A newly created award presented for the first time this year by the Experience Architecture (XA) program at Michigan State University honors the memory of Bill Hart-Davidson, former Professor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures (WRAC) and Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies in the College of Arts & Letters, who passed away in April 2024.
A renowned scholar, teacher, and administrator, Hart-Davidson was a member of the College of Arts & Letters and Michigan State University faculty for 20 years. He was a pioneer in the XA program and field as one of the co-creators of MSU’s XA program, which is housed in the College of Arts & Letters, shared between WRAC and the Department of Art, Art History, and Design.
The first recipients of the Bill Hart-Davidson XA Leadership Award are Lisa Chai and Julius Patto, co-founders and co-directors of the MSU Designathon, Michigan State University’s first-ever 24-hour design sprint, held March 22-23, 2025, where more than 130 students of all majors and skill levels from 10 universities worked to transform creative ideas into real-world solutions. The MSU Designathon team recently received the Emerging Student Organization Award. As winners of the Bill Hart-Davidson XA Leadership Award, Chai and Patto each received $1,000.
The WRAC Department also recently presented the XA Outstanding Senior Award to Rena Huang and Avery Antal and the XA Award of Distinction to Kelly Choi, Amelia Kenny, and Zayd Alghazali.
The following is more information on each of these awards and the 2025 recipients.
Bill Hart-Davidson XA Leadership Award
The Bill Hart-Davidson XA Leadership Award recognizes outstanding leadership in XA within and beyond the Arts and Humanities. It celebrates individuals who demonstrate exceptional vision, innovation, and dedication to enhancing the field of XA by leading the way.
Recipients of the Bill Hart-Davidson XA Leadership Award are leaders who inspire collaboration, drive impactful projects, and contribute significantly to the advancement of designing usable, accessible, and sustainable systems. Their work embodies the spirit of the humanities, fostering empathy, inclusivity, and meaningful engagement. This award highlights the importance of leadership in creating transformative experiences that enrich human interactions and understanding.
Lisa Chai
Lisa Chai, from Novi, Michigan, graduated in Spring 2025 with a B.A. in Experience Architecture and a minor in Computer Science. She earned the 2025 Board of Trustees Award for having maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average during her undergraduate education and also was a member of the Honor’s College.
Besides her work as the co-founder and co-director of the MSU Designathon, Chai also served as co-president of the MSU User Experience Association. She gained professional experience as a UX Design Intern at Little Caesars, as a Digital Accessibility Intern with MSU Educational Technologies, and as a UX Design Intern with Letterlink Learning.
Julius Patto
Julius Patto, from Detroit, Michigan, graduated in Spring 2025 with two bachelor’s degrees – a B.A. in Experience Architecture and a B.A. in Professional and Public Writing. Besides his work as the co-founder and co-director of the MSU Designathon, he served as Lead Undergraduate UX Designer and Researcher at MSU’s WIDE Research Center and co-president of the MSU User Experience Association. He also worked as a Teaching Assistant for the Introduction to UX class.
Patto interned at Rocket Mortgage as a UX Design Intern and as a User Experience Intern for Teach Access. He plans to continue his studies in the Master of Science in Human-Centered Design and Engineering program at the University of Washington.
XA Outstanding Senior Award
This award recognizes exceptional students who embody the core values of the Experience Architecture program and who are dedicated to creating improved and just experiences in the world through their work in XA and beyond. These seniors are future change agents, committed to designing usable, accessible, and sustainable spaces and systems. Their contributions reflect a deep understanding of the importance of engaging with and enhancing the environments around them and others. They are recognized for their ability to envision and implement inclusive designs that foster a world in which they and others want to participate.
Rena Huang
Rena Huang, from Detroit, Michigan, graduated in the Spring 2025 with a B.A. in Experience Architecture. She served as the Lead Undergraduate Researcher at MSU’s WIDE Research Lab, a UX Research Intern at Eli Review, and an Information Architect Intern at MSU. She also worked as a Teaching Assistant for the Digital Rhetoric class.
Huang was the Head of Experience Research for the inaugural MSU Designathon and worked as a Project Advisory and IT Audit Intern at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
Avery Antal
Avery Antal, from Canton, Michigan, graduated in Spring 2025 with a B.A. in Experience Architecture and a minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. At MSU, she was the Media and Creative Strategy Director for the Research Institute for Structural Change (RISC). She was also the Director of Graphic Design for VIM Magazine and a User Experience Designer for The Cube at MSU. As part of the Apple Design Lab, she prototyped a digital gallery at the Broad Art Museum that increased engagement through intuitive interaction design.
Beyond campus, Antal worked as a User Experience Strategist Intern at Viget, collaborating with XA students nationwide to co-design Soli, a travel app. She also applied the principles of XA to her Etsy clothing brand.
XA Award of Distinction
The XA Award of Distinction winners are exceptional students who exemplify the highest standards of the Experience Architecture program. They are dedicated to creating people-centered experiences across converging technologies, services, and processes. These students are recognized for their ability to navigate and contribute to the fast-paced nature of digital and physical environments.
The work of award recipients reflects a commitment to the continual growth and development of inclusive systems. They demonstrate a deep understanding of the vital need for people-centered thinking and experiences, making them true contributors in the field of Experience Architecture.
Kelly Choi
Kelly Choi, from Saipan, Northern Marianas Islands, graduated in Spring 2025 with a B.A. in Experience Architecture and a minor in Graphic Design. At MSU, she was a Research Intern for the Evidence-Driven Learning Innovation (EDLI) team. She also co-founded the Girls Who Code chapter.
Choi worked as a UX/UI Research and Marketing Intern for the MSU Department of Theatre interactive hybrid opera project, Interfering Lobster. She was a Freelance Graphic Designer for LandStar Tour in Malaysia and served as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Specialist with the Virginia Army National Guard.
Amelia Kenny
Amelia Kenny, from Royal Oak, Michigan, will graduate in Fall 2025 with a B.A. in Experience Architecture and minors in Educational Studies and Graphic Design.
She has gained experience across five internships, including roles as a UX Design and Web Development Intern for the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation and a Content Design Intern at Rocket Mortgage. She also was a UX Design Intern for Warmup Chicken Productions and a Website and Media Strategist Intern for the College of Arts &Letters.
Kenny was the Social Chair for MSU Women’s Club Soccer, where she applied UX principles to improve team engagement and fundraising.
Zayd Alghazali
Zayd Alghazali, from Ann Arbor, Michigan, graduated in Spring 2025 with a B.A. in Experience Architecture. As Lead Designer on key projects — including MSU’s Main Library redesign and the Concept MSU app — he gained hands-on experience in UX, UI, and Information Architecture. In his final semester, he served as an Experience Researcher and Designer for MSU’s Design-a-thon, which earned the Emerging Student Organization Award at the 24th Annual Student Leadership Excellence Awards.
He is currently a UX/UI Design Intern at LiveLook, a Lansing-based startup reimagining how live events are discovered and organized, and is steadily growing his independent web development work with small businesses.
By Austin Curtis and Kim Popiolek
