UMass Dartmouth interior architecture + design faculty earn two national ASID awards

Rose Mary Botti-Salitsky and Stephanie McGoldrick recognized among the nation’s leaders in interior design and education

Two Interior Architecture + Design (IAD) faculty members have received national honors from the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), marking an unprecedented pair of awards for the only public interior architecture + design program in Massachusetts.

Associate Professor and Program Coordinator Rose Mary Botti-Salitsky received the 2026 ASID Luminary of Distinction Legacy Award, while Assistant Professor Stephanie McGoldrick was named the 2026 ASID Educator of the Year.

The honors are part of the ASID National Awards, the organization's highest level of professional recognition. The awards recognize individuals, organizations, and teams whose work demonstrates achievement, innovation, and impact across the interior design profession.

"Seeing both Rose and Stephanie recognized nationally is a source of great pride to the college and confirms the strengths of UMass Dartmouth's Interior Architecture + Design program." said College of Visual and Performing Arts Dean Denise Baxter.

"The greatest measure of my success as an educator is seeing my students grow into confident, thoughtful designers and, eventually, colleagues in the profession."

Botti-Salitsky recognized for leadership and impact

The Luminary of Distinction is one of ASID's Legacy Awards, recognizing individuals whose leadership and vision have made a lasting impact on the interior design profession through education, advocacy, or research.

For Botti-Salitsky, that work has long connected the classroom with the evolving profession. As coordinator of UMass Dartmouth's IAD program, she draws on more than three decades of experience to prepare students for careers in a field increasingly shaped by accessibility, life safety, emerging technologies, and the changing role of professional designers.

Her influence also extends beyond campus. Botti-Salitsky has helped advance professional standards for interior designers nationally, including serving on the Council for Interior Design Qualification Model Legislation Task Force and contributing to efforts to establish professional recognition for interior designers in Rhode Island. That work gives students a faculty mentor who is not only teaching the profession, but helping shape its future.

The Luminary of Distinction continues a series of national honors for Botti-Salitsky. She was elevated to the ASID College of Fellows in 2020 and was named one of the organization's "50 Impact Makers" in 2025, recognizing leaders who have helped shape the interior design profession.

"Although this award recognizes one person, my journey has been shaped by mentors, colleagues, students, family, and friends. I'm deeply grateful for their support and inspired to keep teaching, advocating, mentoring, and creating opportunities for the next generation of designers," said Botti-Salitsky. "If my career demonstrates anything, I hope it is that one person, working in partnership with others and remaining committed over time, truly can help move a profession forward."

McGoldrick honored for excellence in education

McGoldrick's selection as ASID Educator of the Year recognizes her impact on students and the interior design profession through teaching, leadership, vision, and advocacy.

At UMass Dartmouth, McGoldrick's approach to teaching gives students opportunities to apply what they learn in the classroom to projects with real-world impact. Her work has connected interior design education with community needs, from efforts to revitalize park spaces in New Bedford to projects supporting small, minority-owned businesses and nonprofit organizations.

That commitment to hands-on, student-centered learning has earned McGoldrick recognition both at UMass Dartmouth and across the interior design profession. In 2023, she received the Manning Prize for Excellence in Teaching, which recognizes exceptional faculty across the University of Massachusetts system. She has also been honored by the Interior Design Educators Council for community service and received support from the International Interior Design Association for community-focused design projects.

McGoldrick has continued to expand opportunities for students through projects focused on lighting education and universal design. Her work has included developing an open educational resource for lighting educators with support from the Nuckolls Fund for Lighting Education and bringing a Universal Design Symposium to UMass Dartmouth.

"The greatest measure of my success as an educator is seeing my students grow into confident, thoughtful designers and, eventually, colleagues in the profession," said McGoldrick. "Receiving the ASID National Educator of the Year Award is incredibly meaningful because it recognizes the work that I feel so fortunate to do every day, helping students make a positive impact through design."

Together, the awards place two members of UMass Dartmouth's Interior Architecture + Design faculty among ASID's nationally recognized leaders in the same year, highlighting the program's contributions to both interior design education and the advancement of the profession.

UMass Dartmouth interior architecture + design faculty earn two national ASID awards

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