At SCAD, the new year is already off to a groundbreaking start. Industry bellwether DesignIntelligence has ranked both SCAD’s undergraduate and graduate programs in interior design #1 in the 2012 edition of Best Architecture and Design Schools.  This double victory is historic for DesignIntelligence, too, marking the first time in the rankings’ history that both top honors were awarded to one university.

And as they say, good news tends to come in threes: in the same issue, SCAD interior design professor and internship coordinator Margo Jones was named one of the top 25 educators in the US. Margo is a born educator and a true SCAD ambassador, and I’m ecstatic to see her receive the recognition she deserves.

Last week, I gathered with interior design students and students to celebrate our trio of achievements at the newly expanded SCAD Museum of Art. We waved foam #1 fingers and snapped group photos, inspired by the words of Vice President for Academic Services Gokhan Ozaysin. “Here is your 20-second pitch,” he said. “When people ask what SCAD’s interior design program is like, you can tell them it’s the best in the country, times two.”

Near the end of the reception, senior Tara Headley from Barbados captured the moment perfectly. “I’ve received the best possible education at SCAD, and now I get to graduate knowing we’re number one. It’s awesome!”

Awesome, indeed. According to Jim Cramer, founding editor and publisher of DesignIntelligence, SCAD students are able to “tackle complex and difficult work, create and share knowledge, and invent new design solutions. These will be our future leaders.”

One thing is for sure – wherever SCAD leads, the creative professions are sure to follow. Congratulations to SCAD interior design chair Khoi Vo, SCAD faculty throughout the university, and the extraordinary students who work together each day to advance the SCAD tradition of excellence.