UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Two projects by graphic design students in the Stuckeman School at Penn State’s College of Arts and Architecture earned gold awards in the 2026 Graphis New Talent Competition.
An additional six projects earned honorable mention recognition in the annual design competition, which recognizes the best student work from around the world.
Jon Petersen, a 2025 alumnus, and Colette Albertson, who graduated in May, both earned gold awards: Petersen for his “Palo Fierro Tequila, Canyon Gold Series,” a limited-edition tequila series, in the packaging design category, and Albertson for her “Psyche” women’s clothing brand project in the branding design category. Both students completed their work under the guidance of Emily Burns, associate professor of graphic design, in her GD402: Senior Problems course.
An international jury of design industry experts select entries for the annual Graphis New Talent competition in design categories such as: advertising, book design, branding, editorial design, environmental design, exhibit design, film/video, illustration, infographics, interaction design, logos, motion graphics, packaging, poster, product design, type fonts, website design and more. Awards are presented at the platinum, gold and silver levels, along with honorable mention recognitions.
Those projects receiving honorable mentions were:
