Gibbs College Architecture alumna Jessica Hester (Class of 2011) was recently named to the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal’s 2021 “Forty Under 40.” This program annually honors 40 individuals under the age of 40 who have been nominated as best in class by their peers in all industries.
Hester is CEO and Principal Architect of Verdant Studio, located in Rogers, Arkansas, which she built by hiring a “team of team of 12 professionals with overlapping creative disciplines focusing on art, architecture and research.” They work on a broad selection of project types–from public art to retail, hospitality to healthcare, and more.
To read her “Forty Under 40” profile, visit the link below.
Robert L. Wesley, a pioneering architect and beloved mentor, has died at age 88. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Wesley joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in 1964 and became the firm's first Black partner in 1984. Throughout his career, he contributed to significant architectural projects while maintaining a strong commitment to civic engagement and professional mentorship.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to celebrate a series of recent accomplishments by Dr. Jim Collard, Professor of Practice in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design, whose work continues to shape conversations around Indigenous economic development nationally and internationally.
University of Oklahoma Gibbs College of Architecture Dean Hans E. [PA1.1]Butzer returned to one of his most significant works on December 15, joining survivors and past and present board members for the groundbreaking of a $15.8 million expansion of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.
