Congratulations to our 2024-2025 Undergraduate Scholarship Recipients

The UVA School of Architecture is excited to announce our outstanding undergraduate scholars. These exceptional students were selected by their faculty and peers this academic year for specific criteria defined by each award, while each have demonstrated excellence in their pursuit of their undergraduate studies. 

We extend our congratulations to each for these well-deserved honors.

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Blair Phillips Memorial Scholar
Chase Watts (BSArch '25)

Chase Watts is this year’s Blair Phillips Memorial Scholar. The Phillips Scholar was established to honor Blair Phillips (BSArch ’11) and is awarded to a 4th year architecture student who “collaborates effortlessly and synthesizes ideas across disciplines” and displays positive energy, creativity, and enthusiasm. Watts noted that during his time as an A-School undergraduate student, participating in Andrew Spears' special topics course was a highlight. “Architecture teaches us to be generalists, fluent across disciplines, so we can bring diverse trades together in service of thoughtful design. This class took that idea off the page and into the real world.” For the course, Watts, alongside eight other students, helped build a fully functional solar kiln from the ground up. Describing this learning experience as "a crash course in carpentry, precision, and accountability," Watts gained insight on how deeply construction relies on the clarity and accuracy of architectural documentation. Watts explained, "What made this class truly unforgettable wasn’t just the hands-on learning but the revelation that enjoyment and hard work aren’t mutually exclusive. I discovered a respect for the craft of building and a renewed commitment to understanding every phase of the process. This experience cemented my belief that architects have a responsibility not just to design well, but to design responsibly, fully aware of the labor, materials, and realities that bring our ideas to life."

Next steps following graduation for Watts are marked by a set of values gleaned from his time at UVA. “I look forward to carrying the lessons I’ve learned at UVA into everything I do after graduation: resilience, craftsmanship, and systems thinking. These values have and will shape how I approach both design and life.” Alongside an excitement for his next steps in the profession, Watts most immediately looks forward to traveling abroad. He noted, "I believe that stepping outside my own context will strengthen my design perspective."

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Bobby Newman Endowed Scholar
Lorena Castillo Feliciano (BSArch '25)

Lorena Castillo Feliciano was awarded this year’s Bobby Newman Scholarship, established by William G. and Ann Newman in 1973 in memory of their son, Robert Keith Newman. The honor is awarded annually to an outstanding School of Architecture student who displays excellence in scholarship.

In her last semester at the A-School, Castillo's leadership was on full display when, as president of Runway at UVA, she helped to realize a fashion show at the A-School's Campbell Hall that featured the creative work of fellow student designers. Helping to shepherd the club's third annual fashion show, Castillo described what led her to pursue this passion project. "I have a really hard time expressing myself in conventional ways, especially here at UVA,” said Castillo, who is from Puerto Rico and paired her major in architecture with a minor in global culture and commerce. “It was a real culture shock being in such a different space." For Castillo, this event and the organization has been a key part of her college experience and an outlet for creative expression and community-building. In addition to her role with Runway at UVA, among many other accomplishments, Castillo is an active member of NOMAS, served as a student research assistant for Virginia Architecture Fellow Isaac Alejandro Mangual-Martínez, and was selected to participate in the national Design Futures Forum.

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Clark Construction Scholar
Anoushka Sarkar (BSArch '25)

This year’s Clark Construction Scholar, named for outstanding achievement, shared with us how her study abroad experience in Venice during the fall of her final year was a memorable highlight of her undergraduate experience. Spending most of her time exploring and documenting Venice's intricate urban fabric, especially the “in-between spaces—the streets, campos, and canals” Sarkar experienced how Venetians preserve their cultural heritage while adapting to change. This experience also contributed to shaping her growing interest in landscape and urbanism. She explained, "I saw how people, architecture, and landscape can coexist in beautiful ways...The studio challenged me to think on a larger scale, both spatially and temporally, and to design with a broader sense of context." In addition to gaining a deep appreciation for a place's history, culture, and context when designing, Sarkar's transformative study abroad experience also brought her closer to her peers, while teaching her to embrace independence.

What’s next for Anoushka? After graduation, Sarkar is excited to take time to rest, reflect, and fully embrace the creative energy that she developed through her time at UVA. "I’m especially eager to resume some of my personal creative projects and hobbies, and to travel—continuing to explore and understand new places. I’m also looking forward to stepping into the professional world and seeing how the ideas and lessons from school translate into practice. Most importantly, I’m excited to approach the next chapter with the same motivation for learning and growth that guided me throughout my time at the A-School."

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Galsworthy Endowed Scholar
Katherina Altamirano Ortiz (BSArch '25)

Katherina Altamirano Ortiz is a Galsworthy Scholarship recipient which supports exceptional undergraduate international students studying at the School of Architecture. Ortiz recounted that she has had many impactful experiences during her time as an undergraduate at the A-School. In particular, one brought her many passions together into a single project. While working on her undergraduate design thesis in Professor Lucia Phinney's studio, Ortiz developed a design proposal sited in Panama that connects visitors with the ancient cultures of the Volcán Barú region. She described, "By integrating local agriculture, traditional cuisine, and regional crafts, the project fosters a deep reconnection with the land, rural communities, and ancestral heritage."

