February 05, 2018
Senior at La Roche Awarded PAVE Student Aid Grant
PITTSBURGH, Feb. 5, 2018 – Mikayla Ambler, an interior design student at La Roche University, is the recipient of a Planning and Visual Education (PAVE) student aid program grant.
PAVE is a nonprofit foundation that connects students, educators and professionals who support the retail industry. Recipients must be full-time students who are enrolled in at least 12 credit hours, working toward a degree in the retail environments industry and have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.
“After discovering that people spend 90 percent of their time indoors, I decided to pursue a career in interior design,” Ms. Ambler said. “I never realized how much design could affect a person’s life until I recently started research for my senior thesis.”
Ms. Ambler’s senior thesis focuses on disaster relief and climate gentrification. She plans to create an uplifting center to educate the community in preparation for a disaster, and to provide a safe place of refuge.
A senior, Ms. Ambler has received numerous awards at La Roche, including honors in the University’s annual design competition, Positive Space. She also completed an internship with Savoy Interior Design LLC, under Nancy Sakino Spears, past president of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Pennsylvania West Chapter. She is a member of ASID, the Interior Design Legislative Coalition of Pennsylvania and the La Roche Eco Club.
A graduate of Elizabeth Forward High School, she is the daughter of Mike and Lynn Ambler. After graduating from La Roche in May, she hopes to work for a design firm specializing in residential or hospitality design in Pittsburgh.
Associate Professor and Interior Design Department Chair Nicole Bieak Kreidler, Ph.D., said, “Mikayla is a very passionate student and brings a sense of empathy to her design work. She takes criticism well and is able to turn it into growth, which is a skill that not many students are able to appreciate. She is very passionate about design and brings new ideas to the table.”
La Roche is one of only two colleges in the area to be fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art & Design. The interior design program has been continuously accredited by the Council of Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) since 1985, giving La Roche the distinction of achieving and holding CIDA accreditation longer than any other Pittsburgh interior design program.
The Design Division is dedicated to preparing students for professional practice. By maintaining accreditations, implementing curriculum that balances theory and application while supporting interdisciplinary experiences, the division focuses on teaching students to create rich interactions that transform human experiences. The Division supports the University’s global mission by emphasizing the value and exploration of social and cultural awareness.
About La Roche University: A private liberal arts college in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, La Roche University offers more than 50 undergraduate majors, six graduate degree programs and one doctoral program, with particular strengths in education, business, criminal justice, psychology, and health and medical sciences as well as interior design and graphic design. This residential college provides a vibrant campus community for more than 1,500 men and women enjoying 30-plus student organizations and an exciting NCAA Div. III athletics program. Founded by the Sisters of Divine Providence in 1963, La Roche University embraces its Catholic heritage while welcoming people of all faiths and backgrounds. With a legacy of social justice and a commitment to international exchange, La Roche University educates students to be lifelong learners and achievers in an increasingly diverse and global society.
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