Miami U. juniors have designs on Disney honor

Two juniors at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, were recently chosen as finalists in
a Walt Disney design competition.

Casey Liptak and Erin Socha, along with fellow designer Sarah Mihoer of Carnegie Mellon, will compete against five other teams in Glendale, California, when they show their creations to Disney Imagineering executives in the finals of the 26th Walt Disney Imagineering Imaginations Design Competition.

The trio's project is titled "Niihka: A New Tradition,” as it celebrates the culture of the Myaamiaki people of Miami. They based the design's flooring on the tribe's traditional diamond pattern and an LED glass smart roof on the geometric patterns on a turtle shell.

"We really wanted to focus on something that was unique to Miami, and one thing that really stood out to us was the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and that connection,” Socha said.

The original competitors -- 336 in all -- were tasked with designing spaces at their own schools utilizing design principles in Disney’s theme parks, resorts and immersive experiences.

The six teams of 21 finalists have received a five-day trip to Glendale, with all expenses paid. The awards ceremony will be presented on Jan. 27.