Skip to content

The Daily Hub

A roundup of ideas and projects from around the Institute

  • Jean Shin, adjunct professor-CCE of fine arts, has a new work on permanent display in the lobby of the Perelman Performing Arts Center. Water’s Echo features thousands of hand-sewn mother-of-pearl shell buttons to depict New York waterways and shed light on efforts to preserve biodiversity.

  • Nicole Rifkin, BFA Communications Design (Illustration) ’14, featured a tote bag designed by Alexander Heir, BFA Fine Arts (Printmaking) ’06, in her cover illustration for the latest issue of The New Yorker. “I bet you there are thousands of people on the subway every day who are going home or to the studio to create something that might change your life for the better,” she said of the subway-themed cover.

  • Kenneth Cobonpue, BID ’91, reflects on the state of Filipino craft and design and spotlights up-and-coming designers for Vogue Philippines. “Only on this island can I find the quality of craftsmen and artisans who can transform my dreams into reality,” he says. 

  • Daniel Lopatin, MSLIS ’10, is profiled in the latest issue of The New Yorker, which delves into his “career writing elegiac, otherworldly electronic compositions using computers, synthesizers, and digital scree.” Lopatin says he wanted to become a librarian because “the human instinct to preserve and to document the past while it’s falling to rubble is one of the most romantic things I can possibly think of.”

  • Kellan Cantrell, MS City and Regional Planning ’17, discusses his new role as village planner for Scarsdale, New York, along with how he approaches issues of affordability, sustainability, and zoning in an interview with Scarsdale 10583. “I have never been accused of being artistic but being a Planner is like being a painter, you bring together other professionals into a project in order to paint the overall picture of that project,” he said.

  • Billy Cotton, Industrial Design ’10, and Loren Daye, MID ’06, recall film and television apartments that sparked their interest in New York for The New York Times. “This city throws so much visual energy at you on a daily basis, and I love the idea of having just a couple good things you can take with you from place to place,” Cotton said.

  • Dean of the School of Architecture Quilian Riano discusses his goals, inspirations, and views on leadership in an interview with The Architect’s Newspaper. “Leadership becomes easier when there is a grassroots desire for it, which I see right now to tackle rigorously with labor, environmental, and social justice issues,” he said.

  • Sylvia Morse, a program manager for policy at the Pratt Center for Community Development, recently spoke about local efforts to establish community land trusts and affordable housing at a public event hosted by Pratt Institute. “Why is it that the majority of CLTs are still fighting for land even as the city mentions CLTs as an important model in its current housing plan?” Morse asked the audience. “We’re seeing forms of vocal support, but there isn’t a comprehensive approach yet to how the city is looking at building out community land trusts.”

  • Ryan Pauly, BID ’02, and Cody Stonerock of Kuzco Lighting have been awarded a Prize Design for Modern Furniture + Lighting 2023 by Global Design News and The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum for Architecture and Design as Best Lighting of the Year for their work Collide that took inspiration from ocean waves.

More Pratt Institute News

Three individuals are shown in a collage. On the left, a person with long, braided hair, wearing large glasses and a red coat, smiles in front of green plants. In the middle, a person with a short beard and a wide smile, dressed in a light blue sweater over a white collared shirt, stands against a brown brick wall. On the right, a person with shoulder-length dark hair and glasses smiles brightly, wearing a black top, with a soft gray background.

Three Outstanding Graduates to be Honored at Pratt’s 2026 Alumni Achievement Awards

Pratt Institute alumni Nanette Carter, Vann Graves, and Lian Farhi will be honored for their creative and professional accomplishments.

Leading by Example

From Pratt Institute News

Spencer Giuliano, BArch ’26, thrives on the soccer field and in the studio, all while helping fellow student-athletes balance the demands of both worlds.
A young woman stands in front of an exhibition booth featuring colorful posters and materials for an architecture and arts festival. She wears a black outfit and a yellow lanyard. Beside her, another image shows her outside a modern building with glass facade, waving at the camera. The scene includes people walking in the background and urban architecture.

Designing Her Way to Her Dream Job

From Pratt Institute News

Recent alumna Renata Dominguez always knew she wanted to work in design. Now, just one year post-grad, she’s thriving at one of the biggest international branding agencies.