Ortiz's thesis also connects to her future career goals. She said, “After graduation, I am excited to continue designing spaces that foster meaningful connections between people, culture, and place. I look forward to applying the lessons I learned at the A-School—especially the importance of thoughtful, community-centered design—as I embark on the next chapter of my professional journey.”

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Galsworthy Endowed Scholar
Ziai Liu (BSArch '25)

A Galsworthy Scholar, Ziai Liu, is recognized for her academic excellence as an international undergraduate student. Liu reflected on the many meaningful things that she has experienced at UVA and the School of Architecture. "They happened at different times, but all pointed me in the same direction—to keep exploring and working hard. What influenced me the most was a casual conversation I had with an older student and Professor Lucia Phinney about career paths." Liu shared how through that discussion she gained confidence to explore other fields that she was interested in through her architectural background. "My undergraduate education in architecture taught me a way of thinking, and I’ve found that it can be used to understand many different types of problems. I use [architectural strategies] to think about cities, ecology, and sustainable development to imagine the future."

Liu shared how she approaches architecture and how this can influence her future goals. "Architecture has always been my channel for connecting with people, nature, and history. It responds to modern life’s complexity by offering gentle, invigorating, and meaningful spaces."  In the future, Liu hopes to create built environments that heal, inspire, and serve "as vivid reminders of our shared humanity, ensuring that architecture remains a bridge between our lived experiences." 

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Kyle Kauffman Scholar
Cecilia Brock (BSArch '25)

The Kauffman Scholar Award was established by the Class of 1985 to honor the dedication and relentless hard work of their classmate Kyle (BSArch ’85), and is given to a rising 4th year who demonstrates the dedication, compassion, spirit and enthusiasm for architecture. This year’s Kauffman Scholar Cecilia "Sally" Brock found that it was the studio environment itself that was especially impactful to her during her time as an A-School student. "I feel so lucky to have had a space that has shaped my collaborative mindset and work ethic and provided a constant support system of friends and professors." While each studio over the years taught Brock invaluable lessons about design and herself, she explained that the most transformative experience was working on her independent thesis in her final year. Brock noted her gratitude to be able to work with and be mentored by Professors WG Clark and Peter Waldman. Rooted in a place close to home and exploring issues that matter deeply to her, she appreciated how the thesis experience allowed her to design "on my terms," but with the "guidance of such thoughtful and talented professors." She went on, "This has been the most meaningful way to conclude this chapter of my life."

Just a few weeks away from graduation, Brock reflected back on how the bonds of community built during her time as an undergraduate student will stay with her: “I look forward to keeping in touch with the life-long friends I have made here, and the professors who influenced the way I see architecture and the world.” While leaving UVA is bittersweet, Brock has much to look forward to as she aims to "pursue a career where [she] can continue to learn from others every day and collaborate on sustainable, community-driven design."

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Rian Taylor Bachman Scholar
Alexander Glick (BSArch '25)

Alexander Glick is our Rian Taylor Bachman Bicentennial Scholar this year. In recognition of a top-performing undergraduate student in their final year of study in the Bachelor of Science Architecture degree program, the Bachman Scholar celebrates a student who has demonstrated empathy, a desire to benefit others through inclusive, thoughtful design, and an enduring curiosity for observing the people and world around them. For Glick, the very first weekend he came to UVA influenced the rest of his time at the university. "Professor Louis Nelson gave the entire class of 2025 a tour of the Academical Village. While he described the design process of the Monument to Enslaved Laborers with its messy community engagement and responsibility to educate, I knew this is how I should design. I've pursued meaningful, empathetic design ever since." Glick's many and varied experiences as an undergraduate architecture student have supported his long-term goals, from his role as a student instructor assistant to multiple externships. 

After graduation, Glick will spend some much-needed and well-deserved time reflecting on his undergraduate experience. “It'll help me plot my next move as I enter the working world."

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UVA Arts Council Award Recipient
Robin Xiao (BSArch '25)

Robin Xiao, a 4th year A-School undergraduate and the recipient of the UVA Arts Council Award, pointed to numerous transformative parts of his time at the UVA School of Architecture. In particular, meaningful mentorship by faculty members have left a lasting impression. The Arts Council Award recognizes outstanding students in the arts disciplines who have demonstrated superior execution of the art and design form, originality, and creativity. For Xiao, this couldn't have been accomplished alone. He noted that study abroad programs—including the Vicenza Summer Program, the Madrid J-Term, and a full semester in Barcelona (with Professors Luis Pancorbo, Inés Martín Robles, and Manuel Bailo Esteve)—deeply shaped his architectural curriculum. "These experiences expanded my understanding of space and landscape through the lens of a traveler, encouraging me to immerse myself in different cultures and to reimagine how architecture can respond to context, memory, and movement." He went on to describe that Professor Peter Waldman has been "a mentor and creative parter—challenging me to think critically, draw with intention, and imagine further possibilities in the built world. Working alongside him, both as a student and collaborator, has deeply influenced how I approach design as an act of storytelling, grounded in both theory and place."

After graduation, Xiao is looking forward to bridging the gap between the educational side of architecture and the professional world. He will be joining Yellow House Architects in New York, a firm with a focus on detail, craft, and lived experience that "aligns with [his] passion for designing spaces that feel meaningful and personal." Looking ahead, he explained, " I’m eager to see how the lessons I’ve learned—through global experiences, mentorship, and academic exploration—translate into built form."