USITT is happy to announce the winners of our 2025 Young Designers, Managers, and Technicians (YDMT) Awards! The awards for YDMT bring recognition and support to young designers, managers, and technicians at the beginning of their careers. They are made possible by generous gifts to USITT from their sponsors.
Our YDMT winners will be celebrated and honored at USITT25 in Columbus on Thursday, March 6, at 9:30 a.m. during our Awards, Awards, Awards ceremony with the rest of our 2025 Award winners! Attend our awards event and after join the celebration with your fellow attendees as we make our way to USITT25's Stage Expo opening to drop the rope and be the first group of attendees on the floor!
Amoirie Perteet
Robert E. Cohen Sound Achievement Award
Amoirie Perteet is originally from Chicago and currently a third year MFA candidate in Sound & Media Design at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She graduated from UTK in 2022 with a BA in Music Production & Business. She is a composer, graphic designer, and mixer. She has worked with the Clarence Brown Theatre, American Players Theatre, and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. She will be graduating from her MFA program this Spring and is excited for the journey ahead!
Amoirie Perteet
"I'd like to thank my family, friends, mentor, and UTK faculty who have helped me grow into the person I am today! Without their amazing limitless support and guidance throughout the years, this would not be possible.
I am extremely grateful and honored to have won the Robert E. Cohen Sound Achievement award! It means the world to be recognized at such a high level for my hard work and passion for sound. This award has solidified in me that I am one hundred percent following the career path that I'm supposed to be following." -Amoirie Perteet
USITT Stage Management Award sponsored by Clear-Com Communication Systems
Annabelle is a fourth-year Design & Technology and Psychology major at Colorado State University. Her past credits at CSU include Stage Managing Everybody (2024), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2023), Spring Dance Capstone (2024) and Assistant Stage Managing The Wolves (2022),The Tender Land (2023), and Spring Dance Concert (2024). Outside of CSU, she has completed a technical apprenticeship at the Santa Fe Opera.
Annabelle Gauthier
"I would like to thank Matt Grevan, my stage management mentor at CSU, for all he has invested in my growth and success. His advice, support, and belief in my ability has been invaluable.
I am honored to receive the 2025 USITT Stage Management Award sponsored by Clear-Com Communication Systems. It is inspiring to be recognized for work that I love to do, and I look forward to continuing to learn and grow. Thanks to USITT and to the incredible stage managers I have had the pleasure to work alongside during this journey." -Annabelle Gauthier
Emmalee Berger
USITT Makeup Design Award sponsored by Kryolan Professional Make-Up
Emmalee Berger is currently finishing her master's degree in Costume Design and Technology at West Virginia University. During her time there, she has costume and makeup designed for shows such as Phoebe in Winter, and Ride the Cyclone. She has also worked as a draper, wardrobe manager, and crafts lead while there, working toward being a well-rounded theater artist. After graduation, she plans to move back to Chicago to continue in her design career.
Emmalee Berger
"Thank you to Oguzhan, Mom and Dad for supporting me from back home. And thank you to my support system at school, Spencer, Jackson, Sarah, Lara, Tammy, Tiffany, and Mary- you've helped me grow as a person and an artist so much over the last three years.
This award is a reminder to me of all the ways I have grown while in graduate school. Makeup design is not something I came in with a particular interest in, but after teaching an Introduction to Makeup class and designing while in school, I grew to not only be interested in it, but have a great respect for the people who excel in it. This award, to me, means looking forward to a very exciting future of learning and growing." -Emmalee Berger
The Richard Hay Undergraduate Scene Design Award & The USITT Scene Design Award sponsored by Rose Brand
Hayley E Wallenfeldt is a New York City-based theatre artist born and raised in Chicago with a passion for history, art, and developing immersive spaces. They focus on collaborative storytelling, new work, and creating worlds just on the edge of the fantastical. Hayley has spent her entire life fascinated with the way people create space and how objects and place-making define identity. They are incredibly grateful for the international village of creatives that advise & collaborate with them on all their creative endeavors, even when their demonic black cat is causing chaos in the background.
