2009 Mideast District Student Merit Award Winner

Dan Rowe arrived a bit late to the industrial design party, but somehow managed to get here right on time.

Rowe had completed a graduate degree in educational technology and curriculum design and was working as an instructional designer before discovering industrial design and choosing a career change. While practicing “the other ID,” he accumulated a set of skills and experiences that would compliment his move.

2009 Midwest District Student Merit Winner

Kaitlyn Benoit was a product design junkie and didn’t even know it.

“Growing up, I was fascinated with the design of housewares and athletic gear,” Benoit recalled. “I was constantly thinking, ‘This would be so much better if…’”

During her first day of classes as an engineering major at University of Notre Dame, she had an “A-HA!” moment during a slide show chronicling the development of the PT Cruiser.

2009 Western District Student Merit Winner (Arizona State University)

As a high school student, Lavion Gibson competed on the football and lacrosse fields. He ran track, too. He was, by all counts, an athlete. He was also a self-described “geek.” “I had an interest in design from an early age,” Gibson said. “I was always sketching and doodling and trying to figure out how things work.”

2009 Northeast District Student Merit Winner

When Liana Kalushner scrolled through possible professions before choosing a course of study, the recent University of the Arts graduate contemplated some obvious options before settling on the not-so-obvious.

“I considered graphic design, fashion design, interior design, event coordination and even hotel management,” Kalushner noted. “As soon as I heard about industrial design, I felt like it was a perfect match. It’s elusive, yet it affects us on a personal level in every aspect of daily life.”

2009 Southern District Student Merit Winner - North Carolina State University

Chris Owens’ design career started in a garage. It was there that he helped his father tinker with various crafty projects throughout his childhood.

“One year, when I was around seven years old, we turned my bicycle into a police Harley for a neighborhood parade,” Owens recalled. “It had working sirens and a megaphone.”