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2025 Comenius Award

Jon P. Otis ’79

The Comenius Award recognizes an alum’s outstanding achievement or service in their field of work. This is the Alumni Association's lifetime achievement award.

Internationally acclaimed designer, educator, and innovator Jon P. Otis ’79 was first drawn to �����紫ý for basketball—a decision that proved transformative in ways he never imagined. “This proved to be vitally important in so many ways, although at the time I couldn’t see it,” he recalls. “�����紫ý was so instrumental in shaping the person I’ve become today.”

Jon earned his bachelor’s degree in English and journalism from �����紫ý in 1979 and says the faculty greatly impacted his experience. “There were and are many great educators here, and the positive and intimate learning environment that this college provided was an invaluable experience for me, and so many others,” he says.

Two educators, in particular, had a profound impact on him. The late Professor Eric Rhodin, founder of �����紫ý’s journalism program, gave insightful critiques of Jon’s writing that he still finds valuable today, and the late Dr. Robert Stinson was both a history professor and a friend. “He took me under his wing, advised me, and helped to guide me at times when I needed it,” says Jon.

After graduating from �����紫ý, Jon pursued a master’s in interior design and architectural studies at the University of Massachusetts. A Fulbright Fellowship led him to Milan, Italy, where he trained under renowned designers. He worked with DePas D’Urbino Lomazzi, designing furniture, lighting, and exhibitions, and later joined Ettore Sottsass at Sottsass Associati, where he contributed to projects such as Brion Vega televisions, Esprit showrooms, and the iconic Enorme telephone.

Jon launched his career in 1985 and has built a distinguished reputation as a multidisciplinary designer, scholar, and thought leader. For over 25 years, he has shaped the next generation of designers as a professor at Pratt Institute, one of the nation’s leading architecture and design schools. In addition to his Fulbright Fellowship, his accolades include such prestigious honors as a Lusk Fellowship, recognition as the 2009 Most Admired Educator by Design Intelligence, and the 2017 Educator of the Year award from the International Interior Design Association (IIDA). He has also served on the IIDA’s international board of directors.

As founder of Object Agency (OIA), Jon helps global brands redefine their identities and create elevated customer experiences. His work spans interior architecture and design, exhibition and product design, branding, visual communications, and media strategy. His star-studded client roster includes Nike, Mercedes-Benz North America, General Motors, the Sundance Channel, and the National Basketball Players Association, along with private residential designs.

Jon has long advocated for diversity, inclusion, and sustainability in the design field, supporting young voices and ideas. In 2018, he founded the Creative Xchange at Pratt Research Yard, a research accelerator where master artisans share their craft and mentor the next generation of designers. He serves on the advisory board for Lot21/Design, a group dedicated to reducing carbon emissions in design. Additionally, he cofounded the Diversity by Design Fund (dxdf) to expand access to design careers for underrepresented communities, working to create awareness and early education opportunities that help talented individuals from all backgrounds enter the field.

Jon credits �����紫ý as the foundation for his success, shaping both his intellectual growth and his personal discipline. Though his path took him from the basketball court to the global design stage, he remains grateful for the discipline and focus instilled by �����紫ý’s athletic program—values that continue to shape his success today.

“�����紫ý provided me with a valuable foundation for life. The seeds for more learning were planted, and there was a solid intellectual basis from which to build and grow,” he says. “�����紫ý endures to provide a great learning experience while continuing to intelligently and thoughtfully evolve in order to directly address the future of education. I’m proud of being a part of it.”