They are the set designer for Teatro Grattacielo’s upcoming world premiere of The Tin Angel by Daniel Asia and Paul Pines. Their recent credits include The Receptionist (Centenary Stage Company); 13 Suits, Haven (Outer Loop Theater); Make Way for Ducklings, Pete the Cat (Hangar Theatre); Waitress, Matilda (Quincy Community Theatre); Love and War (The Glimmerglass Festival); and Be Mean to Me, The Snowy Day, A Peculiar Inheritance (Northwestern University). They were the resident scenic design assistant for the 2023 Glimmerglass Festival season & are a recipient of the 2025 Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Prize. She received her degree in design and archaeology from Northwestern University.
Hayley E. Wallenfeldt
"I would not be where I am without the Wirtz Center Staff. They gave me an unprecedented amount of design opportunities for an undergraduate. The foundation of what I know about good collaboration between designers and technicians is from their tutelage working in that scene shop. Especially to Kathy, Chris, Jim, and Eileen; I would not be as competent a designer, as strong of an artist, or as good of a person without your presence in my journey.
I am absolutely floored and humbled to have been given the acknowledgment of both The Richard Hay Undergraduate Scene Design and the Scene Design Award sponsored by Rose Brand. It gives me a newfound confidence in my work and encourages me to continue to be resolute in persuing my career in stage design." -Hayley E. Wallenfeldt
Katherine is a Pittsburgh-based costume maker from Taipei, Taiwan. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Costume Design from Taipei National University of the Arts and is currently in her final year of study for a Master of Fine Arts in Costume Production from Carnegie Mellon University.
Katherine Chung
As a draper, Katherine’s work has recently been seen onstage in City Theater Company’s The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley, Quantum Theatre’s The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk, and Carnegie Mellon University’s A Little Night Music. She was a contributing artist helping create a sculptural garment for display in Flowers Meet Fashion: Inspired by Billy Porter at Phipps Conservatory. Additional credits include work as an intern at Parsons-Meares Ltd., and a First Hand at The Santa Fe Opera and Barrington Stage Company.
Katherine has a penchant for historical and traditional clothing and is in the midst of her capstone project which explores the influence of western tailoring techniques on the Chinese QiPao. She looks forward to making her mark on the costume industry after graduation in May.
Nickie Dubick
KM Fabrics, Inc. Technical Production Award
Nickie Dubick is a third-year MFA candidate in the technical design and production program at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University where she has worked as Technical Director, Assistant Technical Director, Production Electrician, and Props Manager. Prior to Yale, after spending five years touring internationally with a non-profit organization called The Young Americans, she earned a BA in Scenic Design from Marymount Manhattan College and completed a six-month-long scenic design internship with David Korins Design in New York City. Upon completing her graduate degree, Nickie looks most forward to returning to life with her beautiful future wife in their cozy apartment in the Bronx. She is determined to make time to read, cook, bake, and hopes to see as much new work as possible. She is excited to see what the future holds for her career.
Nickie Dubick
"I would like to thank all of my friends, family, and co-workers who encouraged me to pursue my grad school education. I would not have applied for this award without the encouragement of my department chair, Shaminda Amarakoon, and I am so grateful to two of my faculty members, Jen McClure and Matt Welander, for their kind and thoughtful letters of recommendation.
As a theater technician and designer, I am a person of many interests and have been so grateful for the opportunities I have been given in my pursuit of multiple disciplines. Winning the KM Fabrics Award is a true honor, makes me feel seen, and encourages me to continue my development as a 'jack of all trades, master of none.'" -Nickie Dubick
Zelma H. Weisfeld Costume Design & Technology Award
Qiuyi Li (Nuzzi) is a New York-based Chinese costume and production designer for film and theatre, holding a BFA from the Communication University of China and an MFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She is passionate about exploring the inner worlds of marginalized characters and reimagining historical details through innovative fabric textures. Selected costume design credits: Hair Tie, Egg, Homework Books (2021, 78th Venice International Film Festival), Before Leaving (2021, Kyiv International Film Festival), Summer Swing (2020, Shanghai International Film Festival), The Moors (2024, NYU Grad Acting), Phaedra’s Love (2024, Columbia Grad Theater Directing). She would like to thank Susan Hilferty.
