Cole Rozwadowski (BS Arch '26) Receives 2025 UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Architecture

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The UVA School of Architecture is pleased to announce that Cole Rozwadowski (BS Arch ’26) has been selected as the 2025 UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award recipient in Architecture. This honor recognizes rising fourth-year students who exemplify creative excellence, academic achievement, and leadership across the arts at the University of Virginia. 

The UVA Arts Council—a volunteer board of alumni and friends—supports and advocates for the arts at UVA and annually recognizes exceptional students in seven disciplines: art leadership, music, studio art, creative writing, dance, drama, and architecture. The Distinguished Artist in Architecture is selected for outstanding design ability, a deep understanding of architecture and the design process, originality and creativity. 

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Rozwadowski has distinguished himself as a designer, leader, and civic-minded member of the UVA community. His excellence in studio, commitment to the craft of drawing, and dedication to peer mentorship stand out among his many contributions. He is the founder of sketch@UVA, an organization that builds community for students and local Charlottesville residents to creatively sketch together and plays key roles in a range of groups including TEDxUVA, the Society of Sustainability, manifestA, and UVA Public Service Pathways Student Advisory Council. Professor W.G. Clark notes that Rozwadowski pairs natural talent with “a work ethic that involves numerous iterations and a prodigious amount of work,” placing him among the most accomplished students in his class. 

Rozwadowski’s contributions extend beyond the School of Architecture to the wider UVA and Virginia communities. He coaches youth soccer, serves as an election officer in his hometown of Culpeper, Virginia, and participates in service initiatives through Madison House. As the School of Architecture’s 2025 Susan Nelson Fleiss Travel Fellow, he spent last summer studying public space and urban life in Northern Europe, documenting the material and social dimensions of inclusive shared environments. 

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In addition to this recognition, Rozwadowski was named the 2025 Kishore Memorial Scholarship recipient, awarded to a rising fourth-year student who demonstrates exceptional dedication to public service and community leadership. Established in memory of Kris Kishore, the scholarship recognizes students whose commitments reflect Kishore’s legacy of learning, service, and selfless leadership. As the scholarship’s tenth recipient, Rozwadowski will receive full tuition for the 2025–26 academic year. 
 

I’m humbled to be recognized by two awards that represent how I conceptualize the built environment and how I hope to practice. I view architecture as a public art that is obligated to address community needs, rectify long-standing legacies of harm, and support self-expression rooted in empathy and inclusion. In terms of process, I believe we must approach design as an embodied practice that encourages us to look more closely, feel more deeply, and create in a way that feels authentic to not just ourselves, but the world around us. For me, that has meant always working by hand and using drawing as a way to process ideas, intentions, and emotions. I’m grateful for this recognition that affirms the value of connecting head, hand, and heart through design work and architecture’s capacity to be both great and good.   

— Cole Rozwadowski 

Rozwadowski is majoring in Architecture with minors in Architectural History and Global Sustainability. His academic and professional aspirations are rooted in designing for—and with—communities, particularly in rural contexts, to create architecture that fosters belonging, connection, and care. 

We congratulate Cole on these honors and look forward to his continued contributions to UVA and the design professions.