Commencement 2026

Ann Pyne is President of McMillen Inc., America's longest-lasting full-service interior design firm in America, founded in New York City in 1924, and the recipient of the 2024 Albert Hadley Lifetime Achievement Award. McMillen has served as the proving ground for industry icons like Albert Hadley and Mark Hampton, executing high-profile projects for everyone from Doris Duke and Babe Paley to Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. There’s no single explanation as to why so many once-proud firms have fallen by the wayside while this one soldiers on, but having Ann Pyne as the president certainly helps.  

Ann Pyne has a master’s degree in Decorative Arts from the Bard Graduate Center, as well as an MFA in Writing and an MA in English and American Literature, both from Columbia University. She then came to McMillen Inc. in 2002. Before that she was a teacher, the author of a book of short stories, and a collector of aesthetic-period furniture and ceramics. Ann finds it rewarding to introduce clients to McMillen's standards of execution and to the tradespeople, artists, and artisans with whom McMillen works. She likes to think that her exposure to other forms of art plays a part in the decoration and design of her interiors, and that her experience as a collector is helpful to clients when they are assessing their needs for furniture and decorative objects. 

Dennis Scully has spent his career at the intersection of design, media, and business, bringing curiosity, wit, and deep respect for the creative process to every conversation. As host of the Business of Home podcast and its weekly news program, The Thursday Show, he has become one of the design industry's most trusted voices — known for asking the questions that matter most to designers, brand leaders, and entrepreneurs alike. 

His perspective was shaped by years in shelter media and the luxury home furnishings industry, with roles spanning marketing, sales, and brand leadership. That wide-ranging experience gives him a rare understanding of design from the inside out — the creative ambitions that drive the field and the commercial realities that shape it. 

Beyond the podcast, Dennis is a familiar presence at the New York School of Interior Design, where he has moderated and curated the Dialogues on Design series with many of the industry's leading figures — a reflection of his longstanding commitment to design education and the next generation of creative talent.  

Through hundreds of interviews, live events, and public conversations, Dennis has helped elevate design by treating it not as a luxury or an afterthought, but as a force that shapes how we live, work, and connect. His career reflects a simple belief: that the people who make design deserve serious attention, sharp questions, and genuine appreciation. 

Xinrou Qiu was born and raised in China and is now based in New York City. She has a strong interest in commercial design, art, culture, and emotionally-driven spatial design. With a multicultural perspective shaped by both Eastern and Western influences, her work explores how interiors can support well-being through materiality, light, atmosphere, and storytelling. She has experience in residential design, architectural drafting, 3D modeling, and rendering. Her design approach focuses on creating spaces that feel thoughtful, immersive, and deeply connected to the human experience.  

Swagatika Rath is interested in hospitality and experiential design, particularly in how interiors shape the way people feel, interact, and remember a place. Born in India and raised in Hong Kong, her multicultural background informs a sensitivity to the relationship between tradition and modernity, and how environments can hold layered identities. 

With experience in FF&E manufacturing, project management, as well as drafting, 3D modeling, and design coordination, she combines conceptual thinking with technical understanding. Her work explores how spaces can translate culture, memory, and emotion into physical form through materiality, atmosphere, and detail. She is particularly drawn to immersive environments that foster connection and create meaningful experiences.