The Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning Executive Advisory Board annually recognizes alumni who demonstrate outstanding professional success or achievement in their field of endeavor. We are pleased to announce this year’s winners.
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD WINNERS
Steven Alspaugh, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP, BD+C, Architecture, 1982
Associate Design Architect, Schmidt Associates
Steven Alspaugh has dedicated nearly four decades to advancing the reach of architecture in everyday life, serving his community and the profession at both the state and national levels. Through leadership roles with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Honors & Awards Task Force, the AIA Committee on Design, and as AIA Indiana’s State Disaster Coordinator, he has championed design excellence, strengthened community resilience, and fostered meaningful professional connections. Nearly 42 years with Schmidt Associates, Steven has contributed to projects that enrich the civic and cultural fabric of Indianapolis and communities across Indiana, reflecting his belief that architecture can strengthen civic life and leave a lasting legacy.
Beyond his professional practice, Steven is deeply committed to service. He has designed and built accessibility ramps for homeowners through Servants at Work, supported affordable housing initiatives with Habitat for Humanity, contributed to neighborhood revitalization through the Riley Area Development Corporation, and led outreach efforts at Second Presbyterian Church. A thoughtful leader and steward of the built environment, Steven remains a passionate advocate for architecture’s transformative power to build stronger, more resilient communities.
Zachary Benedict AIA, LEED AP, RID, Architecture, 2005
President, MKM architecture + design
Over the past twenty years, Benedict has built an award-winning career centered on service, research, and innovation—working to positively shape the future of neighborhoods through healthy, inclusive placemaking. As a Principal of MKM architecture + design since 2012, he has led the firm’s strategic growth into a nationally recognized specialty practice, increasing revenue by more than 300%, expanding to three offices, and serving clients in over 17 states. His commitment to evidence-based design has transformed the firm’s culture, grounding its work in empathic listening, critical thinking, and a service-driven model focused on staff development and community impact.
A dynamic thought leader, Benedict has delivered more than 180 presentations since 2010, advancing national conversations on public health and inclusive placemaking—including keynote addresses at the United Front Conference and the Association of Rural and Small Libraries National Conference. His community leadership includes founding and leading the Board of Directors for Greater Fort Wayne Inc., helping position northeast Indiana as one of the Midwest’s strongest-performing economies. Through his work designing more than 5,000 housing units and over 60 public libraries across Indiana, he has strengthened inclusive housing models and reinforced the role of libraries as anchor institutions—efforts recognized in 2022 with the Library Champion Award from the Indiana Library Federation.
OUTSTANDING ALUMNI AWARD WINNERS
Adam Buente, Architecture, 2010
Founder/Owner, Project One Studio
Adam Buente is the Founder and Owner of Project One Studio, a multidisciplinary public art and design practice that has grown from a two-person startup in Muncie into a nationally recognized studio based in Indianapolis with a team of seven full-time staff. Over the past fifteen years, Project One has created professional opportunities for more than forty student interns and emerging designers—many from Ball State University’s College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) and other Indiana institutions—demonstrating Adam’s deep commitment to mentorship and workforce development. As a visiting faculty member, he helped reimagine the Comprehensive Design program through coursework centered on hands-on fabrication, materials research, and interdisciplinary collaboration, with an emphasis on sustainability and professional relevance. He currently serves as Lead Curator and Consultant for the IU Health Downtown Indianapolis Public Art Program, coordinating the integration of public art into the new downtown medical campus, including a $3 million exterior art initiative that is part of one of Indiana’s largest capital projects.
Matthew Griffin (posthumously given)
Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning and BS in Environmental Design – 1998
(written in memory of Matt by Lance Thies and Robert Whiteamire)
The world of planning, development and innovation lost a generational talent in January 2023. Matt Griffin was a 1998 BSU BUPD and BS Environmental Design, Economics graduate and an inventor with unparalleled vision into what people want. That vision drove his passion for public service as the Lead Planner at the City of Carmel, IN, crafting with Mayor Brainard from 2004-2007, the foundation for what is Indiana’s #1 best City to live and raise a family in today; his passion as the inventor and President of The Baker’s Edge baking pans, landing on Oprah’s Ultimate Favorite Things list in 2010, Shark Tank and The Martha Stewart Show in 2014 and featured on CBS, the Today Show, LA Times, NY Times, Washington Post, Good Housekeeping, CBS Sunday Morning, Inc, Buzzfeed and Disney, culminating in a 2022 partnership with Sorfeo Brands; and his passion in real estate as Chief Operating Officer at The Garrett Companies where Matt planned and executed a company strategy and culture that resulted in not only exponential growth from Indianapolis to throughout the country but also becoming one of the Best Workplaces (Inc. Magazine), Fastest Growing Private Companies (Inc. 5000) and IndyStar Top Workplaces annually from 2018 through his passing in 2023.
CAP teaches us to think critically, to design thoughtfully, to lead and to expand our sphere of influence beyond our profession. That was Matt.
Corey A. Hull, AICP, Urban Planning, 2002
Director of State Partnerships and Strategy, The Ray Highway Foundation
Corey is an AICP-certified transportation and community development executive with more than 20 years of experience helping governments, organizations, and communities plan and deliver sustainable infrastructure. His work focuses on building innovative transportation systems, advancing resilience, and creating lasting public-private partnerships that improve mobility and quality of life. Through his leadership, he’s helped secure more than $550 million in funding, mentored over 20 emerging planners, and shaped infrastructure programs improving mobility and sustainability in more than 120 communities nationwide. These efforts include launching one of Georgia’s first regional transit systems, guiding a $500 million voter-approved transportation program, and advancing national research and policy integration through APA and TRB committees.
