Career Spotlight

I graduated from Georgia Southern University with my Bachelor of Science in Interior Design (Summa Cum Laude, University Honors Program Scholar, Southern Leaders Graduate) in Spring 2020. Soon after, I moved to Tallahassee, FL for two years to pursue my Master of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture and Design at Florida State University. I graduated in Summer 2022 from FSU, moved to Atlanta, GA, and am now a Designer I at Cooper Carry.

During my time at Georgia Southern as an undergraduate student, I was heavily involved on campus and in the community. My involvement included: Southern Leaders, Southern Ambassadors (LEAD Team: Membership Coordinator and PR/Social Media Coordinator), School of Human Ecology: Student Ambassador, University Honors Program, Interior Design Association (President and Secretary), Tau Sigma National Honor Society (President), Phi Upsilon Omicron National Honor Society, Omicron Delta Kappa, and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. If anyone asked me what my favorite hobby was, I always replied “volunteering!” Being involved allowed me to expand my knowledge and advance my skills in leadership, campus service and engagement, and how to give back to the community. Not only did I enjoy being involved, I also worked extremely hard in my design studios and honors classes to fulfill my love for research and design. My Honors thesis was: Natural Light and Its Effect on Student Perceptions of Learning Performance and Well-being in Classroom Environments. My mentor was Dr. Angelita Scott, and it was an honor to have her and Dr. Maurer guide me through the process and development of my first thesis. My abstract was accepted to the 2020 Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC) Annual Conference where I was able to present my research in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A few awards I received while at Georgia Southern were: 2019 – 2020 John F. Nolen Hall of Leaders Award, 2020 President’s Volunteer Service Award (Bronze), and the GS Track Your Impact 100 Hour Award.

My time at Florida State University as a graduate student was very similar to Georgia Southern from being heavily involved. My involvement in organizations and leadership roles included: Graduate Teaching Assistant, Interior Design Student Organization, Interior Architecture & Design: Student Advisory Council, College of Fine Arts: College Leadership Council (Vice Chair), Congress of Graduate Students (Representative of Fine Arts: Seat 1; Student Affairs Committee: Chair & Vice Chair), FSU Student Alumni Ambassador, FSU Student Foundation (Digital Outreach Delegate), and FSU University Homecoming Committee. The awards I received included: 2020 Adelaide D. Wilson Graduate Fellowship Endowment Scholarship, 2021 The Lisa Waxman Graduate Scholarship Award (FSU – IA&D), 2021 The Advisory Council Graduate Scholarship Award (FSU – IA&D), 2021 NEWH Sunshine Scholarship Recipient, 2022 Metropolis 100 Nominee, 2022 FSU Alumni Ambassador Scholarship Finalist, 2021 – 2022 FSU Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award Nominee, 2022 IDEC Foundation Graduate Scholar Award, 2022 Goodwood Memorial Design Competition (Winning Team: A Bridge to the Stars), 2022 Spring/Summer College of Fine Arts Student Travel Grant, 2021 – 2022 Student Employee of the Year Award Nominee, 2022 FSU Masters in Four Competition Finalist and People’s Choice Award Winner, 2022 FSU Dean of Students Award: The Dean’s Cup, 2022 The Lisa Waxman Graduate Scholarship Award (FSU – IA&D), and the 2022 FSU – Dept. of Interior Architecture & Design Graduate Leadership Award. While continuing my love of being involved and volunteering, I managed to conduct research on spacecraft design and interview former astronaut and FSU Alum, Norm Thagard for my Master’s thesis. It is titled: How to Design for People in Space: Factors Influencing Astronauts’ Psychological Well-being during Long-term Space Travel. This thesis was very rewarding as it is not your everyday thesis topic and spacecraft interior design is almost nonexistent. Not only did I have to write a thesis, I had to complete a project for the thesis as well. My project was the Renovation of the International Space Station. Furthermore, I was a co-author with my professor for additional research titled: Investing in the Individual: A Strengths-Based Approach for Meaningful Graduate Development. The abstract for this research was accepted, scored in the Top Five, and presented at the 2022 IDEC Annual Conference.
The past five years at Georgia Southern University and Florida State University have been nothing but extraordinary, and I would not trade it for the world. I am so grateful for the opportunity to attend two of the world’s greatest universities and receive the best education possible from the most advanced and knowledgeable professors in the design industry. After graduation from FSU, I secured a job at Atlanta’s leading architectural firm, Cooper Carry, as a Designer I in the Workplace Interiors Studio. I am so fortunate and blessed to be where I am today and am loving every moment of life. I am proud to be an Alumni from Georgia Southern and Florida State and have a mentor from NASA – Johnson Space Center. I want to fulfill my dreams of creating an avenue that brings engineers and interior designers to connect and collaborate in spacecraft design.
My advice for future students is to stay committed and dedicated in college, get involved in professional design organizations, stay engaged on campus and in the community, and never give up. The long, sleepless nights in the studio are so rewarding in the end when you finish a project. Get in a habit of saving your projects in multiple areas as you never know when Revit will crash or say your file is corrupt. Being involved in professional design organizations allows you to gain leadership skills, have mentors, win competitions, and apply for various scholarships. Stay engaged so you can volunteer, give back to the campus and the community, and do what makes your heart happy. Step out of your comfort zone in design and bring something new to the table. That is what design is all about.
If you have any questions about anything or would like more advice, please do not hesitate to reach out! I can be reached at hannahsmith@coopercarry.com.

Since my graduation from Georgia Southern in May 2020, I have been enrolled in Clemson University’s Master of Architecture program. I chose to pursue architecture because I love the process of design, and I wanted to study the relationship of a building’s interior to its exterior. At Clemson, I have taken on leadership roles, such as Vice President of Finance and Fundraising Chair in an architecture organization; I presented at my second research conference, the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) conference in Greenville; and in my graduate assistant role, I built a website and organized a statewide student exhibition on projects concerning environmental justice. Over the summer breaks, I’ve interned at DPR Architecture in Statesboro, and a few of my projects are currently under construction.

My admission to Clemson was highly dependent on my portfolio, which showcased my design work from Georgia Southern. Without guidance and skills from my professors, some healthy competition from my peers, and a rigorous curriculum with real life experience, I would not be in the position I am in today. I had a leg up in the architectural world with my knowledge on the design process, drafting, and many more skills that I learned at Georgia Southern. My Honors thesis honed my research skills for what I would need in my master’s program, and having already presented at the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC) annual conference in 2020, I was more than equipped to present at my second conference this summer. In addition, the small class size in the Interior Design program was wonderful, as it allowed us to create strong friendships and relationships with our professors. In fact, I’m still in contact with my professors and all of my old classmates. 

If I had to give any advice to current or incoming students, it would be to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself, from going the extra mile on a project to taking on the leadership role that you aren’t sure about. I’m more than pleased with my time spent in the Interior Design program at Georgia Southern, and I would do it all again if I could!