Society of Presidential Fellows
The Society of Presidential Fellows program enhances RISD’s competitiveness in recruiting and retaining its most sought-after students. These students work with faculty on research and creative projects, elevate the educational experience for all students and enhance the reputation of RISD’s graduate programs.
2024-2025 Presidential Fellows
Presidential Fellows are selected through a highly competitive process and receive full-tuition funding for the duration of their graduate program. They also participate in special programming designed to enrich their studies and advance their careers, including opportunities to connect with RISD alumni mentors who are creative thought leaders.
AREEHA AHMAD GAC 26
Areeha Ahmad, an advocate for women's rights from Punjab, Pakistan, graduated with distinction from the National College of Arts and actively participated in The Women's Collective and Aurat March. Her work spans storytelling, cultural exchange, and research, including an internship at the National History Museum.
Areeha’s undergraduate thesis explored women's agency in liberal-secular feminism, and her master's research will focus on the disintegration of Punjabi cinema. Committed to revolutionizing education in Pakistan, she hopes to introduce a progressive curriculum and empower rural women through art-based initiatives. Areeha seeks to further her studies in RISD's Global Arts and Culture program to drive positive change in her homeland.
"I envision impactful art-based initiatives championing women's rights, collaborating locally and globally. Much like countless women in Pakistan, including myself, confined to 'feminine' roles, their artistic skills are the backbone of the economy. My mission is to empower these women, especially in rural Punjab, providing recognition as true artists."
MATTHEW BROWN MFA 26 CR
Matthew Brown cherishes the limitless possibilities of clay. His primary influences include Thornton Dial, Takashi Murakami, Joan Mitchell, and Lee Bontecou. Returning to school after a five-year break, Matthew built a studio and continued to create, driven to share his ideas. His current work explores the interplay between physical and digital spaces through multimedia clay sculptures.
Matthew directs his practice by incorporating wiring, plastics, and functioning computerized components within his clay sculptures, adding lighting elements to his work. Aspiring to teach at a university and produce art books, he views RISD as the ideal place to further his artistic journey and inspire future generations.
“I want to live a story worth telling, with chapters great and vast, so that when I'm old and withered, I might inspire others with my earned wisdom and learned mind, and RISD, in my opinion, is the place to continue that path.”
RAVEENA DESHPANDE MArch 26
Raveena Deshpande is an aspiring architect dedicated to design, social impact, and sustainable materials. Her journey began with projects addressing climate issues, including an internationally recognized film and an award-winning water treatment device. Raveena's passion for architecture led her to co-found 'Vangad,' helping the marginalized Vanarmare tribe in Goa by designing a community center. At Sameep Padora Associates, she explored challenging geometries and contextual design. She aims to combine natural materials and climate-conscious design in her work.
Raveena seeks to further her education in RISD's M.Arch program, drawn by its emphasis on sustainability, VR, and emergent technology, to become an architect focused on impactful, environmentally responsible architecture.
“RISD’s thought-provoking studios, emergent technology, and emphasis on design call to my design passions at a deep level. Additionally, RISD provides the right facilities to explore my interest in materials and climate change. RISD’s Sustainability Lab will help me think about design and climate together.”
NAHOM GHEBREDNGL MFA 26 SC
Nahom Ghebredngl's journey began as a potter. Initially drawn to the wheel, he expanded his practice to hand-building and sculpting, blending wheel-thrown vessels with hand-built forms. His work explores themes of the body, sensuality, and the dichotomy between possession and freedom. Nahom’s installation pieces, such as ceramic mouths and tongues, address the morality of desire and his personal journey of accepting a blended identity. His latest body of work, "Beasts of Burden," features human-scale papier-mâché sculptures that evoke existential questions and empathy. Nahom aims to further explore scale and materials in his sculptures. He believes that RISD offers the resources, community, and multidisciplinary approach necessary for his artistic growth.
