Recently, René Peralta was invited to join the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ASCA) Leadership Committee by ACSA’s newly appointed president, Dr. Lynne M. Dearborn. René, who is the Herb Greene Teaching Fellow at Gibbs College, is among just six faculty from institutions across the country invited to serve on this committee.
ACSA was founded in 1912 by ten charter members. The organization is an international association of architecture that helps to prepare future architects, designers, and change agents. ACSA provides venues for international peer review and recognition for scholarly journals, conferences, awards, and student design competitions. The faculty works to enhance teaching and research through volunteers and members. They offer partnership with peer organizations in education and practice around the world.
The Leadership Committee that René will be serving on will meet once a month to work on several different issues, including gender, racial, and socioeconomic equity in architectural education, fostering dialogue about education to advance architectural pedagogy, and developing more inclusive programming to engage community colleges and non-professional architecture programs. The committee also aims to help with faculty hiring and guiding students into careers beyond the university.
René studied architecture at the New School of Architecture in San Diego and the Architectural Association in London. He has served on the faculty at UCLA and University of Washington, and as director at Woodbury University in San Diego. René’s work explores the contemporary and future forms of the urban border between the United States and Mexico. His work has been featured in many museums around the U.S. and beyond. He also serves on the Board of Directors Fundación Esperanza de México (FEM).
“I am honored to be part of this committee and bring my 20 years of expertise in teaching in both public and private, Mexican and U.S. universities, as well as in community colleges.” – René Peralta
Please join us in congratulating René!
Photo credit: Stefan Falke
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.
