The University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Architecture announced that Associate Professor Nathan Bicak has been named to an elite peerage of educators as a recipient of the 2026 Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC) Teaching Excellence Award.
Bicak was recognized for his sustained commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, hands-on learning and transformative educational experiences that prepare students to engage meaningfully with communities and the built environment.
This marks the third time in the past five years that a UNL interior design faculty member has received the IDEC Teaching Excellence Award, with previous recipients including Associate Professor Kendra Ordia and Interior Design Program Director Lindsey Bahe.
That distinction reflects a broader culture within the program and is evident in student success. The program maintains a 95% job placement rate, and students are consistently recognized in national competitions and honors programs, including NEXT and Metropolis Future100. This year, two additional UNL students were named to the Metropolis Future100, bringing the program’s total to eight recognized students since 2022.
Kevin G. Van Den Wymelenberg, dean of the College of Architecture, added, “Professor Bicak’s collaborative spirit, inquisitive nature and passion for teaching design and creative problem-solving make him a beloved colleague and educator and represent a few of the reasons he was recognized by IDEC with their most prestigious award."
“With Nate Bicak named the third UNL interior design faculty member since 2021 to receive the IDEC Teaching Excellence Award, our program has the highest concentration of recipients of any single program,” said Lindsey Bahe, director of the interior design program. “This distinction reflects a culture where teaching is advanced through innovation, collaboration and research-informed practice. It affirms the UNL Interior Design Program as a national leader in shaping the future of design education and practice.”
For more than a decade, Bicak has led an interdisciplinary collaborative studio that brings together students from interior design, architecture and landscape architecture. Through partnerships with communities across Nebraska — including Valentine, Kimball, Hastings, Omaha, Lincoln and Osmond — students engage with real-world challenges ranging from affordable housing and main street revitalization to K-12 education and early childhood design. His teaching emphasizes empathy, teamwork and the social impact of design, helping students develop solutions grounded in the unique needs of each community.
Bicak is also a driving force behind fabrication and material exploration within the program. His IDES 301 Material Application course immerses students in hands-on learning through prototyping with wood, plastics and fabrics, while introducing them to advanced tools such as laser cutters, CNC machines, welding equipment and 3D printers at Nebraska Innovation Studio. The course was the first in the College of Architecture to be fully taught at the facility, establishing a lasting partnership that connects design thinking with making and innovation.
His excellence in teaching has been recognized with the College of Architecture Teaching Award in 2022 and an honorable mention for the CIDA Award for Excellence in 2017. Bicak also contributes to the advancement of design education through regular presentations at national conferences, including IDEC and Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA), and serves as a peer teaching mentor for tenure-track faculty within the college.
Bicak’s teaching emphasizes community-engaged design, collaboration and material-based learning, with a focus on preparing students to address real-world challenges in the built environment.