“By reducing the person to an abstracted animal…I bring an image of the human subconscious to life and confront the viewer with the physicality of our souls. I’m interested in further exploring scale and surface with this body of work. At the graduate level, I would make large scale sculptures and installations that further explore the role physicality plays in desire and personal identity. I’d also like to experiment with new materials to develop surface elements further. I am interested in how different materials interact and how I can create unique texture, form, and color effects through trial and error.”
JEREMY GRAIL MID 26
Jeremy Grail is a multidisciplinary designer from the southeast United States, currently based in Texas. His family's proletariat history undergirds his interests in industrial fabrication, architecture & construction, mechanized manufacturing, and craftsmanship. He was initially trained in environmental design at Texas A&M University, where in addition he minored in architectural fabrication & product design.
Focused on sustainable craft and equitable solutions, his work explores the intersection of emerging technologies and traditional techniques. Jeremy hopes to disrupt conventional design pedagogy and practice by engaging in interdisciplinary collaborations to re-calibrate the contemporary agency of designers, architects, and other makers alike.
"RISD MID offers the platform to enrich design's positive cultural impact for the world and reinvent what practice related to our built environment can look like. RISD's breadth of unique and groundbreaking resources enable diverse opportunities in design and making research that will propel my academic and professional pursuits to challenge existing limitations and further develop design practice as a socio-cultural intervention rather than solely an economic endeavor."
SHIYEON KU MFA 26 PT
Shiyeon Ku is a mixed-race immigrant artist who grew up in South Korea, navigating the intersections of Black and Asian diasporas. Her work critically examines the constructed binaries and societal constraints placed on bodies, exploring themes of displacement, estrangement, and intersectionality. Shiyeon creates figures with unnatural colors, exaggerated expressions, and distorted limbs to reflect the dehumanization of marginalized groups. Her installations, such as “As Above, So Below,” utilize familiar symbols in surreal settings to challenge perceptions of bias and prejudice.
Committed to fostering inclusivity and understanding, Shiyeon aims to depict a neutral body free from societal labels. She is pursuing further studies at Rhode Island School of Design to advance her exploration of identity and marginalization in contemporary art.
“To live free of the responsibility of representing a community, becoming a martyr, a symbol instead of an individual. Until recognizing the humanity behind the labels of race, gender, or sexual orientation becomes second nature for all, I remain committed to fostering inclusivity, understanding, and a collective reimagining of a more empathetic and equitable society.”
PRIYANKA KUMAR MFA 26 PR
Priyanka Kumar's work focuses on mental healing and community through the lens of Indian mythology and contemporary social issues. Growing up, Priyanka experienced the oppressive norms imposed on women and minorities. Her journey into art began as a conversation with self in eighth grade under the guidance of a prominent printmaker in India.
Priyanka pursued her passion at Sir J.J. School of Fine Arts, specializing in printmaking. Her art empowers and creates a sense of community, drawing inspiration from mythology to present individuals, especially women, in strong roles. At RISD, Priyanka seeks to deepen her research and expand her skills, leveraging the institution's rich resources and diverse artistic community.
“I see that the world is changing, and I need to deepen my research, present my work using new mediums, meet people from the same industry, and be inspired from the work of my peers around me. RISD is where all this takes place.”
ALICIA LEE MID 26
Inspired by her nomadic upbringing, Alicia’s work focuses on community-centric design and social impact. Alicia earned her Bachelor’s in Communications from Northwestern University, where she created a website to connect consumers with local businesses prioritizing sustainable and ethical practices. Following graduation, she worked as a consultant and launched a line of ceramic dinnerware, blending functionality with playful design.
While living in New York, Alicia hosted monthly dinner parties through Dinner with Friends, inviting 11 strangers to her apartment for a home-cooked, three-course meal. This initiative has garnered recognition from the New York Times, underscoring her belief in the power of communal experiences.
“Upon graduation, I look forward to inventing products at the intersection of impact and play, furthering my commitment to enriching daily lives and fostering community. Engaging with current students has reinforced my belief in RISD as an exceptional place to diversify my mental frameworks while gaining the technical prowess to become an adept Industrial Designer.”
