Academy of Art University School of Industrial Design students awarded prestigious Phil Hill Scholarships at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) August 28, 2014 -- Academy of Art University School of Industrial Design students awarded prestigious Phil Hill Scholarships at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
San Francisco’s Academy of Art University, in partnership with the Pebble Beach Company Foundation, announced that it has awarded Phil Hill Scholarships to two promising automotive designers from its School of Industrial Design.
Named in honor of legendary Formula One driver and longtime Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance supporter Phil Hill, the scholarships were presented to Haman Ezzati of Fredrikstad, Norway, and Ali Moosavi of Tracy, Calif., at a ceremony at the annual Pebble Beach Automotive Week event on August 14.
The two-year scholarships are valued at $50,000 each and will further the educational paths of this year’s winners, both of whom are pursuing BFA degrees with a concentration in Transportation Design.
Ezzati, 27, was born in Iran and raised in Norway. He enjoys studying different cultures and is fluent in Norwegian, Swedish, English, Danish, Persian and Kurdish. Ezzati has explored artistic paths since childhood – from experimental cooking to music – but credits Academy of Art University Industrial Design Executive Director Tom Matano with introducing him to his most rewarding form of creativity: car design. His favorite classic automobiles are the 1952 Alfa Disco Volante and Jaguar E-type.
Moosavi, 22, has aspired to be a car designer since graduating from high school. Born in San Francisco, Moosavi was raised in Tracy and has traveled extensively. He’s a self-described perfectionist, admitting that his portfolio is under constant reconstruction. In the future, he hopes to complete a Ph.D. program, land a position at Volkswagen in Germany, and design something that will touch many lives. His all-time favorite car is the Ferrari Testarossa.
“Both are really strong talents with a great future ahead of them,” said Matano, an industry veteran who held design positions at Mazda, General Motors and BMW for nearly three decades prior to joining the Academy of Art University.
Car design and the art of car restoration have long been a passion of Academy of Art University President Dr. Elisa Stephens. Her family’s extensive rare car collection is showcased at the Academy of Art University Automobile Museum in San Francisco and provides inspiration for design students wishing to study and draw vehicles dating to the early 1900s.
“The Academy is devoted to having the best auto design program in the world and the Phil Hill Scholarships are part of the program’s continued success. We’re very proud of Haman and Ali,” said Dr. Stephens.
Last year’s 2013 Phil Hill Scholarship recipients, Jack Liu and Omead Dorandish, recently completed summer internships at Volvo Truck and Nissan Design, respectively.
The Pebble Beach Company Foundation Phil Hill Scholarships program was founded in 2009 and supports students pursuing degrees in fields related to Hill’s many passions, including automobiles.
At this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance car judging event on August 17, a 1931 Ruxton Sedan owned by the Stephens family won third place in its class. It is believed to be one of only 11 known Ruxton sedans and one of only 19 known surviving Ruxtons. An innovative front-wheel-drive creation, this Ruxton has a 100 horsepower Continental straight eight engine mated to a 3 speed manual transaxle and stops via 4 wheel hydraulic brakes. It was acquired by the Stephens family in 2013.
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About the School of Industrial Design
The Academy of Art University School of Industrial Design, which includes automobile design and other transportation fields, helps students prepare to be ready to work for the industry upon graduation. In addition to traditional hand drawing, digital drawing, and rendering classes, students take 3-D model-making studio classes in which they learn and develop their model-making surface execution skills. The Academy’s mission is to prepare students for the art and design jobs of the 21st century and since the industrial design program launched in 1998, Academy graduates have been hired by BMW Design Works, GM, Mazda, Toyota, Ford, Chrysler, Fox Racing, Black & Decker, Adidas, Camelback, Hasbro, Mattel, LG Electronics, Microsoft, Nike, Samsung, Fuseproject, Sony, Skechers, North Face, Tesla Motors, and Timbuk 2 Designs.
About Academy of Art University
Academy of Art University, the largest private university of art and design in the United States, is educating students for the art and design jobs of the 21st century. Established in 1929, the Academy is an output-based higher education model that provides an inclusive admissions policy to all students, but imposes a rigorous curriculum that requires the students to produce a portfolio of work that demonstrates a mastery of their field in order to graduate. Students are taught by a faculty of professionals from the existing marketplace, both online and on campus in San Francisco, who provide them with an understanding of what it takes to succeed in today’s business environment. The Academy’s hands-on curriculum produces graduates who possess outstanding artistic and design skills—and equally as important, the ability to put those talents to work immediately after graduation. As a result, Academy graduates are ready to compete for and win the jobs of the 21st century in the fields of Acting, Advertising, Animation & Visual Effects, Architecture, Art Education, Art History, Fashion, Fashion Journalism, Fashion Styling, Fine Art, Game Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Industrial Design, Interior Architecture & Design, Jewelry & Metal Arts, Landscape Architecture, Motion Pictures & Television, Multimedia Communications, Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media, Photography, Visual Development, Web Design & New Media and Art Teaching Credential, and Writing for Film, Television & Digital Media. Academy of Art University is accredited by WASC, NASAD, Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) (BFA/MFA-IAD), NAAB (B-ARCH*, M-ARCH), and California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). *B-ARCH program in candidacy status.
Visit http://www.academyart.edu for more information.
Jennifer Blot, academy of art university, http://www.academyart.edu, +1 4156186124, [email protected]
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