College Announces 2025 Distinguished Alumni
The College of Arts + Architecture (CoA+A) will honor five Distinguished Alumni on Friday, March 14, in the eleventh annual celebration of alumni achievement. The award ceremony will take place at 11:00 am in the Anne R. Belk Theater in Robinson Hall. The event is open to the public.
The Distinguished Alumni Awards were created by the College of Arts + Architecture in 2015 to recognize the accomplishments of alumni who demonstrate in their work the core themes of the College’s vision: professionalism, global perspective, environmental engagement, connectivity with community, collaboration, and the emergence of new ideas, skills, and practices. Each department designates one Distinguished Alum annually, chosen by departmental faculty and administration. See past honored alumni here.
The 2025 CoA+A Distinguished Alumni are:
Architecture Rachel Keeton
Art & Art History Kenny Nguyen
Dance Alex Aguilar
Music Amber Koeppen
Theatre Jeremy W. Foil
Rachel Keeton ‘06 (B.A. in Architecture)
Rachel Keeton is researcher, architect, and urbanist specialized in the intersection of design and social equity in African urban environments. Dr. Keeton completed her Master of Science in Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences at Delft University of Technology. The Netherlands, in 2008. In 2015 she founded Urban Anecdote, a consultancy, research, and design office dealing with urban questions through contributions ranging from exhibitions to independent films. From 2016-2020 she completed a PhD in urbanism as a recipient of the Delft Global Initiative Fellowship. This work developed an alternative approach to New Town planning in Africa that integrates no-income, low-income, and middle-income housing, aiming to make services and educational opportunities accessible to all.
Keeton is the author of Rising in the East: Contemporary New Towns in Asia (2011), African New Towns: An adaptive, principle-based planning approach (2020) and co-editor of To Build a City in Africa: a History and a Manual (2019). In addition, she has served as an advisory committee member for the Dutch Creative Industries Fund and board member of the Amateur Cities foundation. Since 2019 she has been a guest teacher at the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture, supervising graduation students and leading courses in climate change-driven migration, urban development in Ghana, and thesis writing. Since 2020, Dr. Keeton has been a researcher at the University of Twente, The Netherlands. Her current research examines perceptions of migration factors as they relate to climate change in Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Mali.
Kenny Nguyen ‘15 (B.F.A. in Painting)
Kenny Nguyen creates expansive, dimensional, mixed-media paintings that center on ideas of cultural identity, displacement and integration. Nguyen grew up on a coconut farm in a rural area near the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam. Despite having an established career in fashion design, he decided to join his family when they moved to the United States in 2010. Acclimating to an American way of life proved uneasy at first, especially with a language barrier that intensified feelings of alienation and isolation. Nguyen turned to art-making as a coping mechanism and as a means to express himself in a more universal language.
After graduating from UNC Charlotte, Nguyen established a studio in Charlotte. Drawing from his experience working with textiles, in particular, silk, a culturally significant material in Vietnam, he has developed a distinctive technique to produce sensual, three-dimensional works that he describes as “deconstructed paintings.”
Nguyen has participated in exhibitions across the globe, including at the Sejong Museum of Art, Seoul; CICA Museum (Czong Institute for Contemporary Art), Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, Korea; Kunstwerk Carlshütte, Büdelsdorf, Germany; LaGrange Art Museum, Georgia; Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, Florida; Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Ana, California; and The Rayburn House Office Building, United States Capitol Complex, Washington, DC.
Nguyen has been awarded numerous grants, fellowships, and residencies. In 2016, Nguyen received the Excellence Asia Contemporary Young Artist Award from Sejong Museum of Art and in 2023, a nomination for the Joan Mitchell Fellowship. In 2024, Nguyen was the recipient of the Asian Art in London’s Modern & Contemporary Asian Art Award presented by Sundaram Tagore at Sotheby’s.
