Awards and bibliography
SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace has been honored with the Presidential Citizens Medal, conferred upon her by the President of the United States. She has also earned accolades from Fashion Group International, the American Institute of Architects, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Interior Design Hall of Fame, the City of Atlanta, the State of Georgia, the City of New York, the French Republic, and others.
For her profound contributions to the creative community and the cities that SCAD calls home, President Wallace has earned the following:
- Recipient of the Presidential Citizens Medal, awarded by the President of the United States, 2025
- Named one of Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2024 Most Admired CEOs
- Recipient of the City of New York Certificate of Recognition for contributions to the cultural landscape, 2024
- Recipient of the Medal of the State of Vaucluse, France, 2022
- Recipient of the 2020 Educator of the Year award by the YMA Scholarship Fund
- Recipient of the 2019 Interior Design Hall of Fame Special Leadership Award
- Recipient of the 2018 Southeast EMMY President's Award
- Recipient of the 2018 Women in Film and Television Atlanta Creative Excellence Award
- Recipient of the Design Luminary Award Honoring Nancy Vincent McClelland from the American Society of Interior Designers, 2017
- Recipient of the Louise du Pont Crowninshield Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, 2016
- Recipient of the Roger Milliken Honorary American Institute of Architects Legacy Award, 2016
- Named an American Institute of Architects (AIA) honorary member, 2016
- Earned the Arthur Ross Award for Stewardship from the Institute for Classical Architecture and Art, 2016
- Named one of Conde Nast’s “The Daring 25,” honoring iconic individuals who are reshaping and reimagining the world, 2016
- Named on the Blouin Artinfo 2016 Power List: High-Wattage Women of the Art World
- Inducted as a Georgia Trustee by the Georgia Historical Society, 2015
- Recipient of the Phoenix Award, the City of Atlanta's highest honor awarded by the Mayor, for commitment to Atlanta’s artistic, cultural and educational development, 2015
- Recipient of one of the Atlanta Business Chronicle's "Women Who Mean Business Awards," 2014
- Named one of DesignIntelligence's 30 Most Admired Educators, 2013
- Named among the "100 Most Influential Georgians" by Georgia Trend magazine, 2012
- Recipient of the Sustainability Award from Fashion Group International, 2009
- Recipient of the inaugural Elle Décor Vision Award from Elle Décor magazine, 2008
- Recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Georgia State University College of Education, 2008
- Awarded the Impact on Design Education Award at the Style Atlanta Awards, 2005
- Appointed Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques by the Conseiller Culturel and Consul Général of the French Embassy in the United States of America, 2005
- Named "Entrepreneur of the Year" by Ernst & Young (Southeastern U.S.), 2004
- Member of the National Advisory Board of the National Museum of Women in the Arts (Washington, D.C.), since 2003
- Awarded the James T. Deason Human Relations Award and the W.W. Law Legacy Award, 2003
- Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA, Great Britain), 1998
- Named an "Outstanding Georgia Citizen" by Georgia Secretary of State Cathy Cox
In print
Wallace is a prolific author whose books and monographs include design publications, children's books, a memoir, and most recently, a book on leadership.
The Bee and the Acorn
A Memoir by Paula S. Wallace
The inspiring story of SCAD from the perspective of its president-founder.
Lessons in Leadership
A new model for leaders by Paula S. Wallace
Ten practical and immediately applicable lessons informed by more than 50 years of experience.
A House in the South
Old-Fashioned Graciousness for New-Fashioned Times by Frances Schultz and Paula Wallace
An illuminating meditation on Southern style through the lens of 20-plus homes.
Perfect Porches
Designing Welcoming Spaces for Outdoor Living by Paula S. Wallace
An intimate look at 40 homes and their exquisite porches.
"Against magnificent odds, President Wallace has built something unique, alive and enduring. Her story is an inspiration."
Geoffrey Fletcher | Academy Award-winning screenwriter
In conversation
President Wallace engages leading artists, designers, writers, and filmmakers on the questions of the day.