The Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, has selected Yukiko Kawata of Japan as its first recipient of a one-year scholarship to major in jewelry design. The Tiffany & Co. Foundation sponsors the scholarship, which is awarded to a new full-time student who is a citizen of Japan and meets F.I.T.’s language, academic, and portfolio criteria.

Kawata was selected through a review process conducted by members of the jewelry industry, including designers Michael Bondanza and Jose Hess.

F.I.T. offers both one- and two-year programs in jewelry design leading to an Associate in Applied Science degree. In both programs, students receive training in a core curriculum that familiarizes them with the design, construction, and creation of jewelry; the techniques of jewelry rendering and principles of casting methods; the study of gems; and how jewelry-design trends reflect contemporary society.