TANAKA MAPONDERA MFA 27 GD
Tanaka Mapondera is dedicated to empowering emerging artists, and she does this in part through the Mukundi Foundation, a project she founded to provide guidance and inspiration to young creatives. Growing up in Zimbabwe, Tanaka faced numerous challenges, from societal pressures to economic constraints, in pursuing a creative career. Despite these obstacles, she found her path in Industrial Design and launched the Mukundi Foundation through a limited podcast series in December 2023, featuring firsthand accounts from creatives worldwide.
Tanaka's vision extends beyond the podcast, aiming to reach high school students and offer career guidance through mentorship and collaborations. With nearly five years of experience in Industrial Design, Tanaka is passionate about helping others overcome barriers and take bold steps toward their creative dreams.
“I strongly believe that nothing can truly replace the relatability and guidance that stem from a testimony recounted firsthand by someone who has already walked a path similar to one that another aspires to embark on. Representation matters and has the power to change how people think. I hope to hone my skills in this and more during my time at RISD.”
ABBY SUNDE MFA 26 GL
Abby Sunde is a conceptual artist and environmental scientist of Anishinaabe (Fond du Lac Band Ojibwe) and European-American descent. Raised in a post-colonial society, Abby's work explores the intersections of identity, land, and sovereignty. She primarily works with glass and drawing, recontextualizing these materials to delve into societal compromises within plant/land/food systems and the agency of nature. Her artistic practice is deeply informed by her experiences as a queer, mixed-indigenous woman and her background in environmental science.
Abby has conducted fieldwork and research as a co-lead for a Community Water Research Grant and as a USDA Earth Partnership Tribal Student Fellow, supporting the citizen-scientist group Waadookawaad Amikwag in their efforts to address environmental harm caused by the construction of the Line 3 tar sands oil pipeline in Northern Minnesota. At Rhode Island School of Design, she will work to expand her current research and practice through rigorous creativity and cross-departmental learning.
“I am curious about the connection we have with land and the ways in which we can mark those personal and political histories that are tied to that connection. In this way, glass as a container, both literally and metaphorically, has become central to my practice. The transformative quality of glass and its ability to create conversation around visibility continues to inform the concepts behind my work as I navigate the interconnected topics of culture, nature, ethics, and identity.”
ELIZABETH TJAHJA MArch 26
Elizabeth Tjahja is an aspiring architect who has been captivated by the visual language of design from a young age. Her journey began with graphic design, art, and photography in middle school, leading to her involvement in various creative projects. Elizabeth's passion for design evolved into a focus on architecture after participating in a summer intensive program at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where she discovered the freedom and creativity within the discipline.
Elizabeth pursued her undergraduate studies at UCSB, majoring in environmental studies, which broadened her perspective on the social, political, and environmental aspects of architecture. She is particularly interested in design justice and how interdisciplinary approaches can address environmental and spatial inequalities.
“At RISD, I intend to develop my design skills in hopes of building toward a career in the architecture field and working for a firm, or even becoming a licensed architect myself. I expect that my education at RISD will give me a more in-depth understanding of the greater social and economic context in which architecture exists.”
APELLONIA WILLIAMS MArch 26
Apellonia Williams is an aspiring architect based in Baltimore, Maryland. Raised by Jamaican immigrant parents, Apellonia's early life was marked by adversity and made her attuned to the stark contrast between different living environments. These experiences ignited her passion for architecture and community development. She began her academic journey at a local community college before transferring to Morgan State University, an HBCU, where she deepened her understanding of the field.
An internship with AECOM allowed Apellonia to work on community revitalization projects in Detroit, highlighting the transformative power of thoughtful design. Volunteering with the Police Athletic League and Family Services center, she discovered a love for teaching and mentoring, creating educational content and engaging with her community. Apellonia is excited to pursue graduate studies at RISD, drawn by its innovative architecture program and commitment to diversity. She aims to use her education to bring more inclusivity to the field and address the moral and ethical challenges of community planning.
“With integrated cutting-edge technology, intensive design studios, and a faculty composed of practicing architects and industry experts, I know RISD will offer a unique environment for me to explore the intersections of architecture and contemporary challenges.”