National accolades for Interior Architecture & Design

The Council for Interior Design has extended the accreditation of Mount Mary’s Interior Architecture and Design program through 2028.

The bachelor and postbaccalaureate degrees as well as the program meet the CIDA’s professional standards and have been awarded accreditation for six years. The announcement, made this week, represents 42 years of continued accreditation by this national accrediting board, said Genevieve Szeklinski, associate professor and chair of the department.

“Mount Mary University’s emphasis on social justice, inclusion, exposure to multi-cultural norms, and acceptance is significantly unique and affords the interior design program a rarely equaled opportunity to educate future designers not only with competent design skills, but also with an advanced understanding of the world for which they will design,” states the report.

The report also points out the professional experience of the faculty, as many are or have been practitioners in the field, as well as the program’s extensive network of alumnae and professional ties in Milwaukee and Chicago.

The reaccreditation is significant for students, said President Isabelle Cherney, because it provides professional validation that attests to excellence and outcomes.

“Students graduating from an accredited program can more easily find jobs in the field,” said Cherney. “Parents, students, and employers of graduates can be assured that our program meets the rigor of peer review and develops the skills and knowledge required to practice interior design.”

This fall, alumnae from the program have also received national and statewide recognition:

• Lynn Vogeltanz ‘02, was welcomed into the 2022 American Society of Interior Designers College of Fellows, a distinction bestowed on less than 1 percent of the group’s membership.
• Carly Seefeldt ‘17, was named to the 30 under 30 group of the National Kitchen and Bath Association.
• Catherine Starosta ‘22, received Emerging Professional of the Year award from the Wisconsin chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers.

“The interior design program at Mount Mary University is successfully preparing students to enter the interior design profession,” said Szeklinski, who graduated from the program in 2000. “I’m so grateful that the review team understands the goals and mission of the program and the difference it makes to the profession and students.” Learn more about Interior Architecture and Design.