The OU Urban Design Studio community was saddened to learn of the recent passing of Katie Wing. A 2019 graduate, Katie’s optimism, determination, and joy were an inspiration to all who knew her. While at the Studio she fed her passions for community placemaking, environmental sustainability, and social justice.
These interests and her gift for working with people often put her in a leadership role. For instance, she recruited and organized over one hundred volunteers during the Chapman Green Placemaking effort. Likewise, she played an important role in the Liberation Cottage Design Competition for the Osage Forest of Peace Campus Plan.
Katie Wing.
Her professional capstone project focused on studying and transforming Tulsa Transit’s Downtown Transfer Station. After graduating, Katie worked for the Indian Nations Council of Governments (INCG) as a planner and urban designer before stepping down due to illness.
She is survived by her husband Robbie, also an Urban Design Studio alumnus. Our deepest sympathies go out to Robbie and the rest of Katie’s family and friends. She was a brilliant light in the world, and we will miss her illumination.
Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to recognize Petya Stefanoff, who is pursuing her doctorate in the Planning, Design & Construction (PDC) program, has been appointed the new role of Director of Community Development for the City of Shawnee, Oklahoma. She joined the city in 2024.
Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture and Design and director of the Institute for Quality Communities, has received national recognition for her book Model Schools in the Model City. The book has been named a finalist for the 2026 the PROSE Awards.
Gibbs College of Architecture Regional + City Planning Professor of Practice Vanessa Morrison and Associate Professor of Architecture Deborah Richards’ Open Design Collective received top honors at the inaugural BlackSpace Urbanist Collective Studio KIN Pitch Night Competition, held last month in Brooklyn, New York City.
