Enrico Milletti ’19 Receives Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts

Enrico Milletti ’19, a visual arts major in the 3-2 Engineering program, has been selected for the Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts.

The Louis Sudler Prize is an endowed fund that rewards exceptional achievement in the creative and performing arts. The $1,000 prize is awarded annually on the basis of faculty recommendation to one graduating senior who has created or performed with distinction in dance, theatre, creative writing, music performance or composition, photography, or the visual arts. The award alternates between the college and Conservatory of Music, with odd years selected by the studio art division of the Department of Art.

Following graduation, Milletti will work at Material Connexion in NYC, a company that specializes in materials research that supports sustainability and environmental responsibility. He plans to enroll in a graduate program to study mechanical engineering, and he says he will use the award funding to continue making art while he is in engineering school.

“I am interested in mechanical engineering because it is very hands-on and concerned with design thinking, just like my current work in studio art,” says Milletti, who is from Hillsborough, California. “I hope to one day consolidate my arts and engineering skills and pursue a career in product design.”

For his senior thesis work in studio art, Milletti worked within installation and sculpture, primarily with concrete and adobe. “This mold-making/sculptural work was built off of great apprenticeships and learning experiences that I have shared with two people, my advisor and teacher Professor of Art Nanette Yannuzzi-Macias and designer Aaron Jones from Galanter & Jones in San Francisco.”

Milletti came to Oberlin as a STRONG scholar in the lab of Professor of Physics Stephen FitzGerald. “Though I have since strayed from the STEM research path, those skills in critical thinking and adaptability in research have definitely proven invaluable,” he says.

Most recently Milletti was a research assistant for Assistant Professor of Islamic Art History Farshid Emami. He says his work with Emami has informed his professional interests in architecture and design, and he hopes to retain these passions for years to come.

Outside of his studies, Milletti was treasurer for the Oberlin Photo Co-op for two years.

“I want to thank all of those who have mentored and guided me up until now, including Nanette Yannuzzi-Macias and my design mentors, Aaron Jones and Kit Halvorsen. I would not be able to produce the work that I do if it were not for their endless sources of knowledge and compassion for others who want to learn and grow.”