacked by tonight… it’s important to give people a chance to see the spark and say, ‘Yes, I believe you can do this.’”

Architect Michael Arad echoed that sentiment, thanking the College for opening doors early in his career: “I entered the program with very little to suggest that I would succeed as an architect. So thank you for taking a chance on me… and for the teachers who gave my interests direction.”

Construction leader Channing Baker encouraged the next generation to continue that cycle of support: “At some point in time, it may be your time to be the first… always believe in the person that’s coming up behind you, because you never know what they’re capable of building.”