Taubman College Alumna, Akima Brackeen, M.Arch ‘22, Wins Rome Prize

Taubman College Alumna Akima Brackeen, M.Arch ’22, was awarded a 2025-2026 Rome Prize by the American Academy in Rome. With a distinguished career in architecture, Brackeen was one of 35 artists and scholars selected for this prestigious fellowship. Rome Prize winners are selected annually by juries of distinguished artists and scholars through a national competition. This year’s competition received 990 applications.

Founded in 1911, the American Academy in Rome is an interdisciplinary community of scholars and artists inspired by the history, art, and architecture of the city. A key component of the academy is the Rome Prize Fellowship, which annually supports around 30 scholars and artists in the arts and humanities to live and create in collaboration. Fellows eat meals together and socialize between dedicated time for learning and peer mentorship. 

Brackeen was awarded the Lily Auchincloss Rome Prize to pursue her project “Sonic Impressions.” Since graduating from Taubman College, Brackeen has been a Longo International Intern with MASS Design Group and was awarded a Jeanne and John Rowe Fellowship at the Illinois Institute of Technology. She is currently an assistant professor of architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.