Alex Aguilar ‘17 (B.A. in Dance)
Alex Aguilar is a multidisciplinary artist based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Before stepping into his role as PR and Social Media Manager at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, he was a resident actor with the company, touring the Southeast as a performer in theatre, dance, and music. He holds bachelor’s degrees in dance and biology from UNC Charlotte and has trained in ballroom and Latin dance at Midtown Ballroom and Queen City Ballroom. He also attended the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, where he received the Superior Excellence Award.
Aguilar has performed in a wide range of productions, from musicals and plays to immersive and interactive performances. His credits include Evil Dead (Scotty) and Chicago (Mary Sunshine / Ensemble), as well as originating roles in The Invisible Boy (Nathan) and Allie Kazan and the Magic Mansion (Max Best). A frequent performer at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center (BPAC), he is a recurring cast member in Charlotte Squawks, the Queen City’s long-running comedy show blending Broadway and Saturday Night Live-style satire. This summer, he will return for Charlotte Squawks’ 20th-anniversary production. In March, he will make his debut with Charlotte Conservatory Theatre in Continuity, a backstage comedy about filmmaking.
Beyond his work on stage, Aguilar is also a photojournalist, capturing the intersections of art, culture, and social justice. A dedicated advocate for LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC rights, he uses his platform to uplift voices and foster inclusive storytelling. His advocacy has been recognized by Instinct Magazine, highlighting his contributions to community engagement and visibility.
Amber Carpenter Koeppen ‘13 (B.M. in Harp Performance)
Amber Koeppen is a professor of harp and aural skills at Appalachian State University and the director of the university’s Community Music School. She holds a Master of Music in Harp Performance from the University of Michigan and a Graduate Certificate in Vocal Pedagogy from UNC Charlotte.
As a performing artist, Koeppen has been a prize winner and recipient of distinguished honors in a number of competitions, including being awarded First Place in the Rosen-Schaffel Competition for Young and Emerging Artists. In addition to her extensive solo work, Koeppen has also performed with the New York City Ballet, Johnson City Symphony Orchestra, Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Union Symphony Orchestra and Opera Carolina as well as various chamber groups. She has performed across the United States and abroad, including the World Harp Congress in Sydney, Australia, and has lectured at the WAAE music education conference in Auckland, New Zealand.
Koeppen is a devoted advocate for the arts and actively participates in non-profit organizations promoting arts education. She has been President of the Charlotte Chapter of the American Harp Society, Executive Director of Brush Strokes and Music Notes, and Interim Director of the American Youth Harp Ensemble.
As a teacher, Koeppen is passionate about promoting musician wellness and fostering a drive for artistic excellence and creativity in her students. Her students are active musicians who have been accepted into notable music programs, performed in various venues across the United States, and have been prize winners in solo competitions. In recognition of her efforts, she was recently awarded the 2024 Hayes School of Music Outstanding Excellence in Teaching Award.
Jeremy W. Foil ‘05 (B.A. in Theatre and Dance)
Jeremy W. Foil is based in New York City, where he is an art director working in feature film, a variety of programming for various streaming platforms, and live events. His recent credits include Fallout (Art Directors Guild Award), American Horror Story: Delicate, Gossip Girl (HBO), and Fosse/Verdon (Art Directors Guild nomination). He has also contributed as associate set designer to Broadway productions such as The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Tony Nomination), Honeymoon in Vegas, and School of Rock The Musical (London, Australia, China and Korea).
Foil’s upcoming projects include the Netflix limited series Black Rabbit directed by Jason Bateman and Laura Linney, A24’s Marty Supreme with production designer Jack Fisk, and his eleventh collaboration with comic Jim Gaffigan.
After graduating from UNC Charlotte, Foil received a Master of Fine Arts in Scenic Design from the University of Maryland at College Park. A proud member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829, IATSE, he gives back to his artistic community by serving on the Eastern Region Board and advocating for the membership and craft. His journey from a dance background to work in various forms of scenic design reflects his continued commitment to creating captivating spaces that inspire audiences and creators alike.