Katie Riddle, ASLA, PLA, SITES AP, Landscape Architecture, 2007
Managing Director, Programs, American Society of Landscape Architects
Katie Riddle has dedicated her career to advancing landscape architecture through education, sustainability, and climate leadership. As a leader on the national team at the American Society of Landscape Architects, she co-led implementation of ASLA’s first Climate Action Plan, mobilizing representatives from 49 chapters and a 50-member national committee to advance climate resilience, biodiversity, and equity across the profession. She has developed widely used industry resources and education programs reaching more than 6,000 professionals annually. As curator of the ASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture, she oversees a national program of 100+ sessions for more than 6,000 attendees each year, positioning the conference as a model for sustainability with a commitment to zero emissions by 2040 and transparent environmental reporting. Through this work, she has helped elevate ASLA’s global leadership, including participation in the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP) and partnership in the ECHO Project.
Adrienne Searcy, IIDA, NCIDQ, RID (IN), CID (MD), LEED AP ID + C, Interior Design, 2008
Vice President, Arris Design
Adrienne is a seasoned interior design professional with more than 17 years of experience leading projects from concept through completion. Specializing in workplace environments—including corporate headquarters, commercial offices, government contracts, and tenant improvement projects—she views design as far more than aesthetics. At the core of her practice is the belief that design is a strategic tool that drives efficiency, strengthens culture, and impacts the bottom line. She has been deeply engaged with the design community, serving in financial and leadership roles within IIDA since 2015. After relocating to Indiana, she co-chaired the IIDA Design Expo and was twice nominated by peers to serve as President of IIDA Indiana, where she helped launch BOLD, the chapter’s emerging leaders program.
G.O.L.D. AWARD WINNERS (Graduate of the Last Decade)
Emilie Diggs, RID, NCIDQ, CHID, IIDA, Interior Design, 2017
Interiors Practice Leader, Apogee
Emilie Diggs has built a dynamic career focused on advancing design excellence, professional advocacy, and environments that improve lives. Her professional path has spanned roles at IKEA, Meticulous Design + Architecture, and now Apogee Consulting Group, where she serves as Interiors Practice Leader. In this role, she oversees interior design and medical equipment planning across seven offices and manages an average of $225 million in annual project work. Since joining Apogee with no prior healthcare experience, Emilie advanced rapidly from Interior Designer to Registered Interior Designer, Assistant Department Manager, and ultimately Practice Leader—guiding projects from concept through construction administration.
Her portfolio includes more than 55 Department of Veterans Affairs projects, leading the design of specialized veteran care clinics in Omaha, Kansas City, and Houston that advance mental health, prosthetics, and women’s health services while elevating VA design standards through patient-centered solutions. Committed to strengthening the profession, Emilie serves as VP of Advocacy for the Colorado chapter of the International Interior Design Association, where she champions legislative recognition, develops advocacy-focused programming, and collaborates nationally to expand the impact of interior design.
Eric Peters, AIA, Architecture, 2021
Associate, Practice for Architecture and Urbanism
Eric Peters is an Associate and licensed architect at Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU) in New York City, where he has advanced from intern to firm leadership through a practice grounded in social and environmental advocacy. Across his writing, design work, and community engagement, Eric champions socially conscious, community-centered design that elevates public life. He served as Job Captain for InterOculus, the Exhibit Columbus Miller Prize installation in Columbus, Indiana, reimagining a street intersection as a vibrant civic gathering space. Rooted in public engagement and collaboration with the City of Columbus, the project transformed overlooked infrastructure into a celebrated centerpiece of downtown.
Eric now leads the expansion of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Working from schematic design through construction administration, he has grown into the role of Job Captain, coordinating with contractors, the ownership team, and the architect of record to ensure PAU’s design vision is realized. The expansion respectfully builds upon I. M. Pei’s iconic original design while reorienting the museum to be more open, public, and connected to both the city and Lake Erie—advancing Eric’s commitment to accessible, equitable civic space.
CHARLES M. SAPPENFIELD AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Pam Harwood, AIA, NCARB
Professor of Architecture
Pamela Harwood is a Professor of Architecture at Ball State University who envisions sustainable places through human-centered design. For thirty-three years as a faculty member in architecture in the College of Architecture and Planning, she has focused her work on community engagement through project-based teaching, learning, and scholarship. Her passion lies in being an active participant in the teaching and learning with students and with the community for whom we design. For Harwood, the projects that have had the most profound impact are those designed and built with students and communities, addressing real needs for real clients across Indiana communities. Her research is centered on sustainable, human-centered design for high-performance teaching and learning environments and missing middle housing. Grounded in the phenomenology of architecture, she emphasizes sensory experience, embodiment, and the language of space, form, and materials as essential to meaningful design.
Harwood has led students in constructing a series of play structures for the on-campus child care center and other projects that bring children into nature through outdoor play environments, including nature play pockets and timber structures for Muncie Head Start, the Muncie Children’s Museum, and the Maring-Hunt Library. More recently, she helped guide students on the award-winning Alley House project, earning top honors in the International Solar Decathlon Local Build Competition winning multiple design awards, She has secured more than $2.5 million in grants to support these initiatives and has shared her research nationally. Yet the most meaningful outcomes, Harwood says, “are intangible—the transformation of students who gain confidence, empathy, and curiosity through design that serves others. The collective joy of learning by doing—of shaping spaces that enrich lives—continues to renew my sense of purpose as an educator and designer.”