MICA’s students prepare to become highly accomplished professionals in the visual arts, and their success can be seen in the honors they receive while still in school or as young professionals. From recognition through scholarships to awards to residencies, following is a sampling of recent accolades they’ve received.

Linda Whelihan ’12 (Art Education MA), who currently supervises student teachers at MICA, was named a Fulbright scholar for the academic year 2023-24. The honor will allow her to work with the Maasai Trust and the Mara Elephant project in Kenya, developing arts-integrated curricula.

MICA was named a Top Producer of Fulbright U.S. Students in 2024, and this is the sixth year in a row in which at least one MICA student or alum has been selected for the program, and the 23rd since 1994. Whelihan is the 41st MICA community member to receive the distinction. Fulbright U.S. Students are recent college graduates, graduate students, and early career professionals.

Grace Harrison ’24 (Teaching MA) has been selected by members of the National Art Education Association (NAEA) as the 2024 Eastern Region Preservice Art Educator Award winner. Considered the nation’s highest honor for preservice art educators, winners of this highly competitive award are recognized for exemplary service and achievement within each of the NAEA’s four geographic preservice regions.

Harrison is also one of three students in the MAT program who recently received the competitive Teaching Fellows for Maryland Scholarship, along with Erik Clark ’24 and Nia Hicks ’25. Honorees pledge to work as ​public school or public prekindergarten teachers in Maryland schools that have at least 50% of the students in the school eligible for free or reduced price meals (FRPM).­

Patton Westphalen ’24 (Film & Video BFA) was named one of the 2024-25 recipients of the Visual Arts Fellowship by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA). One of the largest fellowship programs of its kind in the U.S., this year’s honorees were selected by a jury of museum curators and working artists. Westphalen was awarded a half-year residency at the UMFA.

Since 1981 the Society of Illustrators has held the Student Scholarship Competition. In it, faculty-submitted student works are chosen to be honored by a jury of professional illustrators and art directors.

This year, the Society received over 4,000 entries representing art colleges nationwide. Over 200 entries were selected, including 10 entries from eight MICA Illustration BFA students: Alania Hinckson ’24, Camellia Wang ’25, Eva Phillips ’25, Gaiatri Hittle ’24, Madeleine Maule ’25, Roofi Mulya ’25, Shubo Yu ’24, and Skye Ehlert ’24.

Their work will be presented along with that of other honorees in an online gallery, which will be posted on the Society’s website in June.