BRUCE BIERMAN

risd connection: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architecture, 1975; Bachelor of Architecture, 1976

professional status: A master of spatial economy, Bruce Bierman is a successful interior architect based in New York City. He has been inducted into the Interior Design Magazine Hall of Fame for his many contributions to the field — particularly in residential interiors ranging from Fifth Avenue penthouses and Palm Beach luxury apartments to traditional New England stone and clapboard homes.

type of gift made: As a member of the President’s Club, Bierman is among the alumni who support the College Annual Fund with a contribution of $1,000 or more each year.

rationale: As he sees it, an annual contribution to a college he believes in offers a good balance to his work milieu. “I’m in a business where I do mostly residential work for people who have been very fortunate in their lives,” he explains. “They’ve served as a great example for me to help those who are less fortunate.”

personal commitment: For Bierman, there’s also another dimension to his ongoing support. In the mid-’80s he and several friends established a scholarship fund in memory of one of his closest friends from RISD, Joseph Piselli ’77 AP, who passed away from AIDS — “one of the first, back then,” he says. “The scholarship is for any Apparel Design student in need, and somehow when it’s given each year it helps us to honor and remember Joseph.”

why risd? Bierman feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to study at RISD and can clearly see how his education has helped him to succeed. “At RISD I gained technical expertise with a wide range of materials, from textiles to woods and paint,” he says. “Now, clients and colleagues alike are amazed at my seamless integration of these many different aspects of interior design.” Giving back to RISD through the College Annual Fund upholds his personal philosophy and helps him to acknowledge how his experience here has shaped his life. “It only takes one person to make a difference,” he says, “and education is what is going to make a difference in making the world a different place. That’s where it all starts.”