Qiuyi Li (Nuzzi)
"This award marks a significant milestone in my early career. It symbolizes recognition of my past work and serves as both encouragement and support for the future, giving me the confidence to stay on this path and continue pursuing my passion." -Qiuyi Li
The Barbizon Lighting Company Jonathan Resnick Lighting Design Award
Seojung Jang is a lighting designer who blends artistry and technical precision across theater, opera, and dance. Originally from South Korea, she earned her MFA in Lighting Design from Northwestern University in 2024, where she worked on productions such as The Tempest, The Aliens, Working: A Musical, The Revolutionists, Foreshadows of the Flesh, Me Jane, and Mulan. Her lighting designs enhance storytelling, using light to evoke emotion and deepen the audience's connection to the work.
Seojung’s portfolio spans intimate black box theaters to grand performance spaces, with international experience in South Korea and the U.S., as well as in Japan, China, and Portugal. She has also participated in international festivals, including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. Additionally, she interned with the Tokyo Theater Company Kaze, assisting in design and touring productions.
Seojung holds a 1st Degree Lighting Certification from The Organization of Theatrical Arts & Technicians in South Korea. This is the country’s highest level of lighting certification, combining skills in design, electrics, and programming. This distinction reflects her deep expertise in lighting design, electrical systems, and programming.
Seojung Jang
"I’d like to start by thanking my parents for their endless love and support. I’m also deeply grateful to Marcus Doshi and Eric Southern, my mentors at Northwestern University, who have taught me so much and helped shape my path. A special thanks to Woo-hyung Lee, the person who inspired me to step into the world of lighting design—it was their influence that truly shaped the direction of my life. Lastly, I want to thank my amazing cohorts, who have been a constant source of encouragement and inspiration throughout this journey.
Winning this award means more to me than I can truly put into words—it’s an incredible honor. This recognition isn’t just about my work; it’s a reflection of the entire journey I’ve taken as a lighting designer. Every project, every challenge, and every moment of growth has led me to this point. It reinforces my passion for what I do and inspires me to continue pushing the boundaries of creativity. This award is a reminder of how far I’ve come, and it motivates me to keep striving for excellence in all my future projects. Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart." -Seojung Jang
Bernhard R. Works, Frederick A. Buerki Scenic Technology Award
Shawn Poellet is a third-year M.F.A candidate in the Technical Design and Production program at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University where he is focusing on theatrical automation. Credits at the Yale Repertory Theatre include: Technical Director for Wish You Were Here, automation technical designer for The Salvagers and The Far Country, and Assistant Technical Director for Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles. Between academic years, Shawn worked at Hudson Scenic Studios in the engineering department. Projects at Hudson include the Broadway productions of Sunset Boulevard, Maybe Happy Ending, and Our Town. Prior to the School of Drama, Shawn served as the Assistant Technical Director/Head Audio Video Engineer at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center at the University of Northern Iowa.
Shawn Poellet
"I would like to thank everyone that has supported me through my journey of technical theatre especially all the faculty and staff that have dedicated their careers to sharing their knowledge. I would also like to thank my fellow classmates at the Yale School of Drama. It has been a crazy few few years and I would have made it through it without them!
We all do such great work in this industry and I am honored to be contributing to this field." -Shawn Poellet
Zach is a designer in Lighting, Scenic, and Projections and is always striving to know more about everything he does. He is a creator in many forms when it comes to lighting. He is always investigating how to design lights in new and different ways. Especially how to incorporate lights into the world to help give it life. Designing and creating new and unique pieces that use his specialties in lighting, scenic, and media design is his passion and love. Collaborating with other designers to create something truly wonderful that can speak to the story and characters is his lasting goal. He will forever ask the question, "How can I do it better? What can I learn?" Zach would like to thank Michelle Habeck, Kate Freer, Josafath Reynoso, Jake Young, Jody Sekas, and Misti Bradford.
Zach Young
"This award means so much to me. To have my work recognized nationally after the countless hours I put into learning and working is amazing! I love creating and when I’m really proud of what I make I want others to enjoy it as well. This award is another step on my journey!" -